A second person who attended Melbourne's Black Lives Matter protest has tested positive for COVID-19, among 12 new cases confirmed in Victoria.
The new cases bring the total number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Victoria to 1,732.
Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the Black Lives Matter protester was a young woman who attended the demonstration in Melbourne on June 6, but was "very unlikely" to have acquired the virus there.
Professor Sutton said the woman wore personal protective equipment (PPE) at the protest and was unlikely to have transmitted the virus to other attendees because she had been "minimally symptomatic" at the time.
"That individual took a great deal of care in terms of having a distance with others and I think is unlikely to have acquired it there given that there are a whole number of other places that this individual has gone to without PPE," he said.
Professor Sutton said the young woman was unrelated to another protest attendee who tested positive last week.
The other new cases recorded in Victoria on Monday include:
- Two people linked to a hospital patient, including a healthcare worker
- Seven people linked to a Coburg family outbreak
- One person in hotel quarantine
- One case under investigation
Coburg coronavirus cluster grows
The seven new cases linked to the Coburg family outbreak bring the total number of cases in that cluster to 11.
Professor Sutton said the new cases linked to the Coburg cluster were spread across households in Coburg, Pakenham and Broadmeadows.
"The extended family is very large," he said.
"They've had gatherings across different households as many of us do now."
St Dominic's Primary School in Broadmeadows and Pakenham Springs Primary School have been closed for contact tracing and cleaning.
Professor Sutton said two students at the Pakenham school tested positive for coronavirus.
One was infectious while attending school last Wednesday, but acquired the virus at home.
Professor Sutton said the source of the original infection in the cluster was still under investigation.
"It's still a lesson that if any of us is unwell, if any of our kids are unwell, even with mild symptoms then we need to exclude them from seeing others including in scheduled gatherings for celebrations," he said.
"Even if it's just a runny nose, they could transmit to others who are much more vulnerable who could develop severe illness."
Community transmission small despite increase in cases
When asked if Victoria should continue easing restrictions given the increase in cases, Professor Sutton said his advice was that gradual reopening could continue.
"Even though outbreaks are ongoing, we do respond to them very quickly and robustly and we get on top of them," he said.
Professor Sutton said while he was "not convinced" there had been community transmission at the Black Lives Matter protests, anyone with symptoms was urged to get tested.
"The message is the same — anyone who has attended [Black Lives Matter demonstrations] — indeed anyone across Victoria who develops symptoms compatible with coronavirus, should come forward for testing, to isolate at home, get a test … and get a result."
Over the weekend, Victoria recorded 17 new coronavirus cases, the majority of them in hotel quarantine.
On Sunday, Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed Victoria will further ease restrictions on June 22, boosting the number of people allowed inside venues and paving the way for a return to most recreational sports in July.
He also stressed there would be more outbreaks and cases in the future as the state continued to pursue a strategy of virus suppression rather than total elimination.
