Mildura begins day-13 testing as health authorities gear up to understand full COVID picture

Primary close contacts from tier 1 exposure sites are now being retested as part of the state's day-13 testing regime. (ABC Mildura-Swan Hill: Jennifer Douglas)

The full extent of Mildura's COVID-19 cases will not be clear until the end of the week, according to the clinical lead of the Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit.

On Sunday, 400 primary close contacts were retested as part of the mandatory day-13 testing of those who were at tier 1 exposure sites.

Bendigo Health and public health unit clinical lead Andrew Mahony said more than 600 day-13 tests would be carried out this week.

"About 20 to 30 per cent of people who get COVID won't actually have symptoms at all," he said.

Infectious diseases physician Andrew Mahony says Bendigo Health will be in Mildura this week to complete day-13 testing. (ABC Central Victoria: Tyrone Dalton)

Cases linked to MCG

The four active coronavirus cases in Mildura are all household contacts of the man in his 30s who went to the Carlton versus Geelong match at the MCG on July 10.

He presented to the Mildura Base Public Hospital on Saturday, July 17 testing positive that night.

Day-13 tests are done on people who were at tier 1 COVID-19 exposure sites and are considered primary close contacts of a positive case.

"Anyone who is in their home quarantining who does get symptoms, whether that's day three, five or whatever, need to come back and get tested," Dr Mahony said.

The Victorian Department of Health will tell tier 1 cases when they can leave quarantine.

Ten exposure sites remain for Mildura and Bendigo Health said it would remain in Mildura until the end of the week to complete day-13 tests.

Mildura is in lockdown with four active COVID-19 cases of the Delta strain, but a 'border bubble' sees residents come and go from nearby towns in NSW. (ABC Mildura-Swan Hill: Jennifer Douglas)

Restoring confidence

Mildura Mayor Jason Modica said day 13 would go some way to dulling anxiety among the community and give people confidence that the city can live in a COVID-19 normal way.

"All that hard work that's been done by the family who was initially identified as having a case to everybody falling into line," he said.

"It really shows that people are prepared to act under health instructions to get to that point where we go, 'OK, yes, we've done as much as we can, whether that's being tested, immunised or keeping yourself inside for your 14 days'.

"And I think it does bring a certain amount of confidence because we hadn't had cases for 15 months that we can go back there and begin to participate in our normal lives again."

Around 100 primary close contacts will be tested on both Monday and Tuesday before 50 hospital staff are tested at the end of this week.

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