No forced tests in Melbourne

Residents in Melbourne’s coronavirus hot spots will not be forced into being tested, despite almost 1000 people in two suburbs rejecting tests.

Dozens of suburbs are being returned to lockdown until July 29, and international flights will be diverted for two weeks, in an effort to contain the state’s latest coronavirus outbreak.

It has been revealed that 928 people have rejected being tested in the hot spot suburbs of Broadmeadows and Keilor Downs alone.

But Premier Daniel Andrews says people will not be forced into taking tests in the lockdown areas, because it would be logistically difficult and only possible if police accompanied testing staff door to door.

He said an analysis of why tests were refused was still being done, and included families who denied permission for their children to be tested.

‘‘The only people who can enforce and apply fines or other penalties are in fact members of Victoria Police, and if I’m going to have every single person who’s testing accompanied by a member of Victoria Police, then this is going to present a whole lot of very practical problems,’’ Andrews told ABC Melbourne radio yesterday.

‘‘All we can do is urge people to get tested.’’

He said increasing fines or threatening mandatory quarantine was also not practical.

‘‘You can make all manner of threats, but they won’t necessarily change anybody’s behaviour. It may well be people simply don’t answer the door.’’

Most of Victoria’s new cases are due to community transmission, prompting Andrews to reintroduce stay-at-home orders for 10 postcodes from today until at least July 29. Much like earlier stage three restrictions, residents of the postcodes will only be able to leave their homes for four reasons: to shop for food and supplies, to receive or provide care, to exercise, and to study or work if they can’t do so from home.

Businesses and facilities in these areas that recently reopened – including gyms, beauty parlours, libraries and swimming pools – will have to close, while cafes and restaurants will only be open for takeaway and delivery.

International flights will also be diverted from Victoria to other states for a fortnight, as a former judge begins an inquiry into the state’s hotel quarantine programme. Testing has found that a ‘‘very significant number’’ of cases in late May and early June could be linked to a breach of infection control protocols by staff at the hotels.

Queensland and South Australia are keeping their borders closed to Victoria, while New South Wales will not allow Victorians to attend major events in the state until further notice.

‘‘Threats . . . won’t necessarily change anybody’s behaviour.’’ Daniel Andrews, Victoria Premier