Victoria has recorded another four community Covid-19 infections, bringing the total number detected in Melbourne's northern suburbs over the past two days to nine.
People queue at a Covid-19 testing station in Melbourne on May 25, 2021. Photo: AFP / William West
The four latest cases were detected after a fifth case was reported earlier today.
All cases belong to one extended family across different households and could be traced back to the variant found in an overseas traveller who returned to Melbourne this month after completing quarantine in the city of Adelaide.
Authorities, however, said they could not yet find how the latest cases contracted the virus from the overseas traveller.
It comes on the back of Melbourne reinstating restrictions on Tuesday as authorities scrambled to find the missing link in a fresh outbreak, prompting New Zealand to pause a "travel bubble" with the state of Victoria.
The neighbouring state of South Australia also imposed travel restrictions.
Amid worries the cluster could spark a major outbreak, Victoria imposed social restrictions and made face masks mandatory in hotels, restaurants, and other indoor venues from 6pm (Australian time) on Tuesday until 4 June.
The latest outbreak ends Victoria's run of zero cases for nearly three months.
Thousands of people in Melbourne have been ordered to self isolate and undergo Covid-19 tests with health alerts issued for several sites, including one of the largest shopping centres in the country.
One of the cases had a high viral load while he visited some venues prompting authorities to warn Melbourne's five million residents to brace for more positive cases in the next few days.
Authorities urged Victorians to get vaccinated.
"There are right now millions of Victorians that are eligible to be vaccinated. They shouldn't wait for tomorrow, they shouldn't wait for next week. They should move now and get vaccinated," James Merlino, Victoria state's acting premier, told reporters in Melbourne.
Victoria was the hardest-hit state during a second wave late last year, accounting for about 70 percent of total cases and 90 percent of deaths in Australia. The state, the country's second most populous, only controlled the outbreak after one of the world's longest and strictest lockdowns.
Australia has reported more than 30,000 cases in total since the start of the pandemic and 910 deaths.
Melbourne's fresh outbreak comes as Australian authorities try to ramp up a sluggish national vaccination drive, with health experts worried many people were delaying getting inoculated because of the country's success in effectively eliminating the virus.
- Reuters