Victoria has recorded another 33 coronavirus cases, as the defence force is brought in to bolster efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Seven of the new cases are locked are locked away in hotel quarantine, nine are linked to known and contained outbreaks, six are as a result of routine testing and 11 cases are under investigation, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said at a press conference on Thursday.
Seven Victorians are in hospital and two of those seven are in intensive care.
Mr Andrews said 20,304 tests had been conducted in the last 24 hours, a record for the state.
'Testing blitz'
The premier announced a 'testing blitz' in Melbourne's suburbs with the highest number of community transmission cases, Keilor Downs and Broadmeadows, with the blitz to then extend to other suburbs Maidstone, Albanvale, Sunshine West, Hallam, Brunswick West, Fawkner, Reservoir, and Pakenham.
"The first three days are solely focused on Keilor Downs and Broadmeadows, but we will move to the balance of those suburbs over the course of a 10-day period," Mr Andrews said.
"There will literally be hundreds and hundreds - indeed, the entire team is a thousand-strong - doorknockers out there, talking to the community, inviting them to come and get a free test, whether they be symptomatic or asymptomatic."
He said the testing blitz was key to containing the virus.
"If we can find all the positives in those suburbs, then they can be home quarantined, they can be given the support that they need, and we can, despite the fact that numbers would likely go up as a result of that very focused, very targeted testing, we'll then be in a position to be confident that we have, in fact, contained it, and, again, we're back consistent with the suppression strategy that we are all pursuing."
