Victoria has achieved the feat of 28 days with zero COVID-19 community transmissions, meeting the official definition of elimination.
If there was ever a day to sing in the streets of Victoria, today would most certainly be it, with COVID-19 officially eliminated following months of the toughest public restrictions and curfews in Australia.
At the peak of the pandemic, Victoria recorded 6,768 active cases on August seventh. Ten days later, the state recorded its most deadly day with 25 deaths. Well, Daniel Andrews, it’s time to get on those bloody beers, mate. I’ll speak for Happy and the rest of Australia here and let out a collective “ON’YA”.
Victoria never intended on eliminating the virus, instead opting for a plan to suppress it. After pressure from state and federal governments for Victoria to open earlier, the state stood firm and followed advice to remain cautious.
In New South Wales, COVID-19 is following a similar trajectory with no new locally acquired transmissions of the virus – despite a somewhat complacent attitude from the government. Premier Gladys Berejiklian was recently found to have breached her own restrictions, after failing to self-isolate following a COVID-19 test.
#BREAKING: There are officially ZERO active cases of COVID-19 in Victoria. @VicGovDHHS has confirmed the state’s last coronavirus patient was cleared of the virus and discharged from hospital yesterday. @abcnews
— Chelsea Hetherington (@chelsea_hetho) November 23, 2020
The period of 28 days consists of two 14-day incubation cycles, the same amount of time that would be required for an infected individual to isolate and effectively control the disease from spreading. Particles of the last known COVID-19 fragments have been found in a wastewater surveillance program in Geelong, which could mark the end of the spread of the virus.
Victoria’s last known coronavirus patient was discharged from hospital on Monday and left the total of active cases in Victoria at zero. The patient may or may not have been last seen on the way to their local, in the name of the economy of course.
For the first time since February, there are NO active COVID-19 cases in our state
Well done Victoria!! #lockdownswork— Kylie Vosa (@kylie_vosa) November 23, 2020
