Australia: Melbourne plans door to door virus testing

Australian health workers plan to go door to door, testing over 100,000 residents in a coronavirus hotspot in suburban Melbourne that is threatening to undo the nation's success in battling the pandemic.

The state of Victoria Thursday reported 33 new cases, the highest daily number in over two months.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the testing effort aims to collect samples from half of all residents in 10 suburbs.

"This suburban testing blitz is all about finding all of those people that have this virus, then having them quarantined in their home with appropriate support, it's about bringing further stability to these numbers," Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.

He said the aim was to test 10,000 residents each day over 10 days.

The tests are free and Andrews urged residents to agree to take tests and view them as a civic duty.

Over 1,000 military personnel are deploying to Victoria to help with the operation, while other states will help process the test results.

Australia has reported over 7,500 cases of the virus, including 104 deaths.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

But the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those with mild or no visible symptoms.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.

(Representative Image)