Melbourne meat plant outbreak causes coronavirus surge

Victoria has experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases with an increase of 17 since yesterday, due to the developing outbreak at a Melbourne meat facility.

Cedar Meats in Brooklyn is now linked to a total of 45 cases of coronavirus, 11 of those confirmed as new infections from overnight.

The plant has been shut down for extensive cleaning as more than 300 workers undergo testing.

The Department of Health confirmed it was working closely with the company, which agreed to close the facility for 14 days as a precaution.

According to a report by The Age, the meat cluster also triggered the outbreak at Sunshine hospital, with dozens of staff ordered home after a plant worker, who had emergency surgery on his thumb, later tested positive to the virus.

"Today's increase in cases illustrates once again that while we have been flattening the curve, our battle against COVID-19 is far from over," Victoria's Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said.

Almost 152,000 Victorians have been tested for coronavirus up until Sunday.

There are 12 people in hospital, including six patients in intensive care. 143 cases have been acquired through community transmission. Victoria has a total of 1423 cases of coronavirus.

The other six additional cases include one returned traveller in hotel quarantine, four others identified through the testing blitz and one still being investigated.

Treasurer Tim Pallas stood firm that restrictions would not be eased until infection rates were truly under control.

"You will see clusters emerge over time. That's the whole point of tracking and tracing," he said.

"Only when we get to the point that we have confidence that we have the disease under control do we have options.

"Our circumstances, as are other states, are different. We are not at a point where we can start talking about the winding back of arrangements."