1000 ADF deploying to Victoria for COVID-19 fight

The Australian Defence Force will significantly increase its support to Victoria to help it contain recent outbreaks of COVID-19.

FILE PHOTO: Leading Seaman Michael Crawford waits in a lift of a Sydney hotel to assist travellers going into mandatory 14-day quarantine. Around 850 of 1000 ADF member being deployed to Victoria will be assigned to similar duties in Melbourne. Photo by Petty Officer Justin Brown.

Following a request from the Victorian government, around 1000 ADF personnel will deploy in Victoria.

Up to 850 ADF members will provide support to hotel quarantine monitoring, while around 200 personnel will provide logistical and medical support for public-testing initiatives.

Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said the additional personnel will be deployed over the coming days.

“Defence has been providing support to Victoria since April and I’m pleased we’re able to rapidly increase our assistance to help Victoria respond to its current COVID-19 circumstances,” Minister Reynolds said.

“The COVID-19 pandemic requires a proactive national response and Defence is well postured to provide scalable support to states and territories.”

Under Operation COVID-19 ASSIST, Defence has been providing customised support to state and territory authorities, to reinforce and expand their capacity to respond to the pandemic.

This additional assistance to the Victorian government supplements existing planning support to Emergency Management Victoria and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Recent support to Victoria (at the Victorian government’s request) was limited to just 11 ADF personnel involved in planning support.

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