It’s the highest number of cases confirmed in Victoria since 1419 were recorded on December 2.It comes as more than 700 people have been ordered into quarantine after Victorian health officials confirmed an Omicron case visited two popular Melbourne nightclubs.A person with the strain visited Sircuit Bar in Fitzroy between 9pm and about midnight on Friday before heading to The Peel Hotel in Collingwood between 11.30pm and 3am.Health officials estimate about 320 people were at the Peel and more than 410 people were at Sircuit during these times.Anyone who visited either of these venues at these times is considered a close contact and must isolate immediately.People who are fully vaccinated must quarantine for seven days. Those who aren’t double-dose vaccinated will need to quarantine for two weeks.Everyone affected will need to take a standard PCR Covid-19 test as soon as possible and continue to quarantine at home.“You must have another PCR test on the day before your quarantine period is due to end and receive a negative result before your quarantine can be complete,” the Department of Health said on Wednesday.In a post on its Facebook page, Sircuit said health officials had access to all patrons’ QR check-in data and should be in contact with affected people.“We also are working directly with our staff and contractors affected to ensure their health and safety as well as our ongoing commitment to yours,” the nightclub said.The Melbourne Omicron scare follows a mass outbreak of Covid-19 cases in NSW believed to be linked to an event at a Newcastle nightclub.More than 200 cases have been identified in the Argyle House nightclub cluster after a person with the Omicron variant visited on December 8.Health authorities have said it is likely to be Australia’s largest superspreader event in 2021.The World Health Organisation said on Sunday that Omicron appeared to be spreading faster than the Delta variant.Omicron was first identified in South Africa late last month, with health authorities still working to determine if its symptoms are more severe than those of previous strains.Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has ruled out pursuing an “Omicron zero” strategy.“That is not a smart thing to do. That will not be achieved,” he said last week.“We’ll be guided by the growing body of international evidence about the transmissibility and infectivity of this new variant but also the relatively positive signs that the disease is milder and certainly not more severe than the Delta variant.“Our aim is to have as few rules as possible.”
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