As Victoria records a major COVID-19 milestone, with no active cases for the first time since February, the Victorian president of the Australian Medical Association says our attention should now turn to two areas to ensure there aren’t major future outbreaks.

Associate Professor Julian Rait says it’s “certainly a very fine hour” for the state.

He says Victoria’s medical system has “always been ready”, but there are two areas where we can and must improve to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks.

“We need to make sure that our quarantine procedures are up to scratch, and that our contact tracing works,” he told Neil Mitchell.

“By all accounts there’s been some improvements around contact tracing, particularly around the IT systems.

“Also, we hopefully have quarantine procedures sorted, so that … as has been suggested, we’ll have the workers living in with the various overseas travellers and not actually circulating in the community as much.”

Professor Rait says he’s confident an effective vaccine will be available soon.

“While other countries might need it more desperately, I think when it does get to Australia it’s going to be quite sufficient to really reduce the severity of it,” he said.

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