MELBOURNE - For months, Mr Girmay Mengesha has been an unofficial translator and health adviser in the public-housing tower he shares with hundreds of migrants in Melbourne.
The crisis prompted the Victoria state government to block 3,000 residents of public housing estates, including Mr Mengesha's, from leaving home for about a week while banning all but essential travel for six weeks in the city of 5 million. Lengthy waiting times at testing stations may have resulted in a higher share of wealthier people in the data, with many poorer workers who depend on hourly wages unable to stand in line for an extended time.
As part of efforts to regain control, Victorian health officials enlisted the army for an ambitious programme to test 100,000 people over 10 days earlier this month. But even if the blitz produces better data, the contact tracing system that follows testing has been plagued by shortcomings. The outbreak has ignited a push for more innovative strategies, including environment testing that can better flag clusters.
The challenges with testing, lockdown and travel restrictions are exposing a stark gap between Melbourne's haves and have-nots.
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