Briefed the media earlier today on a major expansion of our coronavirus testing program – but I wanted to explain it to you directly.

We've already tested more than 100,000 Victorians over the past three months. 

Now we want to double that number – in just under two weeks.

The rationale behind the blitz is this: 

As you know, testing for any sort of disease or virus can be tricky.

By the time someone feels sick and gets tested, they've often passed it on to other people – which then requires more tracing and testing…and so on.

And with a highly infectious disease like coronavirus, you're always on the back foot.

We know that physical distancing has slowed the spread – so instead of someone with coronavirus having close contact with 20 or 30 people, it might only be one or two.

That matters a great deal – and it's why we've seen a big drop in new cases.

But we still don't know what we don't know – including how many people with very mild symptoms have brushed this off as a cold.

If we can build an accurate picture of how and where the virus has spread across the state, we'll have more evidence – and more options – when it comes to slowly lifting restrictions.

And we need your help to do that.

Over the next two weeks, we want to test as many people as we can.

We'll be setting up drive-through clinics in shopping centre carparks.

Bringing mobile screening clinics to people's workplaces and homes.

I'll keep you posted as we roll these out – but in the meantime, I want to thank each and every one of you.

We've asked a lot of Victorians.

We've asked you to stay home and save lives – & you've all done an incredibly good job.

Now we need everyone to play their part again.

If you have cold-like symptoms – however mild – please get tested.

Do it for the people you love and those you've never met.

Do it for the Victorians working so hard to keep us all safe.

Because the more people we have onboard – the better.

For all of us.