Sunday, August 02, 2020

Victorian map of coronavirus cases by postcode area.

I've been suggesting for quite a while the Victorian government should be releasing coronavirus cases down to the postcode area. Recently the Victorian government release the postcode data as at the 31st of July 2020.

The data only appears to have been released to the media and at this stage, does not appear to be available on a regular basis, which to me is a pity. Once you see the data at the postcode level you can get an insight into the things that may be happening in different areas. Data on the Local Government Area is far too broad.

The government appears to be concerned as to how people will use the data and I understand their concern. You can use any tool for good, but often that same tool can be used for malicious reasons. For me that data enables me to see the reality of what is happening around me, to better plan my activities.

One thing we do need to keep in mind though is the data is based on the residential location when the case was notified. Not where the case occurred and may not be where the case resides.

As an example in Doncaster East there's currently 21 active cases, yet from media reports and the information released daily from the Department of Health and Human Services, there appears to be no reported cases in the area. It's hard to reconcile what is going on in the area and this will apply to many areas. In other words the amount of data being provided is still not sufficient.

Hopefully by reviewing the information that appears in the media and the more recent postcode data people can get a feeling for what is happening in their area and hopefully in someway that helps. The following are the maps I currently produce.

A map showing the location of reported cases including a link to the news article or government site.

A map showing coronavirus cases in Victoria by postcode at at the 31st of July 2020.

I hope you find the information useful.

Kelvin Eldridge

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