Covid 19 coronavirus: Melbourne mega-cluster forms as two biggest outbreaks merge

Medical staff wearing PPE holding material about to walk into the Flemington Public housing flats. Photo / Getty Images

Victoria's two largest coronavirus outbreaks have now merged, forming one huge cluster that health authorities are scrambling to contain.

Investigators say it is now clear the 113-case Al-Taqwa College cluster and the 159-case public housing towers outbreak have strong connections. It is not clear which may have become infected first.

The outbreaks are Victoria's biggest, surpassing the Cedar Meats outbreak's 111 cases on Thursday.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said he didn't know which cluster came first.

"An epidemiological link between Al-Taqwa and the towers is just a link. It might have gone in one direction, it might have gone in the other direction. There may well be multiple importations of virus [at both sites]," he said.

The National Cabinet was to meet today to discuss a number of topics including state borders, quarantine hotels and international arrivals.

Australia has recorded 8870 cases of Covid-19: 3264 in New South Wales, 3098 in Victoria, 1068 in Queensland, 443 in South Australia, 627 in Western Australia, 228 in Tasmania, 112 in the Australian Capital Territory and 30 in the Northern Territory.