Huge vaccine blitz to come as Victoria records 392 new Covid cases

Victoria’s Delta outbreak has risen by 392 overnight, with one group making up for three quarters of the cases.

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Young people are continuing to be the worst hit in the Victorian outbreak, as authorities urge people under 50 to get vaccinated urgently.

Victoria has recorded another 392 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday morning, as the state’s vaccination rate climbs higher.

Of the 3112 active cases across Victoria, 85 per cent are under the age of 50.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the statistic was a reminder that the virus “is everybody’s business”.

“This is something that is really targeting, if you like, those who are not vaccinated,” Mr Andrews said on Sunday.

“That is the nature of a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

“That group is still too big for us to be able to open up, but as we slowly decrease the number of people who have not been vaccinated, so to get vaccination levels … to hit 70 and 80 per cent thresholds, there are more options of course.

“ … Every single Victorian has a stake in this.”

MORE VACCINE SUPPLIES FOR VIC

Premier Daniel Andrews said he only learned about a shipment of extra coronavirus jabs headed for his state from a journalist after the Prime Minister announced the news earlier on Sunday.

Scott Morrison told reporters shortly after 11am Victoria would get an additional 417,000 vaccine doses – including both Moderna and Pfizer jabs – this month as part of a “blitz” targeting at-risk communities in Melbourne’s north and west.

But the Herald Sun understands vaccine rollout chief Lieutenant General John Frewen and federal Health Minister Greg Hunt held discussions with their state counterparts over the weekend about the major supply boost before it was announced on Sunday morning.

A federal source said the Victorian government was told that they would be receiving extra doses - including at least 100,000 for their state hubs - despite Mr Andrews saying he was in the dark.

It comes as Victoria recorded 392 new Covid cases overnight, with 107 of those linked to existing outbreaks.

Mr Andrews was holding a simultaneous press conference and was told about the shipment by a reporter.

He was asked if he had been given a “heads-up” by the Prime Minister.

“No,” Mr Andrews responded, before adding: “Maybe while I’ve been talking to you there was a missed call on my phone.”

Daniel Andrews had a dig at the commonwealth during his press conference. Picture: David Geraghty

The Premier said the announcement was “fantastic news”.

“I’m delighted to know that … That’s fantastic news. Let’s get them into arms, that’s what I’m about.

“And maybe if they’d been ordered last year, they’d be in arms already.”

Victoria’s shipment includes 127,600 Pfizer doses for 532 GP clinics, increasing their allocation from 600 doses to 900 doses a fortnight.

State-run hubs will receive an extra 108,700 Pfizer doses.

And pharmacies will receive an extra 180,700 doses of Moderna over the next fortnight, on top of 119,510 doses they were already scheduled to administer in September.

The commonwealth support was announced after a week in which he was attacked by Mr Andrews for prioritising NSW in the vaccine rollout.

It also comes after emails between Pfizer and the office of Health Minister Greg Hunt revealed that the Australian vaccine deal stalled for weeks last June.

Pharmacies will receive an extra 180,700 doses of Moderna over the next fortnight. Picture: AFP

POSTCODE VACCINE BLITZ ANNOUNCED

The Victorian government also on Sunday announced that Melbourne’s worst Covid-ravaged suburbs will be prioritised for the vaccine, with pop-up vaccine clinics to open in hot spots.

Premier Daniel Andrews said it was “so pleasing” Victoria had recorded its biggest Saturday of vaccinating, with more than 36,000 vaccines were administered on Saturday, and 48,063 tests were carried out.

Health authorities announced a vaccination blitz, with 100 pop-up clinics being set up at postcodes of high concern across the state.

Mr Andrews said not all clinics will open at the same time, but those that open first will be in areas where cases are exponentially growing — Hume, Dandenong, and Casey.

There will also be a “very significant effort” to vaccinate schoolchildren and families, as part of the state’s commitment to try and have all students aged over 12 vaccinated by the end of the school year.

People queuing for Covid vaccinations at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre o Sunday. Picture: David Geraghty

Thirteen pop-up clinics will open over the next fortnight, including five in the municipalities of Hume, Dandenong and Casey.

Eight school clinics will also open at Dandenong High School, Point Cook Secondary College, Gladstone Park Secondary College, Roxburgh College, Brunswick Secondary College, Tarneit Senior College, Werribee Secondary College and Lakeview Senior College.

A second round of school pop-up clinics will include Narre Warren South P-12 College, Mount Ridley P-12 College and Hazel Glen College, with the Andrews government looking to open 70 school sites in coming weeks.

Community leaders in Melbourne’s north have welcomed the announcement that more than 400,000 extra doses would be sent to the Covid-hit area.

It comes after the Herald Sun revealed their urgent campaign for more vaccine supply and accessibility.

Without drastic action, they feared more people would die.

In a statement on Sunday, the alliance of community leaders thanked both levels of government for finally addressing the crisis.

“It has been a challenging time, but one that demonstrates the collective work and relationships between communities and governments to get out of this together,” it read.

“These announcements mean more lives are saved.”

As of Sunday morning, 65 per cent of Victorians have had at least their first dose of vaccine.

The state is just 92,000 doses away from reaching its one-million jab milestone, meaning the state is running ahead of schedule.

There are 7000 first dose Pfizer appointments open, and 11,000 AstraZeneca first dose bookings open this week.

Meanwhile, additional bookings across Melbourne’s biggest jab hubs will be released on Monday, including the Melton drive-through vaccination hub, Wyndham City Council Civic Centre, Melbourne Showgrounds, Broadmeadows Town Hall, South Morang Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre and the Ford Factory in Campbellfield.

Several sites will also be extending opening hours until 8pm, and more Pfizer and AstraZeneca doses will be released this week across state sites.

— See the full list of 100 priority pstcodes and suburbs here.

Police checking the details of drivers in Kilmore, 60km north of Melbourne. Picture: William West

WHERE LATEST INFECTIONS ARE LOCATED

Health authorities revealed a large outbreak has emerged at the Fitzroy Community School in North Fitzroy, with at least 30 cases involving students and staff.

Deputy chief health officer Dan O’Brien said “urgent further investigation” was underway, saying the cluster looked it was going to be a significant outbreak.

Of the 392 new cases announced on Sunday, 255 were in northern suburbs, the vast majority of which are in Hume.

• Hume: 137 cases

• Moreland: 49 cases

• Whittlesea: 42 cases

• Darebin: 14 cases

• Yarra: 11 cases.

The deputy chief health officer said 25 per cent of the cases remain in the western suburbs, including:

• Wyndham: 30 cases

• Hobsons Bay: 19 cases

• Brimbank: 13 cases

• Melbourne: 11 cases

• Melton: 7 cases

• Moonee Valley: 8 cases.

The southeast is also recording an increasing number of cases, accounting for 38 of Sunday’s cases, including:

• Casey: 21 cases

• Greater Dandenong; Six cases

• Stonnington: Four case

• Yarra Ranges: Four cases

There were also five cases recorded in regional Victoria — two in Gippsland, one in Greater Geelong, one in Mildura, one related to the V/Line train driver.

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WARNED

Victoria’s construction industry has been put on notice after recording hundreds of Covid cases in recent days.

Of the 450 new infections announced on Saturday, one-third was linked to construction workers including several who have seeded new Delta cases in regional areas.

Three of five new cases in the greater Geelong area are linked to construction work.

There were also single cases in Cohuna, Daylesford and Beveridge at the same time regional areas were emerging from lockdown.

Because seven of the eight new regional cases are believed to have been infected while visiting Melbourne, health authorities have so far allowed the easing of restrictions to continue.

The construction industry has been put on notice after a massive surge in positive cases among workers. Picture: Jason Edwards

But they have turned up the heat on the building industry, with Health Minister Martin Foley warning authorised officers WorkSafe inspectors and industry leaders would be stepping up Covid plan compliance checks following a spike in cases.

“All workers big and small in the construction industry need to make sure that they follow the rules,” Mr Foley said.

“The time for continuing to hand out warnings in the sector is over.”

The Panorama construction project at Box Hill has already seeded 116 cases, but is expected to rise further as many of the cluster’s 300 close contacts undergo day 13 tests.

Master Builders Victoria chief executive Rebecca Casson said it was expected there would be some Covid among essential construction workers, however, the industry had a demonstrated track record of managing positive cases on sites.

Ms Casson reiterated to the public there were some legal exemptions for not wearing a face mask on a building site, including for health reasons.

“However, if there are blatant breaches, these must be reported to the relevant authorities,” she said.

GOAL FOR MCG VAX HUB BLITZ

Victorians would have a “jab at the ‘G” on grand final eve under a push to create a special community hub to supercharge our vaccination rate.

Sport, community and health leaders are backing the Sunday Herald Sun campaign, which would see the empty MCG precinct host vaccinations on the public holiday Friday and possibly the Saturday.

Deakin University epidemiologist Catherine Bennett said a properly-managed hub could shift the loss of the Grand Final into something constructive.

“It could be a hub of focus on the very thing that most Melburnians would love to have back – the ability to go to events,” Prof Bennett said.

Scott Morrison said he was aware of the proposal to set up a vaccination hub at the MCG, and that there were “sufficient doses” to support such an initiative.

“If that’s what the Victorian government would seek to do, then obviously we’d work with them on that,” the Prime Minister said.

Collingwood AFLW player Chloe Molloy has joined the campaign to open up the MCG on Grand Final eve as a mass vaccination hub. Picture: Wayne Taylor

But the Premier pointed to limited resources as the reason why the MCG is yet to be used as a state run vaccination hub.

“There are no shortages of ideas about where we can set up state clinics,” Daniel Andrews said.

“We don’t have 100,000 people we can call upon to set up clinics on every corner. There are limits on how many workers we have and what we can do.

“If the Commonwealth has a plan, then we’d be happy to work with them. We don’t have an unlimited resource.”

Mr Andrews said he would rather prioritise pop-up clinics in the north and western suburbs where the cases continue to climb.

“Our priority is to take the program where the cases are,” he said.

— Read the full story here and sign the petition for Jabs at the ‘G. Can’t see the petition below? Click here to sign.

MILLION NEW MODERNA JABS TO HIT CHEMISTS

A million new Moderna doses are coming from Europe and will be rolled out from pharmacies within two weeks.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the boost as Australia’s medical advisory group green-lit Moderna for use in children aged 12 to 17, who will be able to book their jabs from Monday.

Secured from surplus stock destined for Spain, Denmark, Czech Republic, Portugal and Bulgaria, the jabs bring to 11 million the number of Pfizer and Moderna doses available in September.

Read the full story here.

BALLARAT ON ALERT

Ballarat residents are on high alert after unexpected and repeated Covid-19 fragments were detected in wastewater over the past fortnight.

The Health Department said detections were centred in Ballarat’s southern suburbs.

Anyone who lives, works or has visited the following suburbs is urged to watch for the mildest of Covid symptoms and to get tested if they develop:

Alfredton, Bakery Hill, Ballarat Central, Ballarat East, Ballarat North, Black Hill, Bonshaw, Brown Hill, Buninyong, Canadian, Cardigan, Delacombe, Eureka, Golden Point, Invermay Park, Lake Gardens, Lake Wendouree, Lucas, Mount Clear, Mount Helen, Mount Pleasant, Nerrina, Newington, Redan, Sebastopol, Smythes Creek, Soldiers Hill, Warrenheip and Wendouree.

HOSPITAL STAFF IN ISOLATION

Staff and patients at a hospital in Melbourne’s southeast have been forced into isolation after a Covid positive case attended.

Anyone who attended the main waiting room at Dandenong Hospital’s Emergency Department on September 8 between 9.35pm to 9.45pm or the clinic waiting room between 9.45pm to 10.59pm must get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.

— Additional reporting Grant McArthur, Miles Proust