Victoria records 94 coronavirus cases, 18 new deaths
Premier Daniel Andrews has teased the prospect of crowd gatherings becoming a part of the state’s “COVID normal” while also issuing an impassioned plea to Victorians to stay home amid the state’s sunny weather.
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Victoria’s daily coronavirus case number has dropped below 100, with 94 new infections recorded on Saturday alongside 18 deaths.
The last time the state recorded fewer than 100 cases was 55 days ago on July 5.
The overall total has increased by 81 due to 13 cases being reclassified largely due to duplication.
While the case numbers are heading in the right direction, the new fatalities bring Victoria to a morbid milestone: more than 500 lives lost in the state due to the virus.
The latest victims include one female in 60s, one female and two males in 70s, four females and five males in 80s, two females and two males in 90s.
Sixteen of the latest deaths are linked to aged care outbreaks.
Within Victoria, 16 of the new cases are linked to outbreaks or complex cases and 78 are under investigation.
There are still 481 Victorians in hospital, 26 of those are receiving intensive care, with 17 of those 26 are on a ventilator.
Premier Daniel Andrews noted the positive “stability and a steady decline” in case numbers within healthcare workers as well as the controlled outbreaks in regional Victoria.
With 177 active cases across the region, he said “we want to keep them low and drive them down even further.”
“Three communities we had been concerned about, Greater Geelong, 59 active cases, no new cases overnight. Greater Bendigo, 16 active cases, just one new case. And Ballarat has six active cases and no new cases overnight.”
Despite Victoria’s case numbers beginning to stabilize, Mr Andrews again urged anyone with even the mildest of symptoms to come forward.
Victoria recorded an increase of 18,114 tests since yesterday.
There are currently 4,223 “mystery cases” cases.
Mr Andews said the state’s test result turn around is now “less than one day.”
With 2983 active cases, Mr Andrews said there was stability and continued decrease in numbers of people suffering from the virus.
“We want to keep those coming down,” he said.
Mr Andrews also urged Victorians to stay inside despite better weather in Melbourne on Saturday.
“We are so close to driving this down to very low numbers.”
Data showed there was transmission within families and workplaces and illustrated the need for social distancing.
“We need to defeat this properly now ...I’m not admonishing, I’m appealing please despite the lovely weather forecast please let’s all make positive decisions.”
COVID NORMAL COULD INVOLVE SOME CROWDS: PREMIER
Mr Andrews would not be drawn on his much talked about roadmap out of lockdown.
“It is very, very difficult to plan ahead. It’s very difficult to bring certainty to something that travels so quickly.”
“Certainly even at 94 cases, we are not able to open up now and we are not able to open up now and we are not able to provide a detailed road map with the sort of certainty that I would want.”
Mr Andrews said thee response needed to “meet the need but doesn’t undermine the strategy”.
“The numbers need to be lower than they are now.”
The plan would be based on science and data - but more time would be needed so he could have confidence the plan could be delivered successfully.
Mr Andrews also said he couldn’t see large crowds at Melbourne stadiums in the near future.
“I don’t think we will have 100,000 at the MCG for quite some time.”
Exactly what the crowd sizes were would be determined “how successful we are defeating the virus”.
“I think our covid normal can involve some crowds, but that will be a matter of medical advice.”
It comes as the total number of active cases among healthcare workers hits 411.
There are 1305 active cases relating to aged care facilities.
The number of active cases linked to aged care outbreaks are:
— 212 cases have been linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping;
— 198 cases have been linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner;
— 176 cases have been linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee;
— 160 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer;
— 140 cases have been linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth;
— 122 cases have been linked to Cumberland Manor Aged Care Facility in Sunshine North;
— 119 cases have been linked to Twin Parks Aged Care in Reservoir;
— 114 cases have been linked to Japara Goonawarra Aged Care Facility in Sunbury;
— 114 cases have been linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North;
— 111 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg
Forty three active cases are currently in residential disability accommodation:
— Total resident cases: 14; Total staff cases: 29;
— Active cases in NDIS homes: 36 (14 residents);
— Active cases in ‘transfer’ homes (state regulated/funded): 7 (0 residents);
— Active cases in state government delivered and funded homes: 0
Key outbreaks with new cases include:
— 40 cases have been linked to Hazeldean Transition Care;
— 68 cases have been linked to Frankston Hospital;
— 160 cases have been linked to JBS Brooklyn;
— 40 cases have been linked to Vawdrey Australia Truck Manufacturer
COVIDIOT FOUND ‘HIDING IN BUSHES’
A man caught hiding in the bushes from police after going to a mate’s place to watch the footy was among the Melburnians fined for breaking virus restrictions on Friday.
A total of 195 people were fined in the 24 hours to 8am on Saturday for breaking the state’s stage four lockdown orders.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said two men and a woman were found at a home in Boroondara having drinks and watching the football.
“The resident attempted to hide the visitors letting them try and flee over a back fence,” police said in a statement.
“One of the men was found hiding in bushes.”
Another man was found in his car at the beach at Shoreham despite living more than 300km away, and multiple people were caught out and about during curfew hours buying food and cigarettes.
Police also broke up a “prohibited gathering” in Dandenong on Friday with 19 fines issued near the George Andrews Reserve and one man arrested.
The man refused to provide his name and address but was released after providing identification.
A “recurring protest” against the lockdowns has been staged at George Andrews Reserve this week, with 17 fines also issued on Thursday.
One of the event organisers, a 48-year-old Dandenong man, has been arrested at a residential address in Dandenong.
He was charged with contravening bail conditions and breaching the chief health officer’s directions.
“Police are continuing to investigate Friday evening’s protest activity,” the Victoria Police spokesperson said.
A 76-year-old man was separately charged on Friday for planning an anti-lockdown protest in the Melbourne CBD next month called “Freedom Day” — causing Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius to blast protesters as “batsh*t crazy”, “utterly selfish”, and “the tinfoil hat-wearing brigade”.
In the 24 hours to Saturday morning, Victoria Police issued 195 fines to individuals for breaching lockdown laws, including:
- Twenty-seven for failing to wear a face covering when leaving home for one of the four approved reasons
- Thirteen at vehicle checkpoints
- Sixty-six for curfew breaches
There were 20,248 vehicles checked at vehicle checkpoints and 5052 spot checks on homes, businesses and public places across the state.
— Frances Vinall
NEW VOLUNTEER INITIATIVE
The Victorian Government also announced a new volunteer initiative with an online platform to match volunteers to roles where their skills are best suited.
‘We Volunteer’ is open for registration from today and will strengthen the supply of eager, skilled volunteers in local communities and support recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The portal will connect those looking for volunteer roles, with many of those roles able to be performed from home.
The roles may range from someone just checking in a person who is feeling isolated, or assisting with a shortage of volunteers to food relief charities.
Mr Andrews addressed the calls for a “household bubble” that would allow for limited home visits from close family or friends, after concerns that single Victorians are struggling without social contact.
“There’s work going on across the board to get us to a situation where we can make announcements about what the weeks and months ahead look like,” he said.
“We’ll have more to say about that at the appropriate time.”
He said the current strategy is working but numbers still need to be driven down further, saying “it’s early for us to finalise those matters.”
BUILDING INDUSTRY CALLS FOR REPRIEVE
Building, construction and development heavyweights have joined forces to call for the easing of industry wide coronavirus restrictions to aid Victoria’s economic recovery.
The coalition of key groups and unions has written to Premier Daniel Andrews to suggest a pathway back to full building capacity as the second stage of COVID-19 lockdown cripples the industry.
The return-to-work plan includes key dates on which to fire up small and large scale building and land development “to keep the state of Victoria’s engine room strong’’.
“The building, construction and development industry stands ready to return to former Stage 3 restrictions as soon as possible, with all workforce caps/reductions and worker movement restrictions removed,’’ the letter said.
The group, including the Master Builders Association and Urban Development Institute of Australia, sent Mr Andrews a joint Building, Construction and Development Industry COVID-19 paper with the letter.
It claims small-scale construction has “declined significantly’’ under Stage 4 restrictions with domestic home builders estimating a 66 per cent reduction in productivity and large scale developments at about 25 per cent.
“This is expected to translate into significant costs due to project delays, inefficiencies in project continuation and the need for repeat work tasks, as well as uncertainty about delivery timing,’’ it said.
It said reduced rates of housing production would result in “an industry slowdown and severe bottleneck effect for delivery as trade activity is limited across sites’’.
Other “lasting impacts to Victorian families and businesses’’ would likely include substantially delayed housing starts and settlements and increased rental, land holding and construction costs.
UDIA Victorian chief executive Danni Hunter said “an important strategy” had been put to the government for the industry to return to full capacity as soon as possible.
“We’ve kept the pilot light on throughout Stage 4 restrictions, but it’s been difficult, and many workers and businesses’ livelihoods have come under enormous pressure,’’ she said.
“We’ve proven we can keep COVID cases at a minimum and can keep workers and worksites safe and healthy.
“It’s now time to turn the building, construction and development industry back on; it’s time to turn up the dial and bring the industry back to life.’’
The group called for the industry to return to Stage 3 rules, with no restrictions on workforce numbers, on September 14 or sooner.
It wants the daily maximum cap of workers lifted to 50 per cent on large construction sites from September 1.
Master Builders Victoria chief executive Rebecca Casson said the industry had shown a track record of safety for the past six months.
“So we are ready to go,’’ she said.
“Our communication with government outlines a safe path back to full capacity for our industry, with a variety of potential interim measures that we will discuss with them.”
Other groups to sign the letter to Mr Andrews included the Property Council of Australia, CFMEU, Civil Contractors Federation, Electrical Trades Union and Master Plumbers.
COULD SINGLES’ BUBBLES BE FIRST LIFTED RESTRICTION?
Victorian singles could be granted a lockdown reprieve with a “shared bubble” arrangement under consideration by the state government.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said he was in talks about relaxing rules for singles to allow them more social interaction.
The potential breakthrough means single people could avoid being fined for visiting others in a bid to ease the loneliness of months of isolation.
On Saturday Mr Andrews said there would be announcements soon about changes to rules around lockdown and the possibility of a household “bubbles” being extended.
“This is particularly challenging for people who live on their own.”
It was too early to settle on what that could look like - but it was likely it could involve single people nominating a support person or more access to immediate family.
It comes as authorities are confident Victoria is trending ahead of predictions, with 113 cases recorded on Friday — matching the figures of early July.
Under the state’s stay at home restrictions, single people are banned from visiting anyone else, or attending work except for a series of limited reasons.
They face fines of $1652 if caught out of their home in breach of restrictions.
But people living alone can visit an intimate partner.
The government has faced increased pressure to relax the rules for singles amid claims they are unfair.
A “shared bubble” exception could follow a New Zealand-style arrangement that allowed people who lived alone to visit, or even stay, at another residence.
An online petition urging the government to allow singles to be able to visit close friends has attracted more than 17,000 signatures.
Gen Ford, who started the petition, said single people had been hard done by.
“A quarter of the households in Victoria are single-people households. there are people doing it really tough,” she said.
“It’s been hard enough for me, how much worse would it be for those who have lost their jobs?”
People living alone have been largely isolated from the rest of the community since restrictions were introduced in March.
Responding to comments on social media about the toll it had taken, Prof Sutton said he understood the strain on singles.
“We know it’s really hard,” he said. “It’s being talked through and under active consideration.”
It’s possible any visiting arrangements could work like New Zealand’s share bubble model, which allowed solo-dwellers to visit just one other household exclusively.
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