1890 new Covid cases, five deaths; 10,000 fans allowed at Melbourne Cup
While punters are set to return trackside for the majority of the Melbourne Cup Carnival’s races, one race will be held in front of empty stands. This is why.
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The Victoria Racing Club has welcomed a plan to allow 10,000 punters into Flemington for the Melbourne Cup, and says the race that stops a nation will restart the city.
If 80 per cent of eligible Victorians are fully vaccinated by November 2, up to 10,000 fans will also be permitted to attend the final two days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival — Oaks Day on November 4 and Stakes Day on November 6.
Crowds will not be allowed to attend Derby Day on October 30, with Premier Daniel Andrews saying the state would not hit the key vaccine milestone in time.
“It would be great to say that was a chance,” he said.
“I think the notion that we could hit 70 per cent and 80 per cent so close together — all the evidence is that we won’t, and that is a shame because that is often regarded as perhaps the best day’s racing of the carnival.”
To date, at least 85.2 per cent of eligible Victorians have received their first vaccine dose, while 57.7 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Fans will be spread across a number of zones at Flemington with allocated seats. They will be required to wear a mask and be fully vaccinated, or have an exemption.
VRC Chairman Neil Wilson said the Melbourne Cup is “Australia’s original major event, with a global audience reach of 750 million people, and is a significant driver of economic activity for Victoria.
“We are delighted that the race that stops a nation will herald the restart of our city.”
VRC chief executive Steve Rosich said the club will work closely with authorities for further details of the event parameters for attendance.
Mr Rosich said: “We are ready to host a Covid-safe event with crowds across three days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival that utilises our numerous hospitality venues and expansive grounds, marking a major step in the reopening of our city and the state of Victoria.”
Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Paul Guerra said a return of racing crowds was “so very Melbourne and exactly the shot of confidence we need”.
“This bold move will propel Victoria to reclaim our mantle as the events and sporting capital of Australia,” he said.
“Images of crowds enjoying the spring racing carnival will be beamed across the world, sending an important signal that Melbourne is back in business.”
The state government also announced on Sunday that music lovers will also be able to attend a concern at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday, October 30.
While an exact capacity is yet to be decided, “several thousand people” will be allowed to attend the outdoor concert on October 30, days after the state is tipped to hit the 70 per cent double dosed milestone.
Smaller gigs are planned around the state at the same time, subject to the tick of approval from chief health officer Brett Sutton.
Meanwhile, health authorities have locked in a “vaccinated economy” trial across 14 businesses in six local government areas from Monday.
The businesses, including cinemas, hotels, cafes, a gym, a church and a beauty clinic, will test vaccine certificate technology and will be able to begin operating with higher density limits.
Patrons attending these venues will be required to show they are fully vaccinated using Covid-19 digital certificate through the Service Victoria, Medicare or equivalent smartphone app or certified printed copy.
These venues include:
• Bass Coast – North Pier Hotel in Cowes, Churchill Island Cafe
• Buloke – Terminus Hotel in Wycheproof
• East Gippsland – East Gippsland Art Gallery in Bairnsdale, Lakes Squash and Movie Theatre in Lakes Entrance
• Greater Bendigo – Anglican Church of Australia in Flora Hill, Bendigo Art Gallery, Village Cinemas in Bendigo, Body Fit Training in Bendigo
• Pyrenees – Avoca Hotel
• Warrnambool – Darlings of Beauty, Roberts One Real Estate, Warrnambool Racing Club (race meeting), Warrnambool Art Gallery.
Premier Daniel Andrews said a midweek race meeting would go ahead and capacity limits in pubs and clubs would be expanded as part of the trial to help transition the state to a Covid-normal.
1890 NEW CASES, FIVE DEATHS
Health authorities announced 1890 new Covid cases and five deaths had emerged in the past 24 hours.
The latest deaths are two men in their 50s from Melbourne and Brimbank, two men in their 70s from Maribyrnong and Wyndham and a woman in her 80s from Yarra.
As of Sunday morning, there are 609 Victorians in hospital with Covid-19. Of those, 126 were in intensive care, including 88 on a ventilator.
Half of Victoria’s 1890 new Covid cases announced on Sunday were from six local government areas, Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said.
“Ones that we’ve all become very familiar with — Brimbank, Casey, Hume, Melton, Whittlesea and Wyndham,” he told reporters.
“We are seeing the shift we’ve been talking about over the last 10 days towards the southeast with Casey (recording) 164 cases, the most cases we have in the southeast.
“With only 50 per cent of those cases in the six LGA areas, it means there’s a lot of cases across other parts of Melbourne and regional Victoria.
“The Hume LGA, we are seeing a slightly lower number of cases today - 188 cases - so we are seeing a definite cooling off in the case growth rate there which is welcome.”
Premier Daniel Andrews gave a “stark” warning to unvaccinated Victorians as the state prepares to open up.
Mr Andrews said less than 7 per cent of Victorians in hospital with Covid were fully vaccinated.
“If you are vaccinated, your chance of finishing up in hospital gravely ill are but a fraction, a tiny fraction of what an unvaccinated person’s risks are,” he said.
“Of course, it will change and become even more stark as we open up.
“When we get to 80 per cent double dose … the virus will spread, especially among those who are not vaccinated … you are at a much higher risk.
“I’m not pleased to say this, but it is the science of it. The data, the facts.”
Nearly 40,000 vaccinations were administered in state-run clinics on Saturday.
HOW VICTORIANS WILL SHOW THEIR JAB STATUS
From Monday, fully vaccinated Victorians will be able to upload their vaccination certificate into their Service Victoria app.
That will mean businesses and venues can access a person’s check-in at the same time as their vaccination status.
Government Services Minister Danny Pearson said a step-by-step guide on how to share the digital certificate to the app is available through the Department of Health website.
The 15 venues involved in the vaccinated economy trial will be the first to use the updated Service Victoria app and show proof of vaccination.
“For those concerned about privacy, I stress that the Victorian government does not have access to any medical data linked to a person’s Medicare account,” Mr Pearson said.
“Getting vaccinated is our way out of this pandemic. This technology is going to play a vital role in the state’s reopening.
“The technology we’re using will enable that to occur quickly, efficiently and effectively.”
Users will need to update their Service Victoria app to add their vaccination status.
STATE PULLING AHEAD OF VAX TARGETS
Health chiefs say Victoria is pulling ahead of vaccination target dates in the state’s reopening road map, but fear record rises in Covid-19 cases could swamp hospitals.
Health authorities on Sunday announced 1890 Covid cases, along with five deaths.
It comes after another strong turnout for testing, with more than 74,1000 tests received.
State hubs administered nearly 40,000 vaccines on Saturday.
Melburnians were out and about enjoying the spring sunshine on Saturday as the state inches closer to freedom.
There were a whopping 1965 coronavirus cases reported on Saturday, and five deaths, and modelling predicts daily infection numbers could rise to 3000 within weeks.
The record numbers spurred on calls for people to get jabbed as soon as possible, with vaccination protections the key to bringing down infections.
Health Department deputy secretary for Covid-19 response, Kate Matson, backed calls from community leaders in the Saturday Herald Sun for people to “close the gap” between doses.
“I think it is possible that we hit the October 26 and November 5 (reopening) dates earlier, if people do rush to their local vaccination sites, pharmacies and GPs,” she said.
“It’s in all our power to bring those dates forward.”
The October 26 and November 5 dates were targets the government set to have 70 and then 80 per cent of people over the age of 16 double-jabbed.
Ms Matson said modelling by the Burnet Institute would be “refreshed” in coming days to update likely hospitalisation rates from recent case surges.
In a desperate bid to prop up the struggling hospital network once lockdowns ease, the government has flown in health professionals from overseas.
Contact tracers are focusing on Melbourne hot spots in the north and southeast, as well as Mildura where 20 extra cases were identified on Saturday.
As plans for reopening take shape, Mr Pearson announced a $15 million fund for arts and entertainment groups to prepare for when live events could be held once more.
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra has also called for Melbourne’s New Year’s Eve fireworks to be brought back to encourage people into the city.
“While the theatres and the restaurants and a bit of retail will help, it’s the events that really drag people in,” he said.
“We’ve got to have a summer calendar of events that starts to encourage people to be back in the CBD.”
CONSTRUCTION SITE COVID ‘PROTOCOL GAP’ DETECTED
Construction industry player Master Builders Victoria has identified a Covid “protocol gap”, after an unvaxxed maintenance technician moved through a construction site while infected with Covid.
The technician transited through part of a construction site earlier this week to access roof fans.
Construction workers must now have either received two doses of a Covid vaccine, one dose or a medical exemption to be on site, but maintenance and service workers are not yet legally required to be vaccinated.
However, it is understood the risk of widespread exposure in this case was minimal due to the reduced site capacity and the fact all other Covid protocols were followed.
Master Builders Victoria chief executive Rebecca Casson said this Covid protocol gap had been detected early.
“We have acted swiftly and collaboratively to ensure any gaps in the new system are addressed,” Ms Casson said.
She said maintenance and service workers need to be made aware when they arrive at a construction site that they are only permitted to go to the areas they are servicing or otherwise, be vaccinated.
Earl Setches from the Plumbing and Pipe Trades Employees Union said this case stressed the importance for all workers attending construction sites to “immediately get vaccinated to protect themselves, their families, their workmates and our community”.
“It is essential that (maintenance and service) workers are vaccinated so that they can legitimately access, and Covid safely navigate, both facilities management areas and construction sites.”
Maintenance and service workers will be legally required to be vaccinated by October 22 as they are classified as authorised workers.
NEW DELTA STRAIN TRACED TO TRAVELLER
A new strain of Delta in Sydney has been traced to a returned traveller.
The new Covid Delta strain, revealed on Friday by NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant, has been traced back to a returned traveller who arrived in Sydney in September.
“NSW Health is continuing to investigate the source of the Delta strain … we’ve linked that back to a person who returned from overseas but the exact mechanism of how that new Delta strain emerged and got into the community in Western Sydney is still under investigation,” Dr Chant said.
So far only the traveller and a separate family of seven people have been identified with the new strain.
Dr Chant urged Australians not to become too panicked about the new strain, saying it did not appear to be any more dangerous than the original Delta variant.
“There’s nothing about this Delta strain from looking at the genomics that suggested it’s any more transmissible, or going to cause illness or any other issues additional to the current Delta strain,” she said.
— Additional reporting: Miles Proust, John Masanauskas, Laura Placella
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