Four new coronavirus cases and one death as Kiwi travellers’ dash to Melbourne revealed
Melburnians are making a mad dash to hair salons as restrictions ease in the city, but gym junkies have been dealt a blow, with workouts still not part of the reopening plans. It comes as a New Zealand traveller who flew to Melbourne from Sydney has refuted the idea the group did anything “sneaky”.
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After a three-month ban, Melbourne hair salons are dealing with a rush of customers and “homemade” haircuts.
Salons were run off their feet after the stage 4 COVID-19 restriction on hairdressers was finally lifted on Monday.
Hairdresser Joey Scandizzo opened his South Yarra salon as the clock ticked to midnight and reported his phone was going “off the hook”.
“We had a few VIP clients that couldn’t wait any longer, so we opened the doors up at midnight and we got them in and they were happier than ever,” he told 3AW.
It comes as Victoria recorded four new coronavirus cases and one death in the past 24 hours, marking a slight spike in its daily tally.
However, the figure brought the city’s 14-day rolling average down to 7.2 while regional Victoria’s remained steady at 0.5.
There are now 15 cases with an unknown source in Melbourne and zero in regional Victoria.
The state now has 136 active cases of COVID-19 including 11 healthcare workers.
Twelve people are in hospital with the virus — none are in ICU.
Victoria’s most recent death is a man in his 90s whose infection was related to an aged care outbreak.
All four cases of today are in Melbourne with three in Hume and one in Moonee Valley.
There are now seven active cases in regional Victoria — four are in Mitchell shire and three are in Shepparton.
A Kilmore resident is expected to be among Monday’s new case numbers, with a staff member at Kemp’s Bakery testing positive for COVID-19.
It comes after three days of rock-bottom case numbers for the state, with two cases recorded on Friday, one on Saturday and two on Sunday.
INSIDE KIWI TRAVELLERS’ DASH TO MELBOURNE
A New Zealand traveller who flew to Melbourne from Sydney has spoken out against the idea that they did anything “sneaky”.
Auckland resident Sue told 3AW she had booked the flight from New Zealand “in good faith” under the new Tasman travel bubble to attend her father’s funeral in Melbourne.
“It’s been very stressful and I’ve come to my father’s funeral and it’s put a lot of stress on my family,” she said.
“It’s been a very difficult time I wanted to let people know I came in good faith and booked tickets through a travel agent to make sure that I could come, and I rang home affairs in Auckland to make sure I could book a ticket.”
Victorian authorities spent much of the weekend scrambling to locate the overseas arrivals, since flights commenced on Friday.
Sue said DHHS representatives and Victoria Police had both knocked on her door to check on her on Saturday, and there was no indication when she landed at Melbourne airport that she wasn’t supposed to be there.
“The plane was full, I was so excited to come over here and be here for my dad’s funeral, the thought of not being here would have broken my heart,” she said.
“We got off the plane, they did a temperature check through the ear to check we were all good to go.”
“Once I got off at Melbourne there were people there in PPE gear and they wanted to see my passport and I just walked through, we didn’t do a runner we didn’t all run away or get in a getaway car and disperse all over Melbourne.”
-Rhiannon Down
ANDREWS TAKES JAB AT FRYDENBERG OVER ‘POLITICS’
A total of 65 people that have travelled from New Zealand have entered in Victoria – despite the state telling the Federal Government it does not want to be a part of the travel bubble.
Premier Daniel Andrews said 55 of those have been door knocked and the remainder are yet to be contacted.
Mr Andrews said there are 17 flights coming to Melbourne today that “could possibly” have New Zealand passengers that have arrived via Sydney.
“We, you know, we are not particularly pleased that we were asked the question, do you want to be in a bubble, and it turns out that even though we said no, we are, but that is the fact of the matter, that is what we faced,” Mr Andrews said.
Mr Andrews said the travellers will not be quarantined as they came from “a low virus community”.
He also took aim at Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who has been an outspoken critic of Mr Andrews handling of the pandemic,
“It’s all about the politics with this bloke, isn’t it? That’s all he does. That all he does, he is not a leader, he is just a liberal,” Mr Andrews said.
“Victorians are sick of it. Victorians want their family protected, they wanted their health issue dealt with so we can open up.”
Read the full version of this story, here.
RCH CHILD CANCER PATIENT CONTRACTS COVID-19
Mystery surrounds how a young cancer patient contracted COVID-19 at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Exhaustive investigations are yet to detect a COVID-positive person the child has been in contact with.
All staff, patients and family members who have visited the child have been tested.
The child’s medical condition and treatment means the case has been largely kept in isolation, with authorities saying there is a minimal chance the highly-infections virus has been further transmitted.
The RCH said it was supporting the child’s family as contact tracing continues.
“As is our usual practice in these situations, all staff working on the ward have been notified, along with current inpatient families and any who may have been discharged since 30 September,” the RCH says in a statement.
“As contact tracing remains underway, staff already identified as close contacts of the patient are now undertaking the required testing and self-quarantine.
“Asymptomatic testing of other staff who have spent time on the ward, along with inpatients and their families, is underway.”
FOOTY WATCHING SEES MATES SLAPPED WITH FINES
A group who travelled outside their 5km radius to watch the footy at a friend’s house are among the latest Victorians to be fined for breaching lockdown rules.
The five mates revealed to police they were all from different households when they were stopped in the Yarra Ranges.
Police issued 124 fines in the past 24 hours, including 13 for not wearing a mask and 8 at vehicle checkpoints.
Four partygoers were also fined for gathering to celebrate a birthday at a Melbourne home.
NEW RULES MIXED NEWS FOR SPORTS-MAD CITY
Golfers, swimmers and skaters are among sports-mad Melburnians rejoicing thanks to the long-awaited relaxation of lockdown restrictions.
From Monday, outdoor tennis courts, golf courses and skate parks in Melbourne will reopen to the public.
Outdoor pools will open for up to 30 people and regional Victorians aged under 18 will be allowed to use indoor pools.
But footy fans didn’t fare so well and will be forced to watch the AFL Grand Final in isolation after Premier Daniel Andrews warned against hosting illegal premiership parties.
Melbourne pubs will not be allowed to open for Saturday’s Richmond-Geelong clash, and Grand Final barbecues among friends have been banned.
Mr Andrews said the Grand Final would be “very different this year”, urging fans to stay home and watch it with family and warning that police would be out in force.
“I know many people would normally spend time with families and friends to celebrate that day — whether their team is in the Grand Final or not — it’s a big part of who we are,” he said.
“But your household and only the members of your household — that is how Grand Final day has to be.
“You can’t have friends over into your home.”
It means Cats fans will be allowed to cheer their team in Geelong pubs but those in Melbourne can only watch the game at home with immediate family.
Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett said Mr Andrews had “failed’’ footy fans.
“What a sadness for those who have a team in the Grand Final,’’ Mr Kennett said.
ANDREWS VEERS FROM ROAD MAP
Daniel Andrews has veered off Melbourne’s reopening road map, leaving shop owners, publicans and restaurateurs in limbo for another fortnight even as movement limits are eased.
From Monday, Melburnians can leave home as many times as they want each day, and travel up to 25km to see friends and family from one other household in groups of up to 10 outdoors.
Bars and clubs will remain shut until November 2.
The Premier said the decision to keep businesses closed — which sparked widespread anger — would be reviewed daily, although it would not change before the weekend.
Under the government’s road map, those businesses had expected to reopen by October 26.
Police will enforce the new outdoor gatherings limit, with groups of 10 required to be clearly separated from others.
The new 25km travel bubble will be in place until November 2, and Mr Andrews said it “may well be a feature beyond that”, despite the government initially planning to release distance restrictions by the end of this month.
But despite the increase, epidemiologists have criticised the decision.
“The 25km limit doesn’t stop transmission so it doesn’t actually do much,” Professor Peter Collignon, of the Australian National University, said.
The state government’s five-case rolling average threshold to move to the next stage has been scrapped, and Mr Andrews indicated the zero-case threshold for further changes in late November would also be set aside.
Mr Andrews said the “increased compliance activity” would continue into November but he was still aiming to allow Melburnians to travel to regional areas and interstate by Christmas.
ARCHBISHOP HITS OUT AT ‘LACK OF FAIRNESS’
The Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, tweeted that he was “deeply shocked at the disparity imposed on VIC’s faith communities today. Public Health stubbornly silent on reason why. Rest of OZ is doing it right. Why not us? Life, family & faith matter.”
He added: “This week I’ll be pressing the authorities on this lack of fairness and working with faith leaders to have this addressed asap and in all the road map steps ahead”.
VACCINE READY FOR ROLL OUT BY YEAR’S END
Pfizer has released footage of a potential coronavirus vaccine rolling off the production line in Belgium as America’s top doctor warned of a “twindemic”.
The drugmaker’s UK boss, Ben Osborn, told the Mail on Sunday it aimed to have 100 million doses ready by the end of the year.
He said the company has already made several hundred doses of the drug as it prepares to seek emergency use in the US by November.
Mr Osborn also revealed that scientists in its main UK lab have also found drugs that could provide a potential cure for COVID-19 rather than just a preventive vaccine.
“The hope here is that we essentially come up with a medicine that disrupts the virus and ultimately prevents it worsening the condition of a patient,” he said.
An answer on whether the vaccine works or not is expected by the end of the month.
Read the full version of this story, here
CALL FOR 25KM GOLFING EXEMPTION
Melbourne Golfer Simon Timbs said players would happily return to the fairways, even though restrictions would apply.
“I think in general people will be pretty happy’’ he said.
“It’s a big positive.”
But he called for an exemption for golfers travelling more than 25km to play at clubs where they are members.
“I won’t be able to play in the foreseeable future because I don’t live within 25km of my course,” he said.
CONTACT SPORTS FOR JUNIORS ON HORIZON
In another win for active Victorians, outdoor contact sport will be allowed for under-18s with limits on spectators from November 2.
Non-contact sports will be allowed for adults from the same date and those activities could be allowed earlier if coronavirus numbers remain low in Melbourne.
The easing of restrictions is likely to allow junior cricket competitions to start on November 6, and players can return to training if rules are relaxed earlier.
Gyms across Victoria will remain closed.
CROWD HOPES FOR BOXING DAY, RACES
There are renewed hopes limited crowds may be allowed at Flemington for the Melbourne Cup and the MCG for the Boxing Day Test.
Mr Andrews said it was likely connections would be allowed at Flemington for the Melbourne Cup but VRC chief executive Neil Wilson said it was still not known if crowds could attend.
“We await a decision from the Victorian government based on public health advice,” he said. “Cup Week will go on whether we are able to welcome small crowds or not.”
With cricket chiefs hoping crowds of up to 30,000 could attend each day of December’s MCG Test, MCC chief executive Stuart Fox said Sunday’s announcements were positive.
“This is a good sign, but we need to follow the government road map for reopening, with public health remaining our number one priority,’’ he said.
“We will continue to work with Cricket Australia and the Victorian government in seeing what’s possible over the next couple of months.”
MASKS HERE TO STAY FOR NOW
Masks will remain mandatory in Victoria despite low cases and a new road map out of lockdown.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday said masks were here to stay “until we make the announcement that they aren’t”.
It comes after people in regional Victoria called for the policy to be reviewed. However, health authorities believe it remains an easy and effective strategy to reduce spread.
Mr Andrews pointed to the Shepparton coronavirus scare and said masks would have played a big part in the case numbers not growing.
“The fact that masks are still mandatory when you’re out of your own home — I think that has almost certainly played a part in the fact that we’ve done 6000 tests (in Shepparton) — and we had positive people there unknown to them moving around in the community for quite a lengthy period of time — and we’ve got only three cases,” Mr Andrews said.
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