Eleven new Covid cases; reports two aged care residents infected
Hundreds of prisoners at a maximum security facility are isolating in their cells after a worker was exposed to the virus. It comes as authorities refuse to rule out extending Victoria’s shutdown.
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This story was published on Monday, May 31. For the latest news on Covid case numbers in Victoria and the likelihood of a Melbourne lockdown extension, click here for Tuesday‘s rolling coverage.
Victoria has recorded 11 new local cases of Covid, with Acting Premier James Merlino warning the outbreak could “get worse before it gets better”.
And Mr Merlino said he could not rule out an extended lockdown as health workers try to outrun the rapidly-spreading virus.
“In the past 24 hours we identified many more points of concern. In addition to the very worrying cases in private aged care, we are very concerned about the number of other high risk exposure sites,” he said.
“We are seeing a small number of cases infecting a large number of contacts. There is no doubt, the situation is incredibly serious. The next few days remain critical.
“I want to be very clear with everyone, this outbreak may well get worse before it gets better.”
It comes as Covid response commander Jeroen Weimar revealed there were four new areas of concern.
JMD Grocers & Sweets in Epping, Healthy India supermarket in Reservoir, Inday Filipino Asian Store at Footscray Market and Thai Huy Butcher, Footscray Market have been listed as Tier 1 exposure sites.
Mr Weinmar said DHHS had investigated a large birthday party at The Grand in Epping last weekend and identified 186 primary close contacts from that event.
More than half of those people have since returned a negative test result.
Mr Weimar encouraged the following groups to get tested: “Anybody anywhere in Victoria who has any symptoms no matter how slight. If you been to any of the exposure sites ... particularly those small local grocery stores in the northern suburbs, if you been to those locations in any time over the last two weeks, please go and get tested today.
“If you one of the fantastic workers in aged care sector ... please get tested.”
It comes as a second staff member and one resident from Arcare’s Maidstone facility have tested positive for Covid-19, while a worker at a BlueCross facility in Sunshine has also tested postive.
They are among five new local cases of Covid announced on Monday.
Two of those are linked to the Whittlesea cluster.
A further six cases were recorded late on Sunday night, bringing yesterday’s total to 11 new locally acquired transmissions.
Three of those six cases are linked to aged care.
There were 43,874 tests and 16,752 vaccine doses delivered on Sunday.
More than 275,000 Victorians have been tested in the past week.
Three of today’s cases are linked to aged care:
• The son of the initial case in Maidstone Arcare.
• A staff member at Arcare Maidstone, who worked alongside the initial case. She was not vaccinated. She also worked at Bluecross on 26,27 and 28 May.
• An Arcare female resident aged in her 90s from the Magnolia Unit.
Health Minister Martin Foley said it was concerning the outbreak had crept into aged care.
“The fact this outbreak has crept into a number of private residential aged care facilities is obviously a very great concern to the Victorian government,” he said.
“It’s a very great concern to all Victorians and the commonwealth government.”
In one week there were 95,600 vaccinations in Victoria, a total of 476,000 vaccines delivered since the start of program.
Mr Weimar said 77 per cent of the 4200 primary close contacts had tested negative.
Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton said on Monday it was a “day by day” situation.
“These are concerning numbers and concerning settings. We’ve gone from a single case of the beginning of the month to 4200 primary close contacts,” he said.
“It has been a rapidly moving virus and the transmission that has occurred in those high-risk settings has been very substantial.
“So we have to take (lockdown) as a day by day prospect.
“With more numbers today coming through and those really concerning settings, especially in aged care, we are neck and neck with this virus and it is an absolute beast.”
Professor Sutton said it was a “good sign” that many of the new cases had already been quarantining.
“We have seen increasingly the new cases we identify are already quarantining and that is a good sign,” he said.
While the cases have largely been contained to metropolitan Melbourne, Prof Sutton said it was too soon to say whether restrictions would be eased in regional Victoria.
“We will see when we get there, we don’t know what will emerge tomorrow,” he said.
“There are a number of primary close contacts in regional Victoria, a number who have tested negative but we don’t know what might be around the corner.”
Mr Merlino said he wouldn’t speculate on whether there would be an extended lockdown.
“It’s entirely based on public health advice on what may happen and what we may announce later in the week,” he said.
“It’s not just about the case numbers. It’s the type of cases. It’s where it’s occurring. Do we know where they’re linked? Are there high-risk sites? All those of things are taken into account by the public health team in terms of when they’re confident to provide advice to government that we can then go towards some easings of restrictions.”
Everybody working in Victoria’s hotel quarantine system have been vaccinated since Easter, Mr Weimar confirmed.
There had also been 17,000 vaccinations in the public aged care system, with 4500 staff in the system already given their first jab.
It comes as three other aged care facilities are also in lockdown after it was discovered staff members at those sites are close primary contacts of the positive worker at the Arcare centre.
The aged care resident is displaying mild symptoms and will be transferred to hospital so their condition can be closely monitored.
RETIREMENT HOMES EASE LOCKDOWN AFTER COVID SCARE
Two Royal Freemasons sites have now been cleared after employees who worked at the Coppin and Footscray facilities returned a negative result.
No staff or residents at Royal Freemasons have tested positive to COVID-19.
A Royal Freemasons spokesman said the potential exposure occurred during work and all staff were wearing a mask.
“We became aware of this at 6am Sunday morning (May 30) and immediately locked down these facilities as a precaution, notified the department, commenced full PPE and commenced testing all our residents and staff,” the spokesman said in a statement to the Herald Sun.
Both centres were on Monday afternoon given the green light to “stand down” and return to normal operations after the staff member identified as a Tier 2 contact returned a negative result.
“Given this, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) advised that the Footscray home can ‘stand down’ and return to normal operations,” Royal Freemasons said in a statement.
All Covid testing of staff and residents at both the Coppin and Footscray facilities have been completed.
All Royal Freemasons residents have now been offered their first dose of the vaccine, with many also receiving their second jab.
— Read the full story here.
PRISON IN LOCKDOWN AMID COVID FEARS
Hundreds of prisoners at a maximum security prison in Melbourne have been ordered into lockdown amid fears a staff member was exposed to the virus.
An internal memo seen by the Herald Sun reveals a Metropolitan Remand Centre employee worked a shift at the prison after attending a Tier 1 exposure site.
Frantic contact tracing is underway to determine if the virus has spread into the prison system.
“MRC is currently undertaking contact tracing after a staff member came to work after attending a Tier 1 exposure site,” the memo read.
“MRC is identifying staff who may need to be sent home. All staff identified as a secondary close contact will be contacted.”
A ‘Code Aqua’ has been called, sending hundreds of prisoners into lockdown as authorities deal with the evolving situation.
A source said a further six prison employees had been deemed close secondary contacts and sent home to be tested.
The prison worker who attended the Tier 1 site is not exhibiting symptoms.
“(He) shouldn’t have turned up to start with but might not have been aware of being at an exposure site,” the source said.
MLC AMONG SCHOOLS CLOSED
Methodist Ladies’ College in Kew has told parents that a staff member, who may have been infectious at the school from last Monday to Thursday, has returned a positive test for Covid.
The staff member is based at the Year 7-12 Kew campus on Barkers Road.
The Department of Health notified MLC that the staff member with a positive COVID-19 test was not infectious whilst at the College and confirmed that the Year 7-12 campus will open tomorrow, 1 June, in line with restricted operations during the current lockdown.
“Following instructions from the Department of Health we are undertaking detailed contact tracing and will be in direct contact with any individuals who may be a primary contact,” the school said.
The school said students in its junior supervision program could stay in the program for the rest of today.
The school was still deciding how the junior program might operate from tomorrow.
At Monday’s press conference, Mr Weimar confirmed two other schools had also been identified as exposure sites.
Mr Weimar said three cases were potentially linked to MLC, Mercy College in Coburg North, and Craigieburn’s Willmott Park Primary School.
“We have three schools that we are currently working with at this point in time, out of an abundance of caution. If those cases are confirmed to be positive, pre-emptive contact work is under way,” he said.
“We’re doing repeat testing on those cases at the moment and they will come out during the course of today.”
Staff, students and parents of Willmott Park Primary School were told early Monday morning that the school would be closed.
Meanwhile, a student from Mercy College in Coburg, has also tested positive for Coronavirus.
The Herald Sun understands the student was not at school most of last week.
Mercy College principal Lila McInerney has told families that the school closed Monday afternoon.
“This closure will allow time for the school and the Department of Health to work through any contact tracing that may be required.
Precautionary cleaning will also be undertaken,” Ms McInerney said.
The Catholic girls’ school on Sydney Rd is near a number of exposure sites around the Coburg area including a cinema at the former Pentridge site.
“DH is continuing investigations to confirm the relevant infectious period and subsequent contact tracing will
involve identifying any person who may have been in close contact with the affected student after May 24,” she said.
She said affected students, their families and school staff will be notified by the DH in the coming days and supported to
ensure they understand what actions to take.
“Students are advised to remain at home while contact tracing occurs. They must limit movements to home-
based activities and not attend public places,” Ms McInerney said.
“This news may be concerning for many of you and I want to assure you we are doing everything we can to
contain and slow the spread of the virus and ensure the health and safety of our whole school community.”
The school has an enrolment of around 450 students.
On Saturday, nearby Mount Ridley College in Craigieburn was listed as an exposure site after a pupil tested positive for COVID-19.
Pupils in Year 7 and 8, and teachers who educated those year levels, were being instructed to get tested and quarantine immediately even if they are not identified as a Tier 1 close contact.
The school was closed for deep cleaning while the Department of Health completed a risk assessment.
Meanwhile, Ivanhoe’s Fairy Hills Kindergarten has shut temporarily after an infected visitor spent time at the centre between 9.15am and 11am on May 25.
It was added to the list of tier 1 exposure sites — anyone who visited the site at the time of the positive case is recommended to get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days.
— Full survival guide to home schooling here
DEFENCE TROOPS HAILED AMONG THE NATION’S BEST.
Around 160 defence force troops joining Victoria’s virus fight have been hailed among the nation’s best.
The army, navy and air force personnel — all from locally-based units — were deployed over the weekend.
Their duties will include helping with contact tracing.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton told the Herald Sun: “Some of our best in uniform are being deployed.”
“Defence personnel are in uniform to help keep us all safe and secure,’’ Mr Dutton said.
“There’s no better way they can do that at the moment than by rolling up their sleeves to help Victorians through this difficult time.”
Defence Personnel Minister Darren Chester said the troops — deployed at the request of the state government — would assist with tasks such as contact tracing, community engagement and planning.
The deployment comprises 108 army members, 25 navy personnel and 27 from the air force.
“Our ADF personnel have answered the call time and again to come to our aid here at home when needed,’’ Mr Chester said.
“Whether it’s fire, flood and most recently the coronavirus pandemic, the uniforms of the navy, army and air force have been a reassuring presence to many.
“They have demonstrated their diverse skills, adaptability and willingness to do what they need to do to keep us safe and get the job done.
“Thank you to our personnel for the outstanding job you are doing in these challenging circumstances, and thank you to your families for their continued support.”
More than 240 defence personnel are already working in Victoria — most in hotel quarantine.
SHOPPERS, DOZENS OF STAFF MAY BE EXPOSED
Thousands of shoppers at Australia’s biggest retail centre are on notice and dozens of staff were forced into isolation after Chadstone became the latest hot spot for Covid exposure concern.
With five new community transmission cases announced on Sunday, including the first mystery case, there are now more than 170 official exposure sites.
Two of the five new cases announced on Sunday are linked to the outbreak at Stratton Finance in Port Melbourne, and were already isolating.
A third case contracted the virus while shopping at the South Melbourne Telstra store – already a known exposure site – but they visited Chadstone on Wednesday from 11.30am-2pm while infectious.
The entire shopping centre has been listed as a Tier 2 site, meaning anyone who visited during that time needs to get tested and isolate until receiving a negative result.
But Japanese restaurant Yokozuna has been classified as a Tier 1 site, forcing anyone who was there on May 26 between 11.30am and noon into quarantine for 14 days.
Sunday’s fifth case is linked to grocery and food store exposures in the north.
On Sunday night, a string of additional exposure sites were released, including at Northland Shopping Centre and the 525 public bus in Craigieburn.
Covid-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said while the fourth consecutive day of more than 40,000 daily tests was reassuring, it was too early to say if Victoria would be out of lockdown on time.
“This is a seven-day lockdown. We have a lot of work to do,” Mr Weimar said.
“What is encouraging is that the leads we have seen emerge over the last three or four days have all been run to ground quickly.
“But we’re continuing to see new exposures opening up every single day.
“I’m confident we’re on a good trajectory with those leads.”
There are more than 4000 primary close contacts across the Whittlesea and Port Melbourne outbreaks isolating. More than 3000 of them have already returned negative tests.
Mr Weimar said of the five high-risk bars and clubs announced last week, just over half of the 500 primary close contacts had returned negative results.
“We have no further evidence of transmission at those locations at this point in time,” he said.
Some 700 staff and students from Mount Ridley College continue to get tested and isolate after a student tested positive.
And 30 primary close contacts of an infected person who visited a display home in Mickelham are isolating.
Eight out of nine colleagues of the infected wholefoods delivery driver in Carrum have tested negative.
But as the driver visited more than 20 stores in the northern and southeastern suburbs while infected, the Health Department sent more than 500,0000 text messages on the weekend to residents urging them to get tested at the first sign of symptoms.
Acting Premier James Merlino said the government would be guided by the health experts as to when lockdown would end.
“This is something we are evaluating every hour of every day, assessing constantly with public health in terms of how we are tracking,” Mr Merlino said. “The advice from the public health teams is that they require a seven-day circuit-breaker lockdown to get ahead of this outbreak.
“There is no threshold … because if we can’t get ahead of this outbreak then it becomes uncontrollable.”
MANAGER CALLS FOR ‘NO JAB, NO WORK’
A manager at the aged-care company facing a potential coronavirus outbreak says vaccinations should be made mandatory for all workers.
The Herald Sun can reveal the manager at Arcare’s Cheltenham facility told a resident’s family he wished the government would make the jab mandatory.
Following news a worker at Arcare’s Maidstone facility had been infected, the family raised concerns that unvaccinated staff were caring for their loved ones, saying those who had not received jabs should not be allowed to work at the centre.
The manager responded: “I fully agree with your sentiment. The government unfortunately has not made the Covid vaccine mandatory.
“If we were to (implement) what you and I agree on, we would be accused of discrimination and we have no legal backing whatsoever.
“This non-mandatory Covid jab is for all unfortunately and I wish the government makes it mandatory.”
Fifty-three of the Maidstone aged-care home’s 76 residents – almost 70 per cent – have received their first vaccine dose, with the others so far declining the jab.
Those at the home, including the now-infected worker, received their first doses on May 12, almost three months after the first phase of the rollout – designed to protect the nation’s most vulnerable – began.
Federal authorities are rushing to administer their second doses in a bid to prevent a deadly outbreak.
About a third of Arcare Maidstone’s 110-odd staff had received a dose.
Asked if the Arcare residence would have been better protected under a faster rollout, Health Minister Greg Hunt said: “The fact that we have had 100 per cent of facilities – commonwealth facilities within Victoria – which have been given the vaccine program means that that is a very, very important protection.”
Mr Hunt said 99 per cent of commonwealth aged-care facilities nationwide had now been vaccinated, with the rest to be completed this week.
CLAIMS PROTESTERS ILLEGALLY DINED AT RESTAURANT
A popular Seddon restaurant is under investigation over claims it hosted an illegal feast for the ringleaders of a fiery anti-lockdown protest.
More than a dozen anti-vaxxers, including protest inciters Monica Smit and Morgan Jonas, were photographed at the eatery on Saturday afternoon despite statewide coronavirus restrictions that which have shut restaurant doors and banned public gatherings.
The photograph, posted on encrypted communication app Telegram, was deleted on Sunday as the restaurant faced huge public backlash and threats of customer boycotts.
— Read the full story here.
VIRUS EXPERTS’ GRIM WARNING ON VACCINE ROLLOUT
Leading epidemiologists are warning that Australians will not be fully vaccinated by Christmas based on the current sluggish speed of the rollout.
More Victorians on Sunday were turned away from getting jabs and the state’s struggling inoculation program was blasted as “chaos”.
Almost 27,500 vaccines were administered on Saturday, Health Department figures show.
But epidemiologists say the federal government’s vaccine rollout is not fast enough and are calling for more vaccination centres and GP clinics to come on line to deliver it.
— Read the full story here.
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