Melbourne lockdown could stretch beyond five days

Students and staff at Trinity Grammar are on tenterhooks after a further two teachers tested positive. Meanwhile, the list of exposure sites continues to swell.

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Trinity Grammar students and staff are on tenterhooks as two more teachers tested positive, bringing the total number of infected teachers at the Kew boys’ school to three.

The status of thousands of children and adults connected to the school may change in coming hours and days, with new primary cases expected to be contacted by health officials tonight and tomorrow.

Principal Adrian Farrer wrote to parents telling them the teachers “come from across the school” but had little more information about the implications.

“I acknowledge the anxiety that this news brings to our community. It is a difficult time for all and the implications are not yet entirely clear,” he said.

“The latest staff members to test positive are currently working with the Department of Health to provide information that will assist contract tracers and the School. I cannot provide you with any more useful detail than that until we receive our instructions from the authority.

“The implications for the community remain the same for the moment; get tested and stay at home. This new case may challenge the level of classification for some members of our community, but at this stage we have not been advised of any differences. As it stands, the DHHS will be contacting all primary contacts with further information regarding obligations under that classification,” Mr Farrer said.

“Pleasingly, all three of our staff members are doing well physically and are appreciative for the support that the community has offered them.”

Trinity Grammar has 156 teaching staff, 110 non-teaching staff and 1500 boys.

VICTORIAN EXPOSURE SITES CONTINUE TO GROW

A Vans shoe shop within DFO Uni Hill in Bundoora has been identified as the latest Tier 1 exposure site on the 9th of July from 4:20pm-4:50pm.

Yarra Yarra Rowing Club has also been published as a Tier 1 site on the 14th of July from 6:05am-8:00am and on the 15th of July from 8:02am-10:00am.

Anyone who visited at those times is urged to get tested and isolate for 14 days.

Phillip Island remains on high alert after a positive case visited several venues in the area, including a busy supermarket and the Grand Prix Circuit.

Another venue in Phillip Island - the North Pier Hotel - has been identified as a Tier 1 exposure site on the 12th of July from 7:22pm-10:47pm.

The Basketball Stadium at Valkstone Primary School in Bentleigh East is also now a Tier 1 site on the 14th of July from 4:45pm-6:30pm.

The racetrack and a Coles supermarket have been listed as Tier 1 exposure sites as Victoria grapples with the latest outbreak.

Anyone who visited the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on July 13 from 11:10am-1:17pm or the Coles on the corner of Church St and Thompson Ave on July 12 from 4:30pm-5:30pm must get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from exposure.

Earlier on Friday, the San Remo Fisherman’s Co-op and Phillip Island Ten Pin Bowling and Entertainment and Grumpys Crazy Golf, both in Cowes, were added to the ballooning list of Tier 1 exposure sites after a positive case visited the venues on July 14.

A gym in Essendon has also been listed as a Tier 1 exposure site on Friday evening after a positive case attended the venue.

Anyone who went to Re-Creation Health Club on Buckley St between 5.30am and 7pm and 9.20pm and 10.30pm on July 13 must get tested and isolate for 14 days.

ANOTHER TEACHER TESTS POSITIVE

Students at Bacchus Marsh Grammar may have been exposed to coronavirus, after another teacher picked up the Delta variant during a staff development day.

The school’s principal, Andrew Neal, on Friday confirmed that four teachers in total had now tested positive to the virus.

All four are based at the Maddingley Senior/Middle School.

In a letter to parents on Friday, seen by the Herald Sun, Mr Neal said: “Unfortunately, some of the recently infected staff have been in direct contact with students”.

“The earlier advice that all students should stay at home and isolate still applies and we will update you with further advice as we are provided it,” he added.

“We currently have a significant number of staff tests back but given the size of the school we are still obviously waiting on a number from yesterday.”

It’s understood about 315 staff gathered on Monday for a development day, and given the nature of the outbreak, the whole Maddingley campus has been deemed a Tier 1 site.

It means the Department of Health would directly contact those students who were deemed close contacts of the infected teachers.

The school intends to commence online learning from Monday.

“This is an enormously anxious time for the whole community,” Mr Neal added.

“To a certain extent we are going to cope with this situation best by accepting the constraints we now face, understanding that information may be a little slower than we would like and accept that there are a team of people at school and the DHHS that are working to make the best of the situation for everyone.”

It comes as Premier Dan Andrews announced the number of Covid cases in Victoria directly linked to the ‘incursions’ from NSW has ballooned to 24, Daniel Andrews said on Friday.

There are now 126 exposure sites across the state, with 1500 close contacts and 5000 secondary contacts identified.

A further 10 cases were announced in the 24 hours to Friday morning, four of which were announced late on Thursday.

CONSTRUCTION SITES SHUTDOWN

Two city construction sites have been suddenly shut down as Victoria’s latest Covid-19 outbreak grows.

Works stopped at Multiplex sites West Side Place on Spencer St, and 405 Bourke, on Bourke St, today after it was revealed a positive case visited the sites.

The Herald Sun has been told the engineer was at each site for a short time on Thursday.

Under Victoria’s current lockdown settings the construction sector is allowed to continue operating.

Following the announcement of the lockdown Property Council of Australia Victorian executive director Danni Hunter said the sector would work closely with government.

“As it has during previous lockdowns, the property and construction industry will work closely with the Victorian Government to ensure the building and construction sector can continue to operate safely and responsibly and keep Victorians in work and projects from coming to a standstill,” she said.

“Victoria’s largest industry has ensured the health and safety of our workforce throughout the pandemic by having industry-wide COVID-safety guidelines implemented on worksites which has kept workers safe and our industry open.”

A Multiplex spokesperson said the company was awaiting advice from the Department of Health.

“In the meantime, and as a precaution, we have closed both sites to carry out contact tracing of potential close contacts and to undertake a deep clean of the affected areas,” she said.

“We anticipate being able to re-open the sites on Monday, subject to clearance from the Department of Health.

“Health and safety is of paramount importance to us and we are taking every necessary precaution for the wellbeing of our workforce and the broader community. We have proactive COVID-safe protocols in place on all of our sites.”

BALLARAT SCHOOL, DEAKIN UNI ON HIGH ALERT

A family member of a Ballarat Clarendon College student has tested positive to Covid, the school has confirmed.

In an email the school said it had been told a family of a senior student tested positive on Friday morning.

Principal David Sheppard said it had informed the Victorian Government and was waiting for advice.

“We will provide information to our community as required, and as directed as soon as it becomes available,” Mr Sheppard said in the email.

“It is our collective responsibility to follow the advice and guidance of health experts.

“This is obviously an unsettling time for us all but particularly the Clarendon family as they navigate the next few days.”

A staff member at Deakin University has also tested positive.

Vice Chancellor Iain Martin said the university had been notified the staff member had attended the Waurn Ponds campus on July 14 between 9am and 3pm while infected.

“Based on our understanding of the staff member’s movements, Deakin has temporarily closed buildings IC, IB and JB for deep cleaning. The staff member was not involved in any teaching activity while on campus,” Prof Martin said.

“We have identified a small number of close contacts on campus and have already advised those people to isolate and get tested. However, if you were at the Waurn Ponds campus on Wednesday 14 July, anytime between 9am and 3pm, I urge you to watch and follow the advice of the Department of Health and Human Services.”

Prof Martin said the university was working closely with the Department to implement the appropriate incident response.

“I encourage everyone in the Deakin community to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested immediately if any symptoms develop.

“We are closely supporting our staff and send our best wishes for a speedy recovery on behalf of the Deakin community.”

PREMIER DEFENDS CALL NOT TO NAME REMOVALIST COMPANY

Mr Andrews, speaking at a press conference at 12.15pm, defended his decision to refuse to name the removalist company, despite the case being referred to Victoria Police.

“What I would say to you is that police in three states are looking into those matters so I will leave that work to them,” he said.

Daniel Andrews addresses the media on Friday. Picture: Getty

“Police don’t brief me on what they are looking at.

“Certainly in Victoria, police are looking at it.

“They were referred to the Victoria Police by us.

“They are not here now and they are not coming back in so there is no purpose served and we have no purpose to prevent the community from using that company.

“I don’t want to come across what is an active police process and I don’t know what the outcome of that will be.

“That is the nature of the system, politicians don’t do the work, police do.”

Asked if there was anything Victoria’s contact tracers should have done better to get the removalists to reveal more about their movements, he added: “This was a complex matter, it was not easy.

“Our contact traces did the best they could.”

Mr Andrews also denied the AFL had been given advance warning of the latest lockdown, after several AFL teams flew out of Victoria just hours before the Herald Sun revealed details of the state’s fifth lockdown.

“No. No. No. Any suggestion to that is wrong. It’s simply wrong,” he said.

HOW THE NEW CASES ARE LINKED

All 10 of the local cases recorded in the 24 hours to Friday morning are linked to current outbreaks.

Victoria’s Covid commander Jeroen Weimar said on Friday that there were four new cases linked to the MCG cluster.

“All individuals were not known to each other or to the other people in the MCC reserve including the index case,” he said.

An Australian Defence Force member based at HMAS Cerberus near Crib Point on the Mornington Peninsula is among the latest cases to test positive.

A Defence spokesperson confirmed the HMAS Cerberus member became infected with the Delta variant after visiting an exposure site over the weekend.

They have been in isolation since Thursday.

The spokesperson said HMAS Cerberus immediately initiated a “range of measures” to ensure the safety of the base and the nearby community.

All training and leave was suspended.

Living-in personnel had been confined to their rooms and take-away meal services were being provided.

“All isolated members are strictly complying with Victorian State Government Health guidelines and are being provided with appropriate welfare support through the Navy Divisional System,” the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, the Royal Melbourne Hospital has had to stand down 200 staff after a patient was revealed to be a close contact of a positive Covid case.

The patient has tested negative for Covid three times but remains under close observation.

Emergency and outpatient services have not been impacted by the staff shortage but elective surgery has been paused for 48 hours.

Several Health Department employees have also been forced to isolate after a colleague was identified as a primary close contact of a positive case.

A Health Department spokesman said the employees worked on the same floor as the primary close contact, who has since tested negative.

This allowed their close contacts to leave isolation, but the original colleague — as a primary contact — must remain in quarantine as they could test positive at a later date.

The confirmation follows a rumour on Neil Mitchell’s 3AW program that a contact tracer who worked on the fifth floor of the Lonsdale St building was isolating.

The Health Department could not confirm whether the staffer isolating worked in contact tracing.

Empty streets again in Melbourne. Most CBD cafes did not open on Friday morning because of the state’s hard lockdown. Picture: Getty

FINANCIAL RELIEF FOR VICTORIAN WORKERS

The Federal Government will provide financial support to eligible Victorian workers during the state’s five-day lockdown but only those in what the federal government deems ‘hot spots’.

Mr Andrews said the State Government would provide financial relief for the rest of the state.

“I can announce today that the rest of Victoria which is under lockdown but is not Commonwealth declared, we don’t have fault with this but as part of the agreement and as was foreshadowed earlier in the week, we will pick up the tab for all of those eligible

workers,” he said.

“The Commonwealth, through Services Australia, will administer that system.

“They will then send us a bill for those regional workers. It is important that everybody across the board gets the support and the care that they need.”

STATES SLAM BORDERS SHUT

Tasmania has joined South Australia in slamming its border shut to Victoria after the state’s fresh Covid crisis continued to escalate.

Queensland will also close its borders to Victorians from 1am on Saturday, while Western Australia has declared Victoria as “medium risk” and will reintroduce the hard border from midnight on Saturday.

Travel from Victoria will no longer be permitted unless you are an exempt traveller.

The restriction also applies to anyone who may have been in Victoria since July 8 and has not completed 14 days of quarantine in a lower risk jurisdiction.

New Zealand has announced it would halt the Trans Tasman bubble with Victoria.

Full state of our borders available here.

REMOVALISTS FROM RED ZONES BANNED

Interstate furniture removalists from red zones will be banned from entering Victoria for at least the next two weeks.

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has revealed both professional and owner-driver type businesses would be subjected to the new rules.

It comes after three “rogue” removalists brought the deadly Delta variant from greater Sydney into Victoria.

VTA CEO Peter Anderson said the ban would be reviewed after two weeks.

Furniture and removal vehicles will not be permitted to travel from NSW into Victoria.

But approved trucks can still enter, though they will be subjected to Covid tests every three days instead of seven days.

They will also be required to carry a letter which states they have received approval to enter the state.

“We’re not going to stop business to business. It’s the business to customers that we need to stop,” Mr Anderson explained.

Mr Anderson said the new measures were in direct response to the behaviour of the NSW removalists.

“Unfortunately the rogue behaviour from these people means the industry has to be held to account a lot more strongly,” he told the Herald Sun.

“We’re not going to put up with this. It’s a targeted and very specific restriction (but) these people were absolutely belligerent to the rules.

“We’ve got a good track record as an industry and that’s why we haven’t seen the virus spread. Our industry doesn’t want to be treated in this way.

“We’re very sensitive to the risks, so when something like this happens, it’s a huge disappointment.

“Suddenly all the work that you’ve done here has all been for nothing.

“These are the consequences of the belligerence and arrogance and the entitlement that these people seem to have because they think they are special and above the law.”

Mr Anderson said he didn’t think it was justified to name and shame the business, but said he hoped they felt the full force of the law.

“The damage is done and the consequences are now in our lives in so many ways. There’s disruption to the industry – but also to the 7000 people in isolation and the 18 people with Covid,” he said.

“Naming the people isn’t going to do any good other than to raise people’s vengeance. “They’ve done the wrong thing, they know who they are, but to close a business down is not going to fix this.”

Mr Anderson acknowledged the “impost” that the new testing requirements would have on law-abiding drivers.

“They don’t want to do it. These guys are getting blood noses every day (from the test). It’s a real impost but they’ve got to do it. These are the consequences,” he said.

TRINITY GRAMMAR COVID SCARE

Year 9 students who attended Trinity Grammar in Kew on Tuesday and Wednesday and a small number of senior students are being contacted on Friday morning to tell them they have been identified as primary close contacts and must get tested and isolate for 14 days.

Their families must also isolate at home for 14 days.

All other students have been classified as secondary close contacts and must get tested and stay at home until cleared by the Department of Health.

Principal Adrian Farrer said the news was “very impactful for the anticipated activities of the school in the coming weeks. Included in that timeframe are various tests, camps, sport, the year 12 formal, junior school parent teacher interviews and much more”.

“I understand that this news is most unfortunate. We will strive to offer whatever support we can to all families. You will understand that the school campus will be shut. We are not able to offer supervision for any students, including the children of essential workers,” he told parents.

Meanwhile, students at Ruyton Girls’ School — which shares some classes with Trinity — have been told to get tested and isolate.

While the infected Trinity staff member does not teach any classes attended by Ruyton students, a number of girls from the Kew school were on the Trinity campus on Tuesday and Wednesday and had contact with Trinity boys during rehearsals for their joint musical Strictly Ballroom.

They are all considered secondary close contacts of the confirmed case.

Principal Linda Douglas said the Health Department advice is that they must get tested and quarantine at home until cleared by health authorities. Even a negative test does not guarantee that students can leave quarantine.

“Clearance from the Department will be granted once all Primary Close Contacts have had an initial negative test. Other members of the household in this instance are not under quarantine,” Ms Douglas told parents.

The school was closed on Friday for all students for a deep clean. The ELC will reopen on Monday morning.

COPS TO TRACK SYDNEY COVID REMOVALISTS

Police have been called in to help trace the movements of three Sydney removalists who breached their permit conditions and spread the highly contagious Covid-19 Delta variant to Victoria.

Victoria Police said it were assisting the Department of Health “with their investigation in establishing the movements of the removalist team from NSW across Victoria”.

“The company involved has been helpful and are assisting with these inquiries,” a spokesman said.

Read the full report here

ALERT FOR VISITORS TO PERCY BEAMES BAR AT MCC

An MCC bar has been upgraded to a Tier 1 site after more people who attended the Carlton versus Geelong game tested positive.

Anyone who attended the Percy Beames Bar on Level 2 from 4pm to 4.30pm and 5.20pm to 5.50pm will now have to isolate until next Saturday, July 24.

The entire MCC Members’ Reserve - as opposed to just level two - has also been declared a Tier 2 site, placing hundreds more people into isolation.

In a statement, the MCC said staff had been impacted by the updated advice and they were working closely with the Health Department.

“It has been identified that the patrons sat in the Melbourne Cricket Club Members’ Reserve at the MCG. The MCC Members’ Reserve operates as its own zone compared to the rest of the Ground, is only accessible via Gate 2 and is classified as Zone 2 within the MCG’s COVID-19 operations,” the statement reads.

“Extensive cleaning of the MCG takes place after each event and, out of an abundance of caution, a deep clean of the identified areas took place yesterday.

“Individuals seated in the affected sections are in the process of being contacted directly by the Victorian Department of Health.

“Some staff and patrons present at Saturday’s Carlton v Geelong Cats match have already been made Tier 1 primary close contacts, and have been directly contacted by the Department of Health.

“Additional Tier 1 primary close contacts are being identified and contacted.”

COVID CASE AT WALLABIES-FRANCE GAME

AAMI Park confirmed a Covid-19 exposure at AAMI Park for the packed-out Wallabies Test match against France on Tuesday night.

More than 20,000 spectators attended the match.

Melbourne and Olympic Parks, which operate AAMI Stadium, said in a statement it was working with the Department of Health to support contract tracing and more information would be issued “in due course”.

“AAMI Park is closed and intensive cleaning of the venue is underway,” the statement said.

More than 20,000 people were at the game at AAMI Park on Tuesday. Picture: Darrian Traynor

PRIVATE SCHOOL’S CONTROVERSIAL CALL

Despite a lockdown closing all schools across Victoria, one private girls’ college has told year 12 students to come onto campus for their oral presentations.

Methodist Ladies College in Kew has emailed VCE English students telling them they must wear masks, socially distance and stay at the school for a minimum amount of time while doing their SAC orals.

The email says the rules governing the five-minute presentations were finalised with input from the school’s principal Diana Vernon.

The presentations count for a significant amount of marks for the school assessment component of the subject.

Students from other schools have been told to either defer their presentations until after lockdown or present them virtually.

The Herald Sun has sought clarification from the school.

The move comes as MLC only cancelled its year 11 social night on Thursday evening when many girls were in the car on the way to the event – some hours after the lockdown was called.

ANTI-LOCKDOWN PROTESTERS FIRE UP

Protesters outside Spring St on Thursday night.

Police said there were no arrests. Picture: Tony Gough

Hundreds of protesters assembled on the steps of state parliament on Thursday night to oppose Premier Daniel Andrew’s latest announcement of a fifth lockdown.The group gathered at Flinders Street Station before storming down to parliament.

They were heard shouting “freedom always wins”.

One protester screamed: “Your satanic government wants to kill you with the genocide jab”.

Signs read: “I have a choice” and “lockdown kills”, with face masks missing among the crowd.

Victoria Police said there were no arrests or fines were issued and they are yet to identify a person responsible for lighting a flare.