Rolling coverage: Deadliest day with 17 deaths, 394 cases as seven anti-lockdown protesters arrested
Twenty-seven protesters have been fined and seven arrested at an anti-lockdown rally in the Melbourne CBD, as the state records its highest daily death toll with 17 deaths and 394 new cases.
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Victoria has recorded 394 new coronavirus cases and 17 new deaths, 10 of which are linked to aged care facilities.
Two men in their 50s, four men in their 70s, four women and two men in their 80s, and two women and three men in their 90s are among the deaths.
The new deaths bring the toll to 210.
49 of the new cases are linked to outbreaks.
Premier Daniel Andrews said there were 174 new cases of community transmission, bringing the total to 2758 cases with an unknown source.
“So that’s 174 of those mystery cases which are, in many respects, our biggest challenge,” he said.
“Even large numbers in known contained outbreaks are, to a certain extent, less significant than the smaller number of cases where we simply can’t find the circumstance or the point of origin.”
Of the total 7854 active cases, 994 are in healthcare workers, while 1748 cases are currently linked to aged care facilities.
There are 634 Victorians currently in hospital, of which 43 are in intensive care and 26 are on a ventilator.
There have been 1,801,385 tests processed in Victoria since the start of the pandemic, and a cumulative total of 14,659 cases.
Mr Andrews said he believed more Victorians were doing the right thing.
“I think that people – a growing number of Victorians know and understand that this is a battle, this is a fight the likes of which we’ve never been engaged in, ever,” he said.
“But we overcome. We overcame fire. We overcame drought.
“We overcome lots of challenges. We are a resilient people.
“But everyone has to play a part in that.
“To those whose aren’t, Victoria Police are out there and they will fine you.”
SEVEN ARRESTED AT ‘FREEDOM DAY’ RALLY
A spokeswoman for Victoria Police confirmed that seven people had been arrested at Sunday’s ‘Freedom Day’ rally.
Officers also handed down 27 fines to protesters for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s directions.
Six people were arrested after they refused to provide their details to police.
All six were released after they gave officers their details and were each slapped with a $1652 fine.
Twenty-four of the fines issued at the protest were for breaching CHO directions for leaving home for a non-essential reason, while one person was fined $200 for not wearing a mask.
One of the event organisers received a $1652 fine and is expected to be charged on summons with further offences relating to the protest at a later date.
“This man is not one of the two organisers who were arrested during the week,” the Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
Police also arrested a man in a stolen car that was not linked to the protest – he was also fined for breaching CHO directions.
– Sharon McGowan
ANDREWS REFUSES TO BUDGE ON BUSINESS EXEMPTIONS
Premier Daniel Andrews has resisted calls from frustrated business owners to issue exemptions for working under the stage four lockdown.
In an open letter sent to Mr Andrews on Friday, Jim’s Mowing founder Jim Penman asked the Premier to be more flexible in his thinking and said he needed to resign.
He said there was no good reason that his franchisees working alone, outside should not be able to continue working.
“Compared to mowing someone’s lawn, there is far more risk walking the streets for exercise or entering a bottle shop,” Mr Penman said.
“If you cannot allow such a simple change to breathe life into our failing economy and provide people with the ability to get back to work and put food on their tables, then step aside and let someone else take over.”
Mr Andrews said there would be more people working in August than there were in July if anyone who wanted an exemption got one.
“That would make it absolutely impossible to bring these numbers down,” he said on Sunday.
“Any economic development over the next five or six weeks through a carve-out won’t mean much if this becomes a six-month lockdown instead of six weeks.”
– Tamsin Rose
MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING BOOST ANNOUNCED
Mental health support will be available for struggling Victorians with a $60 million funding boost announced today.
This will include extended opening hours at community clinics, more staff appointed as part of Ambulance Victoria’s RefC service and fast-tracking of the statewide Hospital Outreach Post-Suicide Engagement (HOPE) program.
Premier Daniel Andrews also announced a further $250,000 for counselling services for healthcare staff.
“Many in our heath team … are doing it very tough,” he said.
“You can’t unsee what you’ve seen.
“There is a degree of trauma, a degree of previously unknown levels of really challenging circumstances … and it’s appropriate we stand with them.”
Minister for Mental Health, Martin Foley, said there has been a “significant increase” in demand for mental health support since the pandemic began in March.
He said the boost would focus on acute services.
“We want to keep those people that need support for mental illness with support in the community,” Mr Foley said.
“We need to more assertively engage with people in the community.
“(And) to make sure those services are closer to where people need them.”
He said year on year there had been a 9.5 per cent increase in demand for mental health support.
This includes a 33 per cent increase In young people presenting at hospitals and clinics with mental health issues.
“We knew going into this pandemic that our mental health system wasn’t fit for purpose,” Mr Foley said.
TOTAL CUMULATIVE CASES AT AGED CARE FACILITIES
• 186 cases have been linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping;
• 169 cases have been linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner;
• 146 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer;
• 123 cases have been linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth;
• 105 cases have been linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee;
• 96 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg;
• 93 cases have been linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North;
• 87 cases have been linked to Arcare Aged Care Facility in Craigieburn;
• 78 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care Facility in Werribee;
• 77 cases have been linked to Aurrum Aged Care in Plenty;
• 11 cases linked to Glenlyn Aged Care Facility in Glenroy are currently under investigation.
