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Violent scuffle at St Kilda, council threatens to close beaches as eight new cases and three deaths are recorded

Dramatic footage of a man in a violent scuffle with four police officers while resisting arrest at St Kilda has emerged, with the area’s Mayor vowing similar behaviour could lead to beaches being shut. It comes as the Premier assured Victorians patrols will be ramped up to ensure all restrictions are being followed as the temperature soars.

Man's violent scuffle with police at St Kilda beach

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Just eight new cases of COVID-19 have been detected across the state overnight.

The low has pushed the critical 14-day average forecast Melbourne to just 12.

In regional Victoria the average is now just 0.1.

Three new deaths have been recorded, all have been linked to aged care.

Thirty-four Victorians are in hospital. Four of those are in intensive care and three of those four are on a ventilator.

The state now has 241 active cases.

Of the active cases 35 are among healthcare workers, two are in regional Victoria and 94 are in aged care.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton was coy on opening up regional Victoria.

“As you allow more activity, more movement, larger gatherings of people, what you have to be sure about is that it doesn’t get seeded by a case in metro Melbourne.”

He said there was an “opportunity” that Victoria could have restrictions eased on October 19.

ST KILDA BEACH SCENE OF SCUFFLE

A man resisting arrest has been filmed involved in a violent scuffle with four police officers at St Kilda Beach.

The heated scenes broke out on the boardwalk at 6.20pm and the man was eventually dragged to the ground by police before backup officers were called.

Two officers suffered secondary exposure to OC spray while making the arrest.

The altercation brought a huge crowd over as people jeered at police and cheered and shouted.

Public order response officers arrived at 6.30pm, with man loaded into the back of a divvy van ten minutes later.

It comes as City of Port Phillip chief executive officer Peter Smith told the Herald Sun the behaviour at St Kilda beach on Saturday night risked beaches in the area being closed.

“Unfortunately, if we have large crowds of people doing the wrong thing, then we will have no choice but to close the beach or park as a last resort,” Mr Smith said.

– Josh Fagan

A man is arrested along St Kilda foreshore apparently drunk while not wearing a mask Picture: Ian Currie
A man is arrested along St Kilda foreshore apparently drunk while not wearing a mask Picture: Ian Currie
Crowds gather as the man is handcuffed by police Picture: Ian Currie
Crowds gather as the man is handcuffed by police Picture: Ian Currie

DAN SLAMS UNACCEPTABLE BEACH BEHAVIOUR

Daniel Andrews slammed beachgoers who flouted restrictions at St Kilda beach on Friday night, but said he won’t be closing down beaches.

“Some of the scenes at beaches for instance overnight are just unacceptable,” he said.

“Nobody has the right to break the rules and potentially put at risk everything that good, decent, law-abiding Victorians have built.

There was a heavy police presence at St Kilda beach on Saturday.

Police patrolled the beach by foot while horse-mounted and tactical response units established a base at Luna Park.

Public Service Officers patrol St Kilda beach.
Public Service Officers patrol St Kilda beach.
Crowds have avoided the beach today.
Crowds have avoided the beach today.
Daniel Andrews warned patrolling would be stepped up.
Daniel Andrews warned patrolling would be stepped up.

Melburnians enjoying the sunshine flocked to the iconic foreshore sun baking and picnicking in groups.

Many revellers made use of the painted rings installed to encourage social distancing.

Mr Andews said “substantial additional police presence” will be on Melbourne’s beaches as temperatures soar.

Mr Andrews confirmed he had spoken with Chief Commissioner Shane Patton ahead of a sunny weekend, which was likely to tempt out cooped-up Melburnians.

“Victoria Police are out there today and they will be out there throughout the weekend to make sure that people are doing the right thing.

“They have steely determination to make sure the people are following the rules.”

“Not just for themselves but for every single Victorian. We all have a part to play.

“Those scenes were very disappointing.

“It has made a lot of people very angry, I think, that they are doing the right thing, they are because, they can see just how close we are.

Mr Andrews warned that defying restrictions could even endanger Victorians a COVID-normal summer with future beach days, but stopped short on saying he will close beaches.

A woman lays on the grass at St Kilda beach.
A woman lays on the grass at St Kilda beach.
A crowded St Kilda foreshore on Friday afternoon. Picture: David Geraghty
A crowded St Kilda foreshore on Friday afternoon. Picture: David Geraghty

“Spending time at the beach without a mask, without social distancing now will just mean that you won’t get to go to the beach for all of summer,” he said.

“It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton backed up the Premier’s comments and said he was also “very angry”.

“It is a bit of an insult to everyone who has done it tough for months and months and months across the state for some people to be putting all our gains at risk.”

Professor Sutton responded to a video online last night which showed a large group of people at the foreshore, none of them social distancing and many not wearing masks.

“Don’t risk everything. What we can hold back now means a truly normal summer. Please – Hold. The. Line.” Prof Sutton tweeted.

The large crowds on Friday night. Picture: Tony Gough
The large crowds on Friday night. Picture: Tony Gough

In the footage, a crowd of people swarmed around Channel 7 reporter Paul Dowsley who was doing a live cross while wearing a mask.

One reveller who was not wearing a mask, kissed Mr Dowsley on the head.

Federal member for Macnamara Josh Burns used Twitter to send a message to people gathering at St Kilda beach in his electorate.

“For every business that’s doing it tough in St Kilda, for every family who hasn’t seen a loved one in months – go home. Ignoring health advice doesn’t make you tough, it makes you selfish,” he wrote on social media.

With the temperature is set to reach 28 degrees on Saturday, authorities are expected to be out-and-about ensuring COVID-19 rules are enforced.

A live cross on 7 NEWS captured the chaotic scenes
A live cross on 7 NEWS captured the chaotic scenes

At 8pm on Friday, hundreds of people were still partying at the foreshore in the warm weather.

With strict restrictions still in force in Melbourne, police patrolled the area with torches, warning people to keep their masks on.

Officers told groups larger than five to split up or warned they faced fines of $5000.

Two young women were quizzed by police and when they admitted they did not live within 5km they were told if they leave right away they would not be fined. They then walked off.

Under the current restrictions, people are allowed outside for a maximum of two hours in groups of no more than five people from two households.

On Monday, Melbourne’s curfew was lifted, so it is no longer illegal to be outside after 9pm.

The crowd of mostly young people were gathered inside the spray-painted circles on the grass.

There was a festival-like atmosphere with people dancing and listening to music.

Others were playing soccer or having picnic dinners.

Bins were overflowing and boxes full of beer and ready to drink bottles were left piled beside them.

Reporter Paul Dowsley was kissed by a maskless beachgoer in a shocking breach of COVID rules.
Reporter Paul Dowsley was kissed by a maskless beachgoer in a shocking breach of COVID rules.

Jeannie Middleton, 41, who was out with daughter Jayde and friend Taylor Jensen on the St Kilda foreshore on Saturday, said the concern about beachgoers behaviour was unfair.

“I think it’s getting a bit ridiculous when it gets in the way of people’s freedom to enjoy the fresh air,” she said.

She said though revellers’ behaviour on Friday was “a bit silly”, she believed it was understandable that cooped-up locals would want to go to the beach on a hot day.

“The reaction has been a bit over the top,” she said.

“Going to the beach should be allowed, with everything going on it makes restriciotns a bit easier.”

Daughter Jayde said it was just a case of people needing to enjoy the outdoors after a long hard lockdown.

“It was just the first-time people have done something for themselves for so long,” she said.

“Get over it.”

7 News reporter surrounded by hundreds of Melburnian beachgoers (7 News)

Married At First Sight star Steve Burley was among the many St Kilda locals to head down to the beach on Saturday to enjoy the sun.

He said he was down at the beach on Friday as well and was overall impressed by beach goers willingness to abide by restrictions, despite the high numbers of revellers.

“It was a sunny day and people just want to go down to the beach and relax,” he said.

“It was super busy, and with some people not wearing masks and not following the restrictions it’s not appropriate at this time.”

The reality TV personality said he understood the frustrations but ultimately backed the Premier’s response to the antics of beachgoers.

“At the end of the day we are so close and I just want to be over it, I just want to get back to work and open up my business,” he said.

“I can see where people are coming from, but not so long ago we were getting 700 cases a day.

“At the moment people need to see social distancing is key.”

Father of two Sander, who did not want his surname published, was on the foreshore with his partner and kids said the irresponsible behaviour of some beachgoers was “selfish”.

“It’s all young people and it is selfish,” he said.

“It’s understandable when the restrictions are on for months especially for young people, but I get you want to go out when it’s good weather, if I was that age I would have done the same.”

Sun-baker Daniel Vlant said he wasn’t at the beach on Friday but believed the problem wasn’t as significant as it was made out to be.

“Victorians seem like they want to go out and they’re over it,” he said.

“There’s six and a half million people in Victoria and when a few people are doing the wrong thing, it’s made to sound like a lot more are doing the wrong thing.”

“I think it’s a sign that everyone is frustrated.”

St Kilda resident Guilia Rebecchi, originally from Italy said she was also on the beach on Friday.

“I was here yesterday and it was busier than today but I don’t think it’s as big of a deal,” she said.

“I saw people respecting the rules as well and I think the media has blown it out of precaution a little bit.”

“There was one group of people not in the right place but mostly people did the right thing.”

“In Italy in summer it was way worse than here and compared to yesterday everything is more much under control now.”

– Josh Fagan and Rhiannon Down

SUTTON PRAISES TESTING IN ROCHESTER

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said that Melbourne could replicate asymptomatic testing like Rochester in regional Victoria, but said that sewerage catchment had proven to be a faster way of confirming areas were COVID-free.

Prof Sutton said asymptomatic testing was a “reasonable thing that we can do now” however, “it’s a low-value intervention for people without symptoms.”

“We’ve got sewerage testing in lots and lots of places in regional Victoria," he said.

“That’s a good way to capture a population of 10,000 – test them all-in-one catchment.

‘If it shows up positive, that could be the prompt, like it has been in Anglesea, to say that there could be someone in your community and now is the time to get tested.”

X-RATED REASON FOR MASSIVE VIRUS FINE

Two men from regional Victoria have been fined for travelling into Melbourne to attend a strip club – only to realise they had gone into a stage 4 lockdown area where none were open anyway.

They were among the 82 fines issued in the last 24 hours for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s directions.

Thirteen people were fined for failing to wear a face mask when leaving home and 11 were issued at vehicle checkpoints.

The men, from regional Victoria, were fined at a vehicle checkpoint in the Macedon Ranges for entering a Stage 4 restricted area.

They claimed they had wanted to “attend a strip club” but arrived in Melbourne to find no such premises were open.

Another Melton woman, who was checked on a train between Sunshine and Southern Cross Station, was fined for having no lawful reason for travelling 5km from home.

She told police she was going into the city to buy organic food.

— Blake Antrobus

SUTTON REMINDS VICTORIANS OF RULES AS HOT WEATHER SETS IN

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has asked Victorians to practice social distancing even when outdoors enjoying the sunshine.

“I was concerned as the premier is about the fact that people stopped wearing masks, didn’t keep physical distancing,” he said.

“Yes you can be with your household of whatever size you can be with four other people from up to two households.

“They are rules that apply to keep all of us safe and to continue this trend down to extremely low numbers.”

He said it was disappointing to see a few Victorians risking the state’s low case numbers in a moment of “effervescence” when “we’re certainly very close” to ending the second wave.

“It is a bit of an insult to everyone who has done it tough for months and months and months across the state for some people to be putting all our gains at risk.

“It is due to the fantastic sacrifices of everyone that we are at the point at which we are at.”

MELBOURNE RESTAURATEURS DEMAND ANSWERS

Melbourne restaurateurs are calling on Premier Daniel Andrews to step up to the plate and give them a definite date to reopen.

After being locked down for so long, the hospitality industry needed at least a week’s notice to open safely and successfully, Toorak restaurant owner Thierry Cornevin said.

Not only did food supplies need to be ordered in advance and bookings taken, but restaurants had to be made COVID-safe and staff trained in safety measures, he said.

“To be properly organised for a restaurant of our size, it’s a minimum of six working days, more like seven — even that is cutting it fine,” said Mr Thierry, who runs well-known French restaurant Bistro Thierry.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra said the business group was lobbying the state government to provide fair notice to Melbourne hospitality venues about when they could reopen, because they deserved certainty.

“The government has told us the next step, the third step, is scheduled to come into place on October 19, subject to trigger points and public health advice,” Mr Guerra said. “(But) less than a day’s notice of the confirmation the next step is coming into effect — as we had this week when we went into the second step — is not good enough.

Restaurateur Thierry Cornevin of Bistro Thierry in Hawksburn wants a definite reopening date Picture: David Crosling
Restaurateur Thierry Cornevin of Bistro Thierry in Hawksburn wants a definite reopening date Picture: David Crosling

“Victorian businesses need more time to plan for their reopening and we want the government to provide greater certainty as soon as possible that next step is actually going to happen. Our restaurants, cafes, pubs and shops need to roster staff and order stock, and that takes more than just a few hours.”

While venues were tentatively working towards an October 19 reopening date, most were reluctant to take bookings because they could not be confident bans would be lifted on that day, Mr Guerra said.

It was not only restaurant owners, but patrons, who wanted to know when venues would open and they could dine out again, after being confined to their homes.

“Victorians are really looking forward to sharing a meal in a dine-in setting with their family and friends, and wanting to plan when they can finally make that a reality,” Mr Guerra said.

Melbourne’s retail sector also needed certainty about when it could reopen, so stock could be ordered and supply chains prepared for Christmas trading, he said.

“Victorians have embraced online trade but most of us want to see what we are buying when making expensive purchases, which we typically do at Christmas time,” Mr Guerra said.

“Most of us are holding off on making those big purchases until we get back to the shops again

“Shopping locally has never been more important; we must support our Victorian retailers and avoid sending our cash overseas.”

NEW PUSH TO SUPPORT BATTLING SMALL BUSINESSES

Battling small businesses should get a $6000 digital support package in the budget to help their post-pandemic recovery, the National Retail Association has said.

To reflect the big shift to digital purchasing, the group wants a boost to e-commerce aid to help industries which lack a strong online presence.

NRA chief Dominique Lamb said the pandemic had accelerated the shift online.

Dean Elabbas, Director of 24 Hour Melbourne Plumbers, said his business had thrived since going online. Picture: Alex Coppel.
Dean Elabbas, Director of 24 Hour Melbourne Plumbers, said his business had thrived since going online. Picture: Alex Coppel.

“The NRA would like to see governments at all levels invest in digital upskilling for small businesses,” Ms Lamb said. “Straightforward measures to achieve this include interest-free loans, tax write-offs or training funding.”

Sagar Sethi of digital agency Xugar said even a $6000 loan would help businesses establish an e-commerce platform, allowing them to repay the money when revenue picked up.

“It’s better to support small business and the jobs they provide upstream, rather than allowing those businesses to fail and seeing them join the ranks of the unemployed,” Mr Sethi said.

Plumber Dean Elabbas, director of 24 Hour Melbourne Plumbers, said his business had thrived since going online. In five years he has gone from one employee to six staff.

“Having a strong online presence has made all the difference,” he said, adding revenue had jumped from $200,000 to $1m in the past four years.

Mr Elabbas said he would depend on his online platform to recover after COVID-19.

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/coronavirus/melbournes-restaurateurs-say-they-desperately-need-a-confirmed-reopening-date/news-story/ace7f0dc79fc63c09bf44e8b92e85394