473 new Covid cases; vaccine blitz in construction industry
A leading epidemiologist says if Victoria’s daily Covid cases surpass this number it could risk overrunning the state’s health system.
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Tradies will be given priority access to Covid vaccines over the next fortnight, with operating hours extended and walk-ins open at major jab hubs.
Around 20,000 further priority Pfizer appointments will made available to construction workers statewide.
Over the next fortnight, the Ford Campbellfield site, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Wyndham Eagle Stadium, and the former Bunnings in Melton will open for walk-ups for construction workers from 8am until 11am.
AstraZeneca walk-ups will also be available for construction workers at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre each afternoon from 3pm.
Expanded hours for walk-ups will also begin at the Ford Campbellfield and Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital vaccine clinics between 5pm and 8pm.
The Wyndham and Melton sites will open for walk-ups between 5pm and 6pm on Thursdays and Fridays.
Priority bookings can be made on the coronavirus hotline at 1800 675 398.
The announcement came after Premier Daniel Andrews announced 100 vaccine priority postcodes across the state, with pop-ups centres to be set up in a bid to accelerate jab rates.
Health authorities are targeting the construction industry after an alarming number of cases linked to the sector.
Covid testing boss Jeroen Weimar on Monday called out tearooms as the “most dangerous place” to spread the virus.
Mr Weimar said transmission had occurred in tearooms in both the V/Line rail network and construction industry.
“It’s probably where we drop our guards and physically drop masks to eat and drink and where we see people in the workplace,” he said.
“Tearooms for many of us at work are the most dangerous of everything you do in that environment and I’d ask that you minimise your time there.”
A four-week blitz is also being launched to ensure the industry complies with coronavirus rules.
Authorities are concerned some sites aren’t following Covid-safe protocols, leading to a massive virus spread within the industry.
Treasurer Tim Pallas put the industry on notice, saying it was in a precarious position.
“What we’re seeing is that the average construction worker, the outbreak case, lives basically about 20km away from the original outbreak site, compared to what we’re seeing with the average 4km for outbreaks connected, for example, to supermarkets,” he said.
“The majority of the construction industry is doing the right thing. But, we all know and we’ve all talked to people who have expressed concerns about examples they’ve come across in this industry where the right thing is not being done.”
It comes as Victoria announced 473 new Covid cases on Monday, with just 202 of those linked to existing outbreaks, bringing the total number of active cases across the state to 3507.
It’s the biggest daily increase since Victoria’s worst day on August 5 last year, when 725 cases were announced.
Health Minister Martin Foley revealed a dire Covid-19 statistic for young Victorians, saying 87 per cent of the state’s active cases were under the age of 50, including 585 people aged 19 or younger.
“This continues to be a pandemic of the young and the unvaccinated,” he said.
More than 30,000 Victorians received a Covid vaccine on Sunday.
The state is poised to hit a vaccine milestone, with 66.2 per cent of eligible Victorians receiving their first dose as of Sunday. The state needs to deliver just 22,797 more doses to hit 70 per cent.
Currently, 40.8 per cent of eligible Victorians have received two doses of the jab.
WHERE LATEST CASES WERE FOUND
Of the 474 infections announced on Monday:
• 338 cases were in Melbourne’s northern suburbs including Craigieburn, Roxburgh Park Meadow Heights, Broadmeadows and Glenroy;
• 97 cases in the western suburbs including in Truganina, Altona North, and Tarneit;
• 23 cases in the southeastern suburbs including Casey, Cardinia, Dandenong, Berwick and Clayton;
• Nine cases in the eastern suburbs including Doncaster East and Ferntree Gully; and
• Six cases in regional Victoria, with three in Mildura, and three in Geelong.
VIC CAN HANDLE 2000 CASES A DAY
One of Australia’s leading epidemiologists believes Victoria could “tolerate” 2000 coronavirus cases a day, but has warned the state faces an uphill battle to flatten the curve in the weeks ahead.
University of Melbourne epidemiologist Tony Blakely said the state’s health system can handle that amount of daily infections, as there should be sufficient vaccination coverage in the community when Victoria’s case numbers reach that figure.
“If you look at New South Wales they are starting to struggle (with their daily case numbers), but we should be able to cope by the time we get to 2000 as we will have more people who are vaccinated,” Professor Blakely said.
“I’d be very nervous to commit to a (figure that is safe) above 2000.”
Professor Blakely called on the state government to have an honest conversation with the public if they intend to ease restrictions in the months ahead.
“The policy settings need to be honest and transparent,” he said.
“If we are going to be opening up, we need to know what that is going to do, this needs to be communicated to the public.”
He said Victoria must be extremely cautious when it eases restrictions – and said the current policy settings should remain in place if the state “can’t turn the curve around” by October.
“I’m really concerned about where we are going with Victoria,” he said.
“We are fighting for dear life to keep the numbers down.”
He called for greater investment in building ventilation and rapid testing, and for high-quality free masks to be distributed in Covid-ravaged areas to contain future outbreaks.
JEWISH LEADERS WANT EXEMPTION
Melbourne’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community has requested an exemption to gather on their holiest day of the year.
Nine Melbourne-based Rabbis and seven medical providers have called on Premier Daniel Andrews to allow them to observe Yom Kippur in person.
It comes after several members of an ultra-Orthodox group were this month fined $5452 each for breaching lockdown rules to hold religious meetings at a Ripponlea synagogue.
Yom Kippur — which begins at sunset on Wednesday — is described as the “holiest day on the Jewish calendar”.
Read the full story here.
DOG GROOMERS GIVEN GREEN LIGHT TO OPERATE
Mobile pet groomers have been given the green light to operate after the health department did a U-turn on its ban.
It comes after animal rights advocates and vets launched calls to overturn the ban, fearing it would lead to an animal welfare crisis.
While vet clinics were permitted to provide grooming services, veterinarians have said it was an added burden they couldn’t manage.
Greencross Chief Vet Dr Magdoline Awad said grooming prevented skin irritations and painful matting which can cut off air flow in dog hair and often leads to more serious issues.
“Many people think grooming is done just for aesthetic reasons, but it’s really something that needs to be undertaken for many animals to reduce pain and prevent serious health conditions,” Dr Awar said.
“When there’s no end to (lockdown) and there’s a huge backlog, it’s so important that animals are seen urgently.”
Dog groomer Penella Etyngold said the demand for her service was at an all-time high.
“Any business can run click and collect but you can’t drop your dog off at the door,” she said.
“I really think the government has no idea about animal welfare. They think (grooming) is something that can be done at home.
“We don’t want to do fluffy, beautiful coats, we want to do buzz cuts, especially as the season is changing.”
Pet grooming mobile services that can be undertaken in a contactless manner, and that operate outdoors where physical distancing can be maintained at all times are able to operate.
BIZZARE RULE CLOSES SOUP KITCHEN FOR HOMELESS
A community group is outraged after police ordered it to dismantle its soup kitchen during lockdown and fined one man for not having a worker’s permit.
The Herald Sun believes the Community Union Defence League was told its soup kitchen outside the State Library breached council by-laws on furniture.
Community Union Defence League supervisor Lachlan McCracken said police and council workers told them to remove their tables and marquees outside the State Library on the past two Sundays.
“We serve usually 200 people,” he said.
“We’re there because the community wants us to be.
“We kept running and took down our furniture.”
He said police still didn’t leave them alone and walked past to make sure they didn’t replace their marquee once it started raining.
A video, posted on social media by the CUDL, shows police warning an organiser they were “uncooperative” and need to take down their set-up.
The communist volunteer group’s national representative Joseph Wannous said the policing of soup kitchens was an “unfortunate” but “recurring issue” across the country.
He said they didn’t have a permit from council on principle and because they couldn’t afford the public liability insurance.
“We barely have enough money to buy containers, cups and coffee,” he said.
A City of Melbourne spokeswoman said organisations need to obtain “appropriate permits” to set up infrastructure in public spaces “for community safety”.
“We continue to work closely with community organisations who provide important support to our city’s most vulnerable,” she said.
“It is vitally important that any organisation operating within the municipality does so in line with Activities Local Law 2019.
“We recognise the role that organisations like the Community Union Defence League play in our municipality, and we will continue to work with them to ensure they can deliver their services to the community safely.”
A police spokeswoman said “patrolling police came across a group of people gathered at several marquees in Melbourne’s CBD at 5pm on 5 September”.
“It was determined the group did not have a current council permit and they were asked to remove the marquees, which they eventually did.
“One man was fined for not having a work permit under the current CHO directions.”
They did not comment on any interaction between police and the group on Sunday, September 12.
WEEK’S WAIT FOR LOCKDOWN ROAD MAP
Premier Daniel Andrews has promised to detail a reopening plan for Victorians within days.
Amid growing calls for more hope and certainty for Victorian businesses, families and schoolchildren before term 4, Mr Andrews said on Sunday he would release a comprehensive plan “in about a week’s time”.
“That will give people a sense of schools, hospitality, where they can go, who they can visit, all of those things,” he said.
The state government will this week receive more Burnet Institute modelling on the effect of easing restrictions as vaccination targets are hit.
The Premier has previously suggested a very minor easing of Melbourne’s lockdown, including an extension of the 5km travel limit to 10km, when the state hits a 70 per cent single dose vaccination rate – projected to be September 17.
On Sunday, he said that any “road map in that race to 80 per cent” would include caveats based on the number of active cases and people in hospital.
He also said it would include better ventilation at schools and staggered entry times for students, but refused to commit to a term 4 date when students would return to the classroom. It comes as Opposition Leader Matthew Guy called for the government to consider “social interaction bubbles”, allowing small gatherings between families, in time for the AFL grand final on September 25.
“The government has got a couple of weeks now to prepare for it,” he said.
“I hope they do because Victorian families deserve it. They have earnt that.”
FITZROY NORTH SCHOOL UNDER FIRE
A private primary school that was operating with around 60 kids during lockdown and has since been the source for a 31-case cluster is set to be investigated by the health department.
The Herald Sun understands Fitzroy Community School in Fitzroy North will be issued with a please-explain and asked to justify why each student was attending face-to-face.
Health department investigators are examining concerns up to 100 people were on site on some days, with 189 close contacts already identified.
Read the full story here.
DELTA FORCES PRISON LOCKDOWN
Hundreds of prisoners have been forced into lockdown after a prisoner brought Covid-19 behind bars.
A prisoner who arrived at the Metropolitan Remand Centre on Friday has tested positive to coronavirus.
It’s the first known case to hit Victoria’s prison system since the highly infectious Delta strain entered the state.
Read the full story here.
CHILDCARES FORCED TO CLOSE
Four Melbourne childcare centres are among the new tier one coronavirus exposure sites identified overnight, forcing children, teachers and parents to isolate for 14 days.
The Little Learners Early Education & Kindergarten in South Morang is listed as an exposure site across various times on September 2, 3, and 6.
A positive coronavirus case also visited the Ilim Learning Sanctuary Glenroy on September 3, and again on September 6, 7 and 8.
Anyone who visited Yarra Childcare Centre between 7am and 5pm on September 2, 3, 6, and 7 is also required to get tested and isolate regardless of the result.
St Catherines Early Learning in Toorak is also listed as a tier one exposure site between 7am and 5pm on September 6.
VIRUS SPREADS TO REGIONS
The number of active Covid cases continued to grow on Sunday, seeping into regional Victoria and causing chaos for V/Line, with some services scrapped completely.
Victoria recorded 392 locally acquired cases, a drop from Saturday’s 450; 107 cases were linked to existing outbreaks and the number of active cases rose to 3112.
More than 48,000 tests were processed.
There are 147 Victorians in hospital, including one person who is fully vaccinated; 34 of those are in intensive care and 28 are on ventilators.
Authorities are scrambling to contain the V/Line outbreak, and four workers have tested positive since Friday.
A regional train driver worked for four days while infectious, visiting the Traralgon and Southern Cross depots.
V/Line services were brought to a halt to allow for contact tracing, with buses replacing trains where possible.
Outbreaks in the northern suburbs, home to two-thirds of Sunday’s cases, continued to be of concern.
The vast majority of new cases were in Hume with 137, as well as 49 in Moreland and 42 in Whittlesea.
About a quarter of the cases came from the western suburbs including 30 in Wyndham, 19 in Hobsons Bay and 13 in Brimbank.
Worryingly, regional Victoria reported five cases, including one in Greater Geelong, one in Mildura, two in Gippsland and one in the Macedon Ranges – linked to the V/Line cluster.
Deputy chief health officer Dan O’Brien identified the Fitzroy Community School in North Fitzroy as the most “significant emerging outbreak” involving at least 30 staff and students.
PM, TREASURER BACK GRAND FINAL VAX HUB IDEA
Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg have joined a host of footy legends in backing a special vaccination hub to give Victorians a “jab at the ’G”.
But the state and federal governments are still working on how to turn the MCG into a vaccination site that could be used on the grand final public holiday and the day of the game.
Victorian Covid response deputy secretary Naomi Bromley said the initiative – proposed by a Sunday Herald Sun campaign – would be a “lovely thing to do” and was “certainly one of the options on the table” as the state’s rollout expanded.
Daniel Andrews said there was “no shortage of ideas” to bolster the program, although the Premier warned the government did not have “unlimited resources”.
“Our priority is to take the vaccination program where the cases are,” Mr Andrews said.
The federal Treasurer told the Herald Sun: “Any opportunity to drive a faster and greater take-up of vaccines using the iconic MCG is not only welcome but would be kicking a goal for Victoria.”
“We would be pleased to assist the state government if they were to support this initiative,” Mr Frydenberg said.
— Read the full story here and sign the petition for Jabs at the ‘G here.
THE 100 PRIORITY POSTCODES TARGETED IN JAB BLITZ
Pop-up vaccination centres will be set up at schools, council buildings and places of worship across 100 priority postcodes as Victoria’s vaccination race is accelerated with a massive supply injection.
The federal government is sending an extra 417,000 Pfizer and Moderna doses to Victoria over the next three weeks in a blitz aimed at the northern and western suburbs, where case numbers are soaring amid lower vaccination rates.
— Click here to find out which suburbs will be targeted.
CLUBS APPROACHING ‘FINANCIAL CLIFF’
Clubs at the heart of regional communities are warning of thousands of job losses from density limits for their venues, with 44 per cent approaching a “financial cliff” within three months if they cannot bring more people in.
The Andrews government is being urged to rethink the current capacity limits outside Melbourne for clubs, which allow just 10 visitors indoors and 20 outdoors. Community Clubs Victoria believes a fraction of its venues plan to reopen under the rules and that the restrictions are putting them in a perilous financial position.
A survey of members showed 44 per cent would be in dire straits within the next 12 weeks unless they were allowed at least 100 patrons inside.
Chief executive Andrew Lloyd said venues with more space needed bigger capacities and a path to plan for their future.
Staff shortages are also a major concern, with 40 per cent of clubs saying they will not be able to open fully because workers have left for better job security.
Those with permanent staff may be forced into redundancies because they cannot sustain paying them for a full working week under limited numbers.
Mr Lloyd said many community clubs had bigger spaces than cafes or restaurants and could safely operate.
Warragul Social Club general manager Jenny Smith said they would open under limited numbers but this would be extremely difficult.
“Running costs are going to blow out to the extreme,” she said. “We support the community, we sponsor sporting groups and non-profit charities with the regions … Clubs are important parts of the community.
“We understand the government are trying their best but we just need to get capacities lifted.”
A government spokesman on Sunday evening said: “Like every decision we’ve made since the beginning of the pandemic, density limits in place in regional Victoria are based on public health advice.”
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