11 new local cases; vaccine rollout expanded to young Victorians
A St Albans women and children’s hospital has been identified as a coronavirus exposure site after a positive case visited the building.
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A St Albans women and children’s hospital has been identified as a coronavirus exposure site after a positive case visited the building.
Anyone who visited Dorevitch Pathology inside the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital, between 9.05am-9.50am on the 6th of August has been instructed to get tested immediately and isolate for 14 days.
This also applies to anyone who visited the Maternity Assessment Centre between 8.15am and 2.45pm.
Those who visited to Café Bar, located in the main corridor of the hospital, must get tested and isolate until they have a negative result, if they visited the venue between 9.30am-9.50am on that same day.
All other visitors to the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital between 8.15-2.45pm on the 6th of August must monitor for symptoms.
YOUNG VICTORIANS RACE FOR JAB
Young Victorians have rushed to get the AstraZeneca vaccine, with some jab hubs booked out for weeks after the state’s rollout was expanded on Sunday.
As of 3.50pm Sunday, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre clinic is at capacity for the remainder of August, with no availability until September 1.
Similarly, the Melbourne Showgrounds centre has been booked out until August 24, while the Royal Exhibition Building jab hub has no availability before August 18.
The remaining suburban and regional vaccination centres still have slots available through the coming week.
Victoria’s vaccine bookings opened to young people on Sunday, with state-run clinics to offer from Monday.
It comes as 11 new Covid cases were announced in Victoria, all linked to the Hobsons Bay outbreak. But worryingly, all of those cases were infectious in the community before testing positive.
There was another strong turnout for testing on Saturday, with more than 38,000 Victorians swabbed for Covid, with Mr Andrews saying the results were “encouraging”.
“Those 11 cases, we would always prefer less rather than more, but it is encouraging that all of those cases with a high test number are all linked,” he said.
Nine Victorian venues will offer the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine to 18- to 39-year-olds, with 200,000 doses available.
Premier Daniel Andrews said appointments would be able to be booked online.
“They will have a conversation upon arrival with a doctor who will take them through the risks, all the different issues they need to consider if they then make an informed decision and provide consent, they will receive the AstraZeneca first dose and some 12 weeks later they will receive the second dose,” he said.
The expanded eligibility will apply at these Victorian vaccination centres: Royal Exhibition Building; Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre; Melbourne Showgrounds; Sandown Racecourse; Bayside Shopping Centre, Frankston; Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre, South Morang; Former Ford Factory, Geelong; Kilmore District Health; and Anderson Hall, Mansfield District Hospital.
About 10,000 Pfizer appointments will also be available next week, along with 20,000 the following week.
“Getting vaccinated is one of the reasons you can leave home,” Mr Andrews said.
The Premier said more state clinics would soon begin offering AstraZeneca to the younger cohorts.
He said authorities would be concerned if low vaccination rates in Melbourne’s north and western suburbs continued.
“Once there’s much more supply, and once it’s much more readily available, and once we have done essentially a call for everyone to come forward; if they continue to be lower than the average, we would be concerned,” Mr Andrews said.
PRINCIPAL SLAMS ‘UNCLEAR’ HEALTH MESSAGE
The principal of a high school, which has been identified as a coronavirus exposure site, has lashed out at the health department’s “unclear messaging” about isolation and testing.
Mount Alexander Secondary College in Flemington was declared a tier one exposure site after a positive case attended the school on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In a Department of Health text message, which has been obtained by the Herald Sun, parents were told they were a close contact of someone who contracted coronavirus.
They were warned they may have been exposed to the disease on the 4th of August.
“You or your child must isolate immediately and seek testing as soon as possible,” the
message said.
But in an email addressed to the college community, Principal Dani Angelico criticised the
Department of Health’s communication with parents about the positive case.
“It is with great frustration that I write to you regarding the text messaging that some of you
may have received from the Department of Health,” Ms Angelico wrote.
The principal said the message was not clear that the entire household, and not just the child
and parent who received the message, were required to self-isolate.
“I have been on the phone to an area manager [and] he has confirmed that the whole
household needs to be tested and isolate for 14 days,” she said.
The principal’s email also implied that the department of health did not provide accurate
information about the exposure periods at the school.
The Department of Health said accurate information was provided to parents at the school.
“(We have) worked closely with the school leadership and community to provide as much information as possible, including text messages, emails to families and a series of online zoom forums open to the school community,” a spokesperson said.
FOUR STUDENTS AMONG NEW CASES
Health authorities revealed further details on the latest infections, with Al-Taqwa College students making up four of the cases, while three are household contacts of a case linked to Wolf Cafe and Eatery in Altona North.
One is a teammate of the Newport Football Club footballer, while three are linked to the Central Square shopping centre in Caroline Springs, where the footballer worked as an optometrist.
Two of the shopping centre cases work at the Jolly Miller Cafe, which was previously listed as an exposure site, and one works at a real estate agency — where no known case was present — and attended a number of exposure sites in the centre.
The Premier said he was pleased the new locally acquired cases were linked but said there was still concern over two mystery cases.
“We can’t work out where they got it. It means there’s at least one other or a group of other cases out there somewhere,” Mr Andrews said.
At the Racecourse Rd housing towers in Flemington, all people living on the 17th floor have tested negative.
A further 200 residents throughout the building have also tested negative.
The state currently has 100 active cases, including two new infections detected in hotel quarantine.
Six people are in hospital, including one person in intensive care.
It promoted the Premier to make an urgent plea, reminding Victorians not to make any illegal home visits.
“Do not go visiting other people in their home or have people to your home. It is against the rules for a reason,” he said.
“Just think about the person you love the most. And then picture them on a ventilator struggling for every breath. And keep that picture in your mind whenever you think about maybe making a bad choice.”
Mr Andrews also remained tight-lipped on how long the sixth lockdown would last, telling Victorians he would provide an update later in the week.
He also warned that if additional quarantine capacity was needed, he was willing to further limit international flights.
“I will not hesitate to write to the Prime Minister and further reduce or cancel international flights, if I believe that we need those beds or staff to manage this outbreak,” Mr Andrews said.
MORE SCHOOLS CLOSE
Ilim College, which closed as a precautionary measure on Thursday due to its connection with Al-Taqwa College, confirmed to parents on Saturday evening that a student at its Kiewa Secondary Boys’ Campus in Dallas had Covid-19 and was onsite on August 3 and 4 last week.
The campus has been closed for a deep clean, with all staff and students to get tested and quarantine for 14 days.
In a message to parents, staff and students on Sunday evening, Ilim College announced it would close all of its campuses on Monday, August 9 and Tuesday, August 10.
The school has primary and secondary schools in Dallas, Doveton and Glenroy.
The school said it was not aware of any further cases and the closure was a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, another Melbourne school has been hit by Covid, with a confirmed case at Mount Alexander College in Flemington.
“I’m advised that the school has been designated a Tier 1 exposure site with all staff and students and their households required to test urgently and isolate for a full 14 days,” Essendon MP Danny Pearson said.
“The farmer’s market usually held on Sundays on school grounds has been cancelled.”
Temporary fencing has been installed to block public access points to the school after the school was plunged into quarantine.
Warning signs reading “school closed Covid quarantine” were mounted to the fencing, along with directives urging locals to stay home and get tested if they have virus symptoms.
DRIVE-THROUGH JAB HUB OPENS
Australia’s first drive-through vaccination centre opened in Melton on Sunday.
The former Bunnings Warehouse site at 149 Barries Rd is an invitation-only site for up to 60 cars on Sunday.
But the vaccine bookings will open to the general public on Monday.
“You book, you drive up, roll down your window, roll up your sleeve, get a jab, it’s that easy,” Covid Response spokeswoman Naomi Bromley said.
The site operated by Western Health will offer Pfizer shots this week, before offering AstraZeneca next week.
“They’ll come forward to a bay, essentially, and they’ll park, get their vaccination and then they’ll go through to a waiting area,” Ms Bromley said.
The drive-through will have the initial capacity to administer 10,000 vaccines a week, due to the amount of Pfizer supply it can allocate to the site.
Drivers and passengers would be screened for eligibility at the car park entrance in batches of 10 cars.
Nurses to roam the waiting area while vaccine recipients wait in their cars for the 15-minute observation period after having the vaccine.
“As we learn more about this model we’ll expect that more will be able to go through that site and hopefully we’ll have other drive-through sites in the system as well,” Ms Bromley said.
Asked if additional drive-through sites could be opened at MCG or Marvel Stadium car parks, she said: “All options are open.”
Appointments for the Melton drive-through vaccination site can be made here or the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398.
SOUTHEAST QLD FREED, CAIRNS LOCKED DOWN
South East Queensland’s lockdown will lift at 4pm after seven new cases linked to the Delta cluster, but Cairns has been plunged into a three-day lockdown after a case was infectious in the community for 10 days.
The Gold Coast has also recorded a new local case, which is currently under investigation.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that 26,286 tests had been conducted and over one million vaccines have been supplied.
“Queensland has done a mighty job,” she said. “But we’re not out of the woods yet.”
NSW has announced 262 new local cases and one death the day after its alarming record high of 319 locally acquired cases and five deaths on Saturday.
At least 50 were active in the community while infectious.
REGIONAL VIC PLEADS TO BE SET FREE
Unexpected Covid-19 wastewater detections have been found in Benalla and Healesville in the state’s east and north.
An undiagnosed active case or someone shedding the virus may be in Badger Creek, Coldstream or Healesville.
Anyone who lives, works or has visited Benalla between August 3-5 and Healesville between August 1-5 should monitor for symptoms and get tested.
Wastewater detections have been early warning signs of positive cases in Bacchus Marsh and Phillip Island.
The new detections come as mayors in regional Victoria called on the state government to consider reinstating the “ring of steel” around Melbourne or easing restrictions in their shires.
With the state’s newest active cases all currently in city suburbs, West Wimmera mayor Bruce Meyer said imposing a ring of steel had proven “difficult” in the past but he would welcome it if it meant an easing of restrictions.
“If it could be made to work it would be fantastic but it’s too easy for people to slip through,” he said.
West Wimmera is situated on the border of Victoria and South Australia, meaning the shire has borne the brunt of lockdowns in both states.
“I think the feeling right across Wimmera is we are really struggling to understand why we’ve got the same heavy restrictions when we haven’t seen any Covid here,” he said.
“I would love to see the health advice on why the regions are locked down.
“We are actually closer to Adelaide than to Melbourne … between two governments imposing restrictions it has had a massive effect on hospitality, community sport, everyone.”
East Gippsland mayor Mendy Urie said she really hoped a revived ring of steel was under consideration.
“It would be something that would ease the situation in the regions,” Ms Urie said.
When asked about reimposing a ring of steel, Premier Daniel Andrews said: “We don’t rule anything out. I do have another border I need to protect – the NSW border. Regional mayors are entitled to their views.
Wangaratta mayor Dean Rees said he would like the state government to “have a look at us and try to ease restrictions”.
“Yes, lock us down if we start getting cases but give us some leniency,” Mr Rees said.
But he admitted he did not want to see the return of the ring of steel, saying: “I kinds feel like we’re all in this together.”
But Warrnambool mayor Vicki Jellie said while small businesses and tourism operators were hurting, she understood that the lockdowns were the right thing to do. “We need to abide by the rules because we can see how the Delta strain is getting out of hand,” Ms Jellie said.
“We have to stick with it, as hard as it may be.”
The Warrnambool mayor said a renewed ring of steel could be a solution, but she was fearful it would not be policed properly.
“Has the ring of steel worked before? That’s debatable,” Ms Jellie said.
“My fear is it can’t be guaranteed. There’s the risk of one person doing the wrong thing and wrecking it for everyone.”
Wodonga resident William Bonnici said he was furious when he heard the news his community would be hit with another lockdown.
“The Premier has forgotten how far away we are from Melbourne – 300km,” Mr Bonnici said.
“He should go back to school and take a geography lesson.”
The more than 40,000 residents of Wodonga were plunged into lockdown along with Melbourne on Thursday after Covid traces were detected in wastewater in Wangaratta.
“The rationale behind locking up regional Victoria was due to this wastewater detection – which has since come back as completely incorrect – a false positive,” Mr Bonnici said.
“It certainly gets rid of any confidence people have in any decision they make.”
WIN A PRIZE FOR GETTING YOUR JAB
Victorians will be able to win daily prizes for getting a Covid-19 vaccination under a massive jab incentive scheme to be rolled out by the City of Melbourne.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp on Sunday will announce an eight-week competition in which those who get the vaccine will be rewarded with vouchers for stores, restaurants and other CBD attractions.
Every day there will be a chance to win another prize
in an effort to drum up excitement and support for the rollout.
The campaign will start on Monday, August 16, and have a prize pool valued at $100,000
Ms Capp urged Melburnians to take up the jab and said that now may be one of the most dangerous times to be unvaccinated.
“We want to thank and reward Melburnians who have already been vaccinated, and provide those who haven’t with a bit of extra motivation so the city can re-open and stay open,” she said.
“I want Melbourne to be the most vaccinated city in Australia because it is the only pathway to confidence.
“The vaccine is critical to protect ourselves and our most vulnerable from Covid-19, get back to the things we miss, see the people we love, and safely revitalise our economy.”
Up for grabs will be 10 separate $5000 “Melbourne experience” packages that highlight the best attractions of the CBD and they are to be won in a two-week radio campaign.
The packages will include vouchers for shopping at the Emporium Melbourne in Lonsdale St, accommodation and four tickets to Frozen the Musical.
The second part of the program aims to encourage Victorians to talk on social media about what they’re most looking forward to when Melbourne opens up.
People will also be encouraged to share their stories of “vaccine heroes” – people they know who talk to their GPs about their eligibility and get the vaccination if they can. Victorians who have the jab or are booked in for appointments will be able to apply.
It comes after Scott Morrison unveiled a plan that set a benchmark for 80 per cent of the population to be vaccinated to reduce to a minimum the incidence of lockdowns being implemented as the standard response to coronavirus outbreaks.
Councillor Roshena Campbell, who leads the council’s city activation portfolio, said higher rates of vaccination were vital to keep the city open.
“More people vaccinated means greater protection for our loved ones and certainty for business owners and workers,” she said.
WARNING OVER COVID SMS SCAM
Victorians are being warned of SMS scams, which are trying to dupe people into thinking they have contracted coronavirus.
The scam messages claim to be from Melbourne Pathology and states the receiver has tested positive to COVID-19.
The Department of Health said public officials do not send text messages to people who have contracted the disease.
“Public officials will call you and give you appropriate advice regarding isolation and your next steps (if you test positive for coronavirus),” the Department of Health said in a statement.
“If you receive a SMS message claiming you have tested positive, ignore it.”
The Department of Health does send text messages to people who test negative or get a “not detected” result.
— Additional reporting: Laura Placella, Kieran Rooney, Mitch Ryan, Sarah Perillo
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