Rolling coverage: Victoria records 149 COVID-19 cases, 24 new deaths
A tense-stand off has erupted at an anti-lockdown protest in Dandenong, with more than 100 people gathering in a suburban street in defiance of restrictions. And it isn’t the first time the group has staged such a protest.
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Police have threatened to use pepper spray in a tense stand-off with anti-lockdown protesters in Dandenong.
Officers clashed with a group of about 100 people who marched along Kirkham Rd about 5.20pm.
The protesters hurled abuse at police calling them “dogs” and “animals”.
During a brief showdown in the middle of the road police held up pepper spray canisters and ordered the group to move on.
A roadblock was temporarily set up at the corner of Kirkham Rd and Langley Crescent.
Members of the group said they weren’t doing anything wrong and had not organised a protest but were simply out exercising.
One man told the Herald Sun they were part of the Albanian community.
“There’s a few Serbs but we’re mostly Albanian,” he said.
“There’s no aim to this it’s just us coming out. We all like to exercise at 5 o’clock.”
The man said they were unhappy with the large police presence and the fact people were being arrested.
The Herald Sun saw several people arrested for not following move-on orders and not providing their name and IDs when asked.
The Herald Sun also saw dozens of attendees taunt police.
One man was seen saying: “You f***ing dog, get a real job”.
He was then stopped by police and questioned on the spot.
One young man not wearing a mask was detained by police at the front of his house and got aggressive at officers, arguing that he had done nothing wrong.
“I was literally checking the letterbox and going back inside,” the man said.
“I was laughing at you lot running. I’m angry I can’t leave my house mate, I’ve got nothing.”
When police let him go and walked off he hurled insults at them shouting: “I’m gonna sue you dogs”.
Another man explained they had been walking in a large group for protection.
“We fear that the police might arrest us at any time so we feel that we’re safer if we come in a group,” he said.
“We all keep our distance, we’re all wearing our masks.”
Almost all people walking the street were seen wearing masks.
Wednesday’s event followed similar meet-ups on Monday and Tuesday, which resulted in multiple arrests and fines.
Victoria Police said it was aware of “a recurring protest which is scheduled to take place at the George Andrews Reserve in Dandenong each afternoon”.
During Monday’s meet-up, 11 people were issued $1,652 fines for breach of Chief Health Officer directions.
- Josh Fagan and Suzan Delibasic
HIGH RISK-LOCATIONS REVEALED
Seven high-risk locations for coronavirus infections in Victoria have been revealed.
Supermarkets and shopping centres dominated the list, while just one of the high-risk COVID-19 hotspots was identified outside of metropolitan Melbourne.
The locations include places where someone infected with the virus has attended.
The list, however, is “not complete”.
“The locations listed are where there is a higher risk you may have been exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19),” the Department of Health and Human Services website says.
“The information is based on advice provided to the department by people who are confirmed cases.
“Risk locations will remain on the list for 14 days from the most recent exposure.
“The locations on this list are not a current risk to the public and you can visit them in line with current restrictions.”
Authorities say anyone who visited the locations during the dates should watch for symptoms and immediately get tested if symptoms do occur.
— Shelby Garlick
MASKED SINGER OUTBREAK GROWS
The Masked Singer outbreak has extended again, with one more person testing positive on Wednesday.
The total of confirmed cases is now 17.
Initially there were seven dancers who tested positive after the production was shut down on Saturday. A further nine tested positive on Tuesday.
A total of 294 tests had been completed with less than 5 to be returned.
Host Osher Gunsberg and panellists Dave Hughes, Dannii Minogue, Jackie O and Urzila Carlson all tested negative.
Network 10 still hopes to film the finale with details to become clearer by the end of the week.
On Tuesday a Network 10 spokesperson said:
“All members of The Masked Singer production will undergo a 14-day period of self-quarantine as advised by the Department of Health and Human Services. All production crew will be adhering to this instruction.
“The health and safety of the community, and our staff and production partners remains our number one priority. Network 10 is providing all crew with all the support and assistance possible.
“We would like to thank the Victorian Government and the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services for their continued support and assistance during this time.
“We continue to work closely with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services.”
It comes as a total of 50 active cases were linked to residential disability accomodation, of which 13 cases are in residents and 37 in staff.
There are a total of 39 active cases in NDIS homes, including 13 cases in residents.
There are 11 cases in staff members in state-regulated transfer homes, and no active cases in state-funded homes.
Active aged care outbreaks with the highest cumulative case numbers are as follows:
— 211 cases linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping;
— 195 cases linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner;
— 169 cases linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee;
— 159 cases linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer;
— 138 cases linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth;
— 120 cases linked to Cumberland Manor Aged Care Facility in Sunshine North;
— 118 cases linked to Twin Parks Aged Care in Reservoir;
— 113 cases linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North;
— 111 cases linked to Japara Goonawarra Aged Care Facility in Sunbury;
— 109 cases linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg.
Key outbreaks with new cases include:
38 cases have been linked to the Vawdrey Australia in Dandenong South;
17 cases have been linked to Docklands Studios Melbourne
MORE THAN 600 STAFF AT FRANKSTON HOSPITAL IN ISOLATION
More than 600 hospital staff are currently off-work due to a COVID-19 outbreak in Melbourne’s southeast.
Peninsula Health today confirmed 618 staff have been furloughed due to an outbreak at Frankston Hospital.
This includes 44 staff members who have tested positive for the virus.
Read the full story here.
VIC RECORDS 149 CASES, 24 NEWS DEATHS
Victoria’s coronavirus daily total has spiked slightly, with 149 new cases recorded.
And tragically, 24 Victorians have died — the state’s second-highest daily death toll so far after 25 deaths on August 17.
The victims include a woman in her 60s, three men in their 70s, three women and seven men in their 80s, and six women and four men in their 90s.
Twenty-one of the latest deaths are linked to aged-care outbreaks.
In total, 462 people have died of coronavirus in Victoria.
There are 578 Victorians in hospital, including 39 in ICU and 16 on ventilators.
Another 55 mystery cases have been detected in Victoria bringing the total to 139.
Active cases across the state have decreased by 163 to 3488.
Of the active cases, 203 are in regional Victoria, 434 among healthcare workers, 1487 in aged care and 50 in disability facilities.
Aged Care settings account for more than 40 per cent of the state’s active cases.
In the past 24 hours, 13,480 Victorians have been tested for the virus, bringing the overall tally to 2,132,679.
Premier Daniel Andrews urged Victorians to keep getting tested to maintain efforts to fight the virus.
He said the average wait time for a result was now less than one day.
“The average time it takes between when you take the test and when you get your result, is now just under one day. Some of those results are being achieved much quicker than that,” he said.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton also stressed people need to continue presenting for testing even once restrictions are eased.
“It’s testament to New Zealand that having gone 102 days without a single case, that people were still presenting with cold symptoms for coronavirus testing.
“They wouldn’t have found a significant cluster if people still didn’t have it in their minds that with even mild illness they should come forward for testing. That will be a pillar we’ll continue to push right through beyond stage four.”
LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS DRIVING FINES
A woman who blamed a late-night doughnut craving for flouting lockdown rules received one of 156 fines dished out to Victorians over the past 24 hours.
The woman was pulled over at Carlton at 12.45am, after driving without headlights on, and told officers she was going to a convenience store to buy doughnuts.
Other breaches included a man found drunk in the passenger seat of a vehicle at 4am. He told police he had just come from a party at a friend’s house.
Multiple others were caught leaving homes during curfew hours in search of fast food.
In all, 156 fines were dished out for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s directions, including 22 for failing to wear a mask.
Sixteen people were fined at vehicle checkpoints while 46 were fined for curfew breaches.
There were 4474 spot checks conducted on people at homes, businesses and public places across Victoria, bringing the total number of spot checks to 329,630 statewide since March 21
— Melissa Iaria
ANDREWS DEFENDS PROPOSAL TO EXTEND STATE OF EMERGENCY
Premier Daniel Andrews is firing back at his opponents, saying he is “very hopeful” the controversial state of emergency bill will be passed in parliament despite fierce pushback from opposing politicians.
“I can report to you that we’re having very, very productive discussions with the crossbench and I’m very hopeful that we will get an outcome that allows the chief health officer to continue to do his important work, allows all of the team to continue to make decisions based on science and evidence that are proportionate to the challenges we face,” he told reporters on Wednesday morning.
On Monday, Mr Andrews announced his plan to introduce a bill to parliament to extend the state of emergency in Victoria until at least September next year in four-week increments.
The current state of emergency expires on September 13, 2020.
The move would see some harsh restrictions, such as density limits in cafes, pubs and restaurants, remain during that period.
But the proposal has been met with condemnation from Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien saying “power has gone to (Mr Andrews’) head” and the Victorian Nationals leader calling the move “draconian”.
Reason Party MP Fiona Patten also went on record saying she would not vote for the 12-month extension, instead suggesting a three- or even six-month extension might be possible.
NEW MEASURES ‘TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE’ FOR HEALTH WORKERS
It comes as Australia’s peak medical body says new measures to keep healthcare workers safe are “too little, too late”, as it is revealed most who caught COVID-19 in Victoria’s second wave were infected on the job.
Data released on Tuesday revealed that 69 per cent of healthcare workers infected in the second wave caught the deadly virus at work, primarily while in wards, in common areas such as the tea room and while putting on or taking off personal protective gear.
Just 22 per cent of COVID-positive healthcare workers contracted the coronavirus at work during the first wave.
The much-anticipated data was released after the government earlier claimed that just 10 to 15 per cent of healthcare workers caught the virus at work.
The Australian Medical Association said the state government was “not taking this issue seriously”, slamming the decision to trial “fit testing” to ensure N95 masks are tightly sealed to the face — at just one hospital.
“This trial is unnecessary – fit testing is a requirement for all people who wear N95s, whether they work in hospitals, aged care homes, or disability services,” AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid said.
“The Victorian Government is still not taking this issue seriously, despite more than 2,500 infections. Will it take the deaths of healthcare workers to convince them?”
The results have prompted higher quality N95 masks to be handed out in some hospitals settings and for coronavirus patients not to be kept in groups on the wards.
The state has deployed “spotters” to check that workers putting on PPE in health work settings.
A taskforce will also study potential “hot spots” to track whether airborne particles are landing on surfaces and spreading the virus.
More than 2700 Victorian healthcare workers have been infected since the pandemic struck with 475 still fighting the virus.
Chief Medical Officer Andrew Wilson said nurses and aged care workers were the most common victims, with the overwhelming majority young women who worked close to sick patients.
“Aged care and disability have also been included in this data and the majority, more than half – were in aged care settings and nurses working in aged care settings,” Prof Wilson said.
Victorian Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said the figures were “alarming” and called for ongoing analysis.
“It shows that it’s critical that we keep expanding the data, particularly when it comes to transmission,” she said.
Victoria on Tuesday recorded 148 new cases and eight deaths, taking the state’s death toll to 438.
The latest deaths included two men aged in their 70s, four women and one man aged in their 80s and one woman aged in her 90s.
Active cases continue to drop – from 3731 on Monday to 3651 – with just 251 in regional areas.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said Victoria was seeing a “stabilising” in infection figures and predicted case numbers would continue coming down.
“We are seeing that slow decline, I do hope we get under 100 by next week and even lower the week after,” he said.
Key outbreaks with new cases included the Australian Lamb Company in Colac where there are 84 cases and the Peninsula Health with 58.
WORKSAFE PROBING DHHS, SECURITY COMPANIES
The Department of Health and Human Services and security companies are among the workplaces under investigation by WorkSafe, it has been revealed. It comes as more than 1000 people fight their COVID-19 fines — a rate of review “slightly” higher than normal.
Read the full story here.
FALLS FESTIVAL CANCELLED
The Falls Festival has cancelled its 2020/21 event at Lorne.
Falls promoters said in a statement on Wednesday: “Falls Festival will no longer be taking place this year.
“In May, as the nation seemed to be moving into recovery mode, we were optimistic about forging ahead and supporting our local industry with an all-Aussie edition of Falls Festival.
“We were especially excited to reunite many live music fans, get industry crew back on the job and contribute to the economies of the communities where Falls takes place.
“However, given the current status of things and border restrictions in place, it won’t be possible to hold Falls Festival in our regular New Year’s timeframe.
“As we work with government stakeholders and key agencies to get Falls Festival back in the calendar, as always your safety is our priority. Consider this a raincheck and please know we will be back with more information as it comes to hand.”
It comes after promoters in May said they planned to push ahead with an all-Australian line-up.
“We have decided to move forward with optimism, and work towards presenting our Dec 2020/Jan 2021 event in a way that will best bolster Australia’s live music industry,” falls co-producers Jess Ducrou and Paul Pittico said at the time.
In January, promoters were forced to cancel the Lorne festival one day into the event due to bushfire danger.
— Nui Te Koha
COVID-19 FINES CHALLENGED BY HUNDREDS OF VICTORIANS
More than 1000 people are fighting their COVID-19 fines, with Attorney-General Jill Hennessy admitting the rate of review was “slightly” higher than normal. MPs are set to be grilled again over Victoria’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full story here.
FORMER F1 BOSS, USAIN BOLT TEST POSITIVE
Former Renault F1 team boss Flavio Briatore is the latest celebrity to be infected with COVID-19.
The 70-year-old was taken to hospital in Milan on Monday, according to reports in Italy.
Multiple outlets in Italy report Briatore’s condition is serious.
Meanwhile, Usain Bolt has tested positive for the coronavirus and is self-isolating, days after partying mask-free with friends and sports stars at a wild party for this 34th birthday in Jamaica.
Jamaica’s health ministry has confirmed that Bolt, the greatest sprinter of all time, has tested positive for the virus.
Bolt was filmed partying with guests including Manchester City star Raheem Sterling at his birthday on Friday last week.
The footage showed guests singing, dancing and standing close together in a blatant breach of social distancing guidelines.
Read the full story here.
COVID FORCES LAUNDRY SHUT AGAIN
Spotless laundry in Dandenong has closed for the second time in a month after a worker contracted coronavirus.
The facility specialises in cleaning linen, including from hospital beds.
Four workers had previously tested positive to COVID-19 in late July, prompting some staff to walk off the job over safety concerns.
Spotless took the employees’ union to the Fair Work Commission to try to get staff to keep working however that legal stoush was abandoned when the Department of Health and Human Services ordered the site to close for two weeks from July 30.
The latest infection was a staff member who worked at the site on Sunday August 23.
A Spotless spokeswoman said that worker had showed no symptoms on the day.
She said as a precautionary measure the facility had undergone an extensive deep clean prior to Tuesday’s afternoon shift.
“We have followed all DHHS requirements,” the spokeswoman said.
United Workers Union executive director Godfrey Moase said they were investigating how the latest case had occurred.
“While we acknowledge that there has been a significant improvement in COVID-19 control protocols since the first positive case, we are actively investigating the particulars of the present case,” he said on Tuesday night.
Mr Moase said too many workers on site were in insecure work arrangements.
“Until more are converted to permanent work, there will always be a risk of transmission,” he said.
The Department of Health and Human Services has been contacted for comment.
— Josh Fagan
KIDS MISSING GETTING JABS DUE TO COVID FEARS
Kids are missing out on important immunisations because parents fear they could catch coronavirus if they go to a hospital or GP.
The Royal Children’s Hospital has seen a drop in the number of children coming in for routine vaccinations, with almost two-thirds of families delaying or cancelling their appointment.
This includes potentially lifesaving jabs for measles and whooping cough.
The trend matches new findings from a national survey, released by the hospital on Wednesday, which found one in five children under five had their vaccinations pushed-back during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most parents said they had cancelled or postponed the immunisations because of fears they could catch coronavirus. And younger or female parents were more likely to hold off until a later time.
About a quarter — or 28 per cent — said they had too much else to worry about, with the everyday stresses of the pandemic impacting their choice.
In response, the hospital this week opened a new drive-through vaccination station where children can get their jab from the comfort of a car.
The service is available to all members of the public and for all vaccinations, and aims to make families feel safe while still receiving the care they need.
Sonja Elia, a nurse practitioner and Manager of Immunisations at the RCH, said it was so important to keep kids healthy and vaccinated.
“Getting vaccinations on time means that your child is protected,” Ms Elia said.
“What’s concerning is that I think people have this feeling that because we’re not going out that it’s not as important.
“But we know that once restrictions are lifted, we’re going to see a re-emergence of other viruses.
“And that really worries me. The more options you have for families, it does reassure them and it helps address those anxieties.”
Ms Elia said with many vaccinations offered through programs at school, and with the learning year disrupted in Victoria, children were missing out on essential and repeat doses.
She urged all parents to keep or book appointments when needed, and reassured families clinics and hospitals were safe places to attend.
Other reasons parents gave for delaying immunisations included not having enough money to pay for the cost of a GP visit and being less concerned about their child needing the vaccination while they were being kept at home.
The survey also found parents born overseas were less likely to delay their child’s vaccination, compared with those born in Australia.
The data was collected in June as part of the RCH’s National Child Health Poll which surveyed parents from across Australia.
The drive-through clinic is open for bookings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9am to 1pm.
For more information, go to rch.org.au
– Alanah Frost
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