Rolling coverage: No more mystery cases; testing blitz launched
Police once again had to subdue large crowds at St Kilda beach after hundreds of people, not wearing masks or social distancing, flocked to the popular party precinct to drink and dance.
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Hundreds of people, not wearing masks or social distancing, descended on St Kilda beach watched by a heavy police presence on Sunday night.
Partygoers gathered in the popular party precinct to drink and dance after dark as the temperature soared. The crowd prompted up to 20 police, including PSOs, to swoop — forming a line to move on some of the revellers.
But no arrests were made and the crowd was relatively peaceful.
One maskless man, who asked not to be named, said “of course they’re going to gather. People haven’t seen each other in eight months”.
Bronte Wilson, who was out with friends while wearing face coverings, said although she acknowledged people wanted to enjoy their new found
freedoms “obviously it’s really important to be careful”.
“What else can you do? It’s not that hard.”
Her friend Nikko Riazi agreed saying “it’s pretty easy and it’s kind of a no-brainer to wear a mask; it’s two bits of string on a fabric.”
Two young people appeared to be argumentative towards officers on the lawn but soon moved on.
Meanwhile, Victorians walking outdoors alone will likely be the first allowed to go mask free.
Daniel Andrews said he would have “a bit more to say about masks” on Sunday — but flagged an easing of mandatory rules outdoors.
But spectators at Melbourne’s major events over summer could still be required to wear face coverings.
“I think the area we will look at first is when people are out on their own or are well away from others,” Mr Andrews said.
“It will always be a situation where you carry the mask and if for some reason you come in contact with people, you would wear that mask. I think that’s probably the first change.”
Mr Andrews said health officials had not yet decided whether spectators at Melbourne’s major events would have to wear masks.
“Obviously the public health conditions at that time — the amount of virus, the numbers — that will be the most important and only driving factor,” he said.
It comes as Victoria no longer has any active cases with an unknown source, with the number of mystery infections dropping to zero on Sunday.
For the 16th consecutive day, no new coronavirus cases or deaths were recorded, but three active cases remain.
Mr Andrews said he was unsure whether spectators at the upcoming major events such as the Boxing Day Test and Australian Open would have to wear masks.
“That hasn’t been determined yet. Obviously the public health conditions at that time — the amount of virus, the numbers — that will be the most important and only driving factor,” he said.
“How many people we can fit into the MCG, spacing, seating, cohorting … with access to a venue like that you’re talking about common areas, pinch points.
“All that planning is underway. There’ll be a number of different options, the one we choose will be the one that’s best based on what the doctors tell us, what the science tells us about how much virus is out there and the risk.”
Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien called for Victoria’s mandatory mask rules to be “not axed but relaxed”.
A testing blitz across former hot spot suburbs in Melbourne’s north and west is set to kick off on Sunday, with residents encouraged to get tested even if they don’t have symptoms.
Five testing sites have been set up across Hume and Wyndham in a bid to identify any infections in the community.
It comes as more than 8000 Victorians were tested on Saturday.
VIRUS RULES WON’T ‘FOLLOW’ VICTORIANS INTERSTATE
Mr Andrews was on Sunday quizzed about whether interstate travellers would be bound by Victoria’s restrictions, including wearing masks, while holidaying here — and even whether the tough restrictions would follow Victorians when they went across the border.
He said he would “need to speak to the chief health officer about whether he has views on whether Victorian rules follow you when you move into another state” but a government spokeswoman later clarified: “The CHO directions apply only to people when they are in Victoria.”
REGIONS SWAMPED BY MELBURNIANS
Melburnians have flocked to the regions to make the most of their new found freedom after the ‘ring of steel’ was dissolved this week.
Metro residents have booked out holiday parks and accommodation in regional hot spots including the Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas and Surf Coast, as many escaped the city for the first time in months.
Sunny conditions drew long-cooped-up families to the coastal areas in particular, with the temperatures tipped to reach 34 degrees in Geelong, 33 degrees in Melbourne and 30 degrees in Mornington.
Torquay Holiday Park owner Miguel Del Rio, who operates several parks across regional Victoria, said this weekend had been almost fully booked across multiple sites.
“As soon as people were confident that the opening of the ‘ring of steel’ was going to go ahead some people went madly booking as soon as the announcement came out,” he said.
He said metro residents looking for a holiday needed to book now or else risk missing out, with bookings already “way ahead” of past years for the Christmas period.
“We’ve been flat out taking a lot of bookings as a lot of people weren’t confident to book their Christmas breaks until now,” he said.
“We all know nearly 90 per cent of the state’s population resides in Melbourne, to only be open to 10 per cent means we have been running at a low – so it’s been a massive sugar rush.”
Social media was flooded with posts of family and friends reuniting for the first time in months, while others took advantage of the gorgeous beaches and parks now at their fingertips.
Speaking from his kayak in the waters off Cape Woolamai, Pioneer Kayaking owner Stewart Bathgate said people seemed even more keen now to spend their holidays exploring the great outdoors.
“After so many months inside … I think people are looking to not just come down and sit in a beach house, but for things to do that are active and out in the fresh air,” Mr Bathgate, who runs guided kayak tours around Phillip Island, said.
“We had a family who was excited to have their three boys outside in a kayak and the fresh air and sunshine, which is much better than being locked in a house.
“We’ve had two groups today, and tomorrow we have another two tours booked.
“It’s definitely busy this weekend compared to a normal mid-November.”
ST KILDA STREET PARTY BUSTED BY POLICE
An illegal street party in St Kilda’s Acland Street was broken up by police on Saturday night.
About 100 people were dancing in the street, not wearing masks or social distancing, before police stopped the event at 10.30pm.
According to their Facebook Page, the event was hosted by Melbourne Interactive Entertainment, with revellers partying alongside a DJ set up near the Barkly Street end of the Acland Street mall.
Read the full story here.
TOP SCHOOL INVESTIGATED FOR DEFYING ‘RING OF STEEL’
An elite private girls school is being investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services for allegedly breaking Melbourne’s ring of steel lockdown to send students to its country campus.
The state government is investigating the top private school after it sent students to its country campus in September despite a ban on rural travel.
No metropolitan schools were given permission to attend camps in country areas or access their rural campuses when Lauriston year nine students went to Howqua in the High Country on September 16.
Read the full story here.
FREEBIES TO LURE SHOPPERS BACK TO THE CITY
Scavenger hunts, colourful projections on city landmarks and $100,000 in giveaway vouchers for Queen Victoria Market are part of the Melbourne City Council’s plan to lure Christmas shoppers into the CBD.
The proposals also include an expanded busking program, a rollout of floral installations, outdoor dining spaces and more activity and events in 40 city laneways.
A Shop the City campaign will launch the festive program, featuring special offers and shop promotions.
Read the full story here.
PUSH FOR ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS ‘CATCH UPS’
Melburnians are being encouraged to have a “Christmas catch up” in the city with fellow workers in a bid to help hospitality traders.
While big office Christmas parties won’t happen due to social distancing rules, the City of Melbourne wants smaller groups of colleagues to celebrate together.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said employers had told her that many of their teams missed the daily interaction and collaboration that came from being in an office.
Read the full story here.
VICTORIA READY TO ROCK AGAIN
Festivals, exhibitions and big business events are finally set to fire up in Victoria.
Industry insiders and the State Government have tipped an announcement on restarting the multi-billion dollar events sector is imminent, after almost a year of devastating shutdown.
The Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) and event operators last week met with the State Government to map plans for reopening the nearly $13 billion business events sector, as well as festivals of all kinds.
Read the full story here.
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