McDonald’s Fawkner cluster worsens as third worker tests positive
Six cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed as part of a cluster emerging from a McDonald’s restaurant in the city’s north. It comes as Melbourne’s restrictions ease and golfers return to the greens in droves.
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There are now six confirmed cases of Covid-19 linked to a cluster at a McDonald’s restaurant in Melbourne’s northeast, with three more cases linked to the outbreak.
The Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed three coronavirus cases with previously unknown origins have been connected to the restaurant in Fawkner.
McDonald’s has closed the site for two weeks as a precaution and undertaken a deep clean since the outbreak was identified.
Authorities are now carrying out contact tracing with those infected while 92 staff members have been quarantined and tested.
The results of other tests are still to come, with one worker attending a shift on May 8 before being diagnosed.
All staff have been asked to quarantine for 14 days as a precaution.
“Today’s increase in cases illustrates once again that while we have been flattening the curve, our battle against COVID-19 is far from over,” Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said.
“While it is encouraging that we can begin a cautious path to normalcy, this is not an invitation to indulge in potential risky behaviors.
“We must maintain physical distancing and act in a commonsense way to ensure we don’t create a second wave of this terrible disease, as we have seen in other countries once they have relaxed their stringent regulations.”
It comes as seven new coronavirus cases were confirmed overnight.
The state’s total number of COVID-19 cases sits at 1514.
No new cases have been linked to the Cedar Meats cluster, however three cases previously under investigation have now been tied to the abattoir outbreak, bringing the total of cases to 88.
No workers are among the new cases, only close contacts.
Meanwhile, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has tested negative to coronavirus after a coughing fit in parliament.
He received the news early this morning after self-isolating last night.
“Yesterday I was tested for COVID-19 out of an abundance of caution on the advice of the Deputy Chief Medical Officer,” he wrote on Twitter.
“This morning I received the result of the test which was negative.”
PUNTERS FLOCK TO GOLF COURSES
Golfers have returned to the green in force after lockdown restrictions were lifted overnight.
Ange Pane and his three mates were the second to tee off at Yarra Bend Golf Course this morning.
It was a momentous return to the sport, with Mr Pane scoring a hole in one on his first hit.
“I’ve played for 35 years and it was my first hole in one,” he said.
The men belong to Sortino Golf Club and have been playing together at the course every Sunday for eight years.
The shutdown had been tough on the group, who each took the day off work to play a round.
“It’s been really hard (not playing). I couldn’t count down the days quicker,” said Mr Pane.
Yarra Bend Golf Course operations general manager Tim Bunn said the phone has been ringing off the hook since the state government lifted the ban on golf.
“We normally get 200-250 calls a day. Yesterday we got 1700 calls,” Mr Bunn said.
Linda O’Neil, Joy McNamara, Aileen Rennie and Sue Chambers were also on the green bright and early.
The members of Yarra Bend Ladies club have been itching to return.
“I have missed it,” said Ms O’Neil.
“I have been chipping plastic balls in the backyard and putting on the carpet in the house.”
VICTORIA’S ECONOMY TO SUFFER ‘SUBSTANTIAL TRAUMA’
Treasurer Tim Pallas has warned Victoria’s economy could take years to recover as tourism, major events and international education are hit by the coronavirus.
Speaking before a parliamentary inquiry into the government’s response to COVID-19, he also defended the state’s commitment to China’s Belt and Road initiative,
The country has suspended imports from at least four Australian meat works as diplomatic relations have soured over calls for an investigation into the cause of the virus.
Mr Pallas told the inquiry he was expecting to see modest economic improvement in the state
HOW VIC ICONS WILL BE SAVED FROM THE BRINK
Sporting and cultural institutions will be given a lifeline to ride out the impacts of the coronavirus, with the Andrews Government today committing $150 million in support.
The funding package will be used to shore up key parts of Victoria’s major events and tourism sector while also backing local clubs and organisations.
The state’s iconic Puffing Billy will even be given a boost with $11 million allocated for the Emerald Tourist Railway Board and other privately-owned and not-for-profit attractions.
Community sport and recreation groups, including leagues and clubs, will receive $40 million to ensure they can provide games and activities for millions of Victorians.
On top of this, $16 million will be allocated to national sporting organisations to help amateur and professional teams while $5.3 million will go to the State Sport Centres Trust and the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust.
About 3.2 million Victorians participate in organised sport, contributing $9.2 billion to the economy every year.
A further $44 million will go towards the racing industry to maintain jobs and protect its regional facilities.
Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister Martin Pakula said Victorians loved turning out for big events.
“While they can’t do that currently, this support will go a long way to making sure our tourism, sport and racing bodies are well placed to rebound quickly as restrictions are lifted,” he said.
Victoria’s creative industries sector, which employs 260,000 people, will also receive funding.
More than $26 million has been allocated to institutions such as the National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Museums Victoria, Geelong Arts Centre and Melbourne Recital Centre.The state-owned facilities shut their doors in mid-March and have been unable collect revenue under current restrictions.
Another $6 million in additional funds will go towards live music industry workers and bolster the Sustaining Creative Workers initiative.
Creative Industries Minister Martin Foley said:
“Victoria has the best galleries, museums and performance venues in the country – and one of the best live music scenes anywhere in the world,” he said.
“They are central to life in this state and this funding is vital to safeguarding jobs in the $31 billion creative industries economy.”
DIVE IN OVERSEAS VISITOR NUMBERS
Coronavirus travel restrictions saw a 99 per cent decrease in overseas arrivals to Australia in April 2020, compared with the same month in 2019, says a new Australian Bureau of Statistics data.
ABS Director of Migration Statistics, Jenny Dobak, said of the nearly 22,000 arrivals to Australia in April, more than two-thirds (15,000) were Australian citizens returning from overseas with just under 7000 arrivals from non-Australian citizens.
“These large decreases reflect the travel restrictions progressively put in place by the Australian Government from the beginning of February due to the outbreak of COVID-19,” she said.
The travel restrictions slashed the number of overseas visitors arriving in Victoria last month by nearly 60 per cent compared to the same time in 2019.
Arrivals from China were down by almost 80 per cent amid the coronavirus pandemic, says a new ABS report.
New Zealand was the biggest source country for trips in March with 14,300 short-term arrivals, down 56 per cent on last year’s figure.
China had 10,300 trips (down 77.5 per cent), the UK had 10,200 (down 46 per cent), India 9500 (down 33 per cent) and USA 7900 (down 57 per cent), said the report Overseas Arrivals and Departures Australia March 2020.
The federal government introduced foreign travel restrictions in February after the virus outbreak in China.
The overseas education industry – one of Victoria’s key exports – suffered a decline of 6410 student arrivals last month compared to March 2019.
Australia overall recorded its biggest ever drop in visitor arrivals – down 60 per cent to 332,000.
ABS Director of Migration Statistics Jenny Dobak said the steep fall in arrivals was from all global regions.
“Even our largest source country, New Zealand, recorded a 56 per cent drop,” she said.
“Of the top 10 source countries, China recorded the largest decrease of 78 per cent followed closely by Japan with a decrease of 75 per cent.”
There were 39,400 arrivals from the UK (down 47 per cent), 34,300 from the US (down 62 per cent) and 20,100 from India (down 41 per cent).
Ms Dobak said there was also a record fall in the number of Australian residents returning from short-term trips overseas, down 29 per cent to 538,400.
Across Australia, there was a 16 per cent fall in the number of foreign student arrivals to 11,790.
This comprised 5230 fewer university students, 3170 fewer vocational and training students and 2300 fewer students in the independent English language sector.
Last month, the Morrison Government said that continuing travel restrictions meant that net overseas migration to Australia would fall by 30 per cent this year and by 85 per cent in 2020-21 compared to last year’s figure.
CORONAVIRUS CENTRES OPEN IN REGIONAL VICTORIA
Two new coronavirus centres will open in Victoria today as the number of GP-led clinics climbs above 100.
The clinics in Wodonga and Morwell will be opened to the public, along with new locations in New South Wales.
Three types of fever clinics have been opened since March 21, when it became clear it would be important to open additional centres to take pressure off hospitals.
The 102 clinics run by GPs are used to assess and test patients showing mild or moderate symptoms.
There are also 305 state fever clinics funded jointly by the Commonwealth and states, and 29 ADF centres.
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