Construction site at school in southeast closes after worker tests positive to virus
A construction worker and two healthcare staff are among the state’s eight new coronavirus cases. It comes as struggling business are begging the state government to lift bans on overnight stays so they can resurrect their businesses.
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Victoria has recorded eight new cases of coronavirus overnight, including two healthcare workers.
The Department of Health and Human Services has revealed two staff at Kyabram District Health Service tested positive to the virus.
But they are not believed to have worked while infectious and were found as part of a screening process for aged care staff.
One new case was linked to Cedar Meats and another was found in a worker on a construction site at a school in Melbourne’s south east.
The final four cases are under investigation.
The Cedar Meats cluster now sits at 103 infections after it was discovered two previous infections were linked to the business.
In total, there have been 1580 people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Victoria since the disease was first discovered.
SCHOOL SITE CLOSED OVER VIRUS CASE
A construction worker has tested positive for coronavirus, forcing a worksite at St Leonards College in Brighton to shut down last week.
A mobile testing bus attended the worksite and the worker returned an inconclusive reading, which is treating as a positive test under Health Department guidelines.
A CMFEU spokesman said the site was closed and the cleaning process was initiated.
“The Incolink COVID-19 bus will attend the site again tomorrow to test any remaining workers who were not tested in last week’s clinic,” the spokesman said.
ADCO Constructions, who are responsible for the building works, today confirmed a subcontractor at the site had returned a positive test.
Chief executive Neil Harding said they believed the worker was asymptomatic at the time of testing.
“The worker is no longer on site and has been directed to follow appropriate medical advice, in accordance with Australian Government guidelines,” he said.
Mr Harding said the worker had limited contact with other workers at the site, with the exception of two potential close contacts.
He said the site would likely reopen on Thursday.
“The construction site has been closed temporarily to allow appropriate sanitisation measures take place today,” he said.
“Further to discussions with the College, health and workplace representatives, it is anticipated that work will recommence tomorrow.”
TOURISM INDUSTRY DESPERATE TO REOPEN
Victoria’s tourism industry is desperate to help kickstart the state’s economic recovery — if doors can be opened to local holiday-makers.
While restrictions have been eased in other states, in line with the National Cabinet’s agreement to restart regional travel, Victorians are not allowed to take overnight trips and discouraged from straying too far from home.
Tourism operators are calling on the State Government to green-light local travel so they can resurrect their businesses.
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra said: “I think we are ready. The sooner they can reopen or plan to reopen the better.
“If tourism operators are not allowed to open in the near future … some of them may not make it through.”
Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham also encouraged the State Government to look at easing restrictions, saying “every extra tourism dollar” spent in Victoria would be critical to the recovery.
“If successful suppression of COVID continues and with restaurants and pubs starting to reopen, it would seem logical that close consideration could now be given to allowing Victorians to travel around the state and support local tourism businesses,” he said.
With Queensland flagging it may keep its borders closed until September, and quarantine rules enforced for visitors in other states, travelling closer to home will be the best option for Victorians in the winter school holidays.
And with overseas travel banned, the $20 billion usually spent by Australians on international travel is up for grabs for local operators, who say they need to be able to present an attractive offering to visitors itching for a post-lockdown escape.
The Herald Sun understands the State Government is considering allowing stays away from home from June 1, but it is not expected to make a call until next week, depending on how the state tracks as more test results come in.
Tourism Minister Martin Pakula said that approach would give Victoria “more options” to safely ease restrictions, adding the government would have “more to say” about extra tourism industry support soon.
Tourists spent $32.5 billion in Victoria last year, supporting 232,000 jobs, but the bushfires and the pandemic are expected to wipe $23.3 billion out of the industry this year.
Victoria Tourism Industry Council chief Felicia Mariani said allowing accommodation businesses to accept tourists was “the next cab off the rank that everyone is keen to get reopened”.
She said caravan and camping trips were also important in a “domestic-led tourism recovery”. “Every single person I’ve spoken to in the industry has always said we will do whatever we have to do to comply,” she said.
Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine chief executive Brett Ince said operators in the region were keen “reignite overnight travel” when it was safe.
Mr Guerra said the situation was “diabolic” for businesses already carrying debt, and they needed a “continual road-map” to give their owners confidence to plan for the rest of the year.
“Overnight stays have a flow-on effect,” he said.
“All of a sudden we get this snowball effect of an overnight stay then moves into restaurants in those areas, cafes in those areas doing better.”
East Gippsland has been hit hard by what locals describe as the “DFC” — drought, fires, coronavirus.
Paynesville boat repair business owner Peter Medling said the community was worried it would struggle to get back on its feet before next summer.
“We’re normally chock-a-block with tourists. It’s all dead and flat,” he said.
Mr Medling said the “phone stopped ringing” when recreational boat trips were banned.
“There should be people in every shop, at every restaurant,” he said.
“If there are people here, everything starts to work.”
East Gippsland MP Tim Bull said the community did not want “a huge influx of people that could bring the virus with them”.
But he said more government support was needed so the area was “ready to go to welcome visitors and have the doors open”.
Visit Victoria chief Brendan McClements said: “We know now is not the right time to travel but as restrictions are eased, we’ll continue working with the industry to help them get back on their feet as quickly as possible.”
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Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said their new Live From Aus campaign — an online broadcast featuring everything from the Phillip Island penguin parade to live cheesemaking tips — had already been viewed by 50 million people from 40 countries.
“Our hope is that by giving people a taste of what awaits them across Australia for when they can travel again, we will inspire them to think about and plan a trip as soon as restrictions ease,” she said.
APP USED TO TRACE CLOSE CONTACTS
Victoria’s health department has started to trace cases of coronavirus via the COVIDSafe app for the first time, health officials say.
A positive case of coronavirus was identified on Monday, and was found to have the contact-tracing app registered on their phone.
A Department of Health and Human Services spokesman said after consent was given from that person, officials then used data from the app to locate any potential contacts.
“On Monday evening, Victorian Public Health team identified a COVID-19 positive patient who had the COVIDSafe app registered on their phone,” the spokesman said.
“The patient consented to Victoria using data on their phone which has been downloaded to look for potential contact.
“Access is strictly limited to trained public health officers carrying out contact tracing functions.
The spokesman said tracing possible cases would become even more important as restrictions begin to ease.
“With only a small number of cases in Victoria, there have been few opportunities to use the app so far,” the spokesman.
“We hope this continues.”
Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Annaliese van Diemen said the first use of tracing on the COVIDsafe app had already helped authorities find close contacts.
“We downloaded the data from the app and that revealed one close contact who hadn’t been identified in the initial interview process,” she said.
“That is good news.”
Dr van Diemen said Victorians were also now waiting about three days on average to receive results.
“There was an extension of turnaround times particularly at the peak of the blitz,” she said.
“There has been an extensive amount of work in the last week or so to improve turnaround times to improve some prioritisation processes to make sure people who really need those test results get them quickly.
“I’m told that our turnaround times are now looking closet to two to three days.”
AGED CARE HOMES IN LOCKDOWN
Four Melbourne nursing homes were in lockdown last night as authorities scrambled to protect Victoria’s most vulnerable from coronavirus.
Despite a string of confirmed or suspected cases at separate aged care homes in recent days, isolation and containment measures have managed to stop transmission of coronavirus among residents.
The strict action comes as a Sydney nursing home resident yesterday became Australia’s 100th COVID-19 victim, including 18 from Victoria.
Eleven COVID-19 patients remain in Victorian hospitals, including five in intensive care.
Among seven new Victorian cases confirmed yesterday was a resident of the Lynden Aged Care home in Camberwell who is now in hospital, and another from the HammondCare facility in Caulfield.
The MiCare home in Kilsyth was also placed in lockdown while awaiting test results for two residents.
Earlier this week a resident at Villa Maria Residential Aged Care in Bundoora tested positive for the coronavirus.
Another of the newly confirmed cares was linked to the Cedar Meats outbreak, raising the total of Victoria’s largest cluster to 100.
$382M TO WOO VISITORS
Hiking trails, bike paths, fishing spots and visitor facilities will be built and upgraded across Victoria in a $382 million State Government blitz to spruce up our top tourism destinations.
Tourism Minister Martin Pakula said the package, announced this week, would be “creating jobs and setting these places up for when tourism returns”.
“Tourism means jobs for Victorians and that’s why we’re laying the foundations for recovery on the other side of the crisis,” he said.
The Herald Sun can reveal the projects sharing in the cash will include:
A NEW trail linking the Twelve Apostles, Port Campbell and Timboon.
REDEVELOPMENT of the Queenscliff and Sorrento ferry terminals, to the tune of $5 million.
IMPROVED visitor facilities and lookouts at Great Ocean Road’s Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve.
SHARED-USE tracks worth $8.75 million to connect major towns in the Macedon Ranges.
Victoria Tourism Industry Council chief executive Felicia Mariani said the funding would provide some relief “in a very unsettling and uncertain time”.
“Let’s be realistic, every single state is going to be basically going after the same market,” she told the Herald Sun.
“Victoria needs to ensure that we’ve got great product right across our state, compelling experiences that will attract people to our regional areas and indeed into Melbourne. With restrictions lifting, and an easing of state border controls imminent, these works support the return of a vibrant domestic travel market.”
Other cash grants include $4.2 million for the first stage of works on a new commercial and recreational precinct at the Mt Hotham Resort.
In Gippsland, $1.1 million will be spent on a seawall and boardwalk at Paynesville, part of a broader effort to revitalise the popular waterway.
About 50km of mountain bike trails will be delivered in a $2.7 million project for the Ararat Hills Regional Park.
Mildura’s riverfront precinct will get $5 million for upgrades, while $4 million will be spent on Portland’s foreshore.
Tawonga Caravan Park — in the shadows of Mount Bogong — will be reopened after $2.1 million is spent solving water management issues.
Bullock Island at Lakes Entrance will also be spruced up, with $1.8 million promised for visitor facilities to support fishing and crabbing.
Other projects include a visitor hub in Bendigo Botanic Gardens, enabling works for an eco-resort at Cape Bridgewater, and streetscape revitalisation in Maldon and Buloke.
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