Twenty-four separate coronavirus outbreaks still active in Victoria
Contact tracers have identified the spread of Victoria’s 64 clusters, as 24 outbreaks continue across the state. It comes as the state recorded just two new cases overnight.
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Victoria has recorded just two new cases of COVID-19 overnight, with the states total now at 1605.
Both of the confirmed cases were from overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.
There were more than 11,000 coronavirus tests on Sunday and more than 432,000 people have been tested in the state since the virus was first discovered.
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IMPACT OF VIRUS CLUSTERS REVEALED
Twenty-four separate coronavirus outbreaks are active in Victoria, but health investigators are confident of eradicating many in the near future.
While the biggest outbreak, linked to Cedar Meats abattoir, continues to grow, others have not produced a new case for several weeks and may soon be declared over.
An outbreak is declared over after 28 days — two full incubation periods — with no new cases.
Details prepared for the Herald Sun reveal Department of Health contact tracers have identified 64 clusters, but 40 have already been stopped in their tracks.
COVID-19 has killed 19 Victorians. The latest death, announced on Saturday, was a man in his 60s.
The state has recorded 249 coronavirus cases since April 28 for 1603 overall. Almost half of the new cases stemmed from the Brooklyn abattoir.
But over the same period, the number of patients in hospital almost halved.
Premier Daniel Andrews said with low community transmission “we are confident we have control over this”.
But he warned there would be more outbreaks as restrictions continued to ease.
“We will see more positive cases,” Mr Andrews said.
“The only way you will potentially avoid that, and again this would be very challenging, is if we had an even harder lockdown for the past eight weeks and we were prepared to maintain that for an indefinite period.
“That strategy ultimately relies on a vaccine being developed and enough of it being produced and then arriving here and being administered to everyone.
“That’s not a weeks or months thing — that’s years.”
Cedar Meats has grown to 111 confirmed cases: 67 workers and 44 close contacts.
The second biggest Victorian cluster has spread to 58 people from “multiple hospitality venues” including Eaglemont Cellars and Wine Bar.
The third biggest reached 29 cases and three deaths after being detected in the Alfred Hospital’s blood cancer unit.
The number of cases traced back to an infamous Aspen ski trip has been recorded as 12, which the Herald Sun understands broke off into up to four separate clusters once travellers returned home.
That number was dwarfed by the impact of the infamous Ruby Princess cruise ship outbreak in NSW, which has led to 34 cases in Victoria.
FUNDING FAST-TRACKED TO GET ECONOMY ROLLING
Planning Minister Richard Wynne today announced he had fast-tracked $1.2 billion of worth of building and development projects to stimulate the state’s economy.
A recovery taskforce has been set up to identity shovel-ready developments that can provide a private pipeline of work for the construction industry.
Major approvals ticked off in the past month include a 68-storey tower at 640 Bourke St, a 21-storey office building at 140 Lonsdale St and a $60 million development on the former Commonwealth Games village site in Parkville.
The Planning Minister has also called in a $250 million project at 31 Station St, Caulfield from VCAT which includes a built-to-rent scheme.
Mr Wynne said the fast-track group was looking at more than 40 proposals.
“It speaks, I think, to the real critical importance of ensuring that we have a pipeline of works moving out of the coronavirus,” he said.
“These are significant projects in the CBD of Melbourne.”
Mr Wynne said the Andrews Government was also looking at how it could speed up the VCAT process to allow for more work.
“Where you’ve got a really significant multi-million dollar development and you’ve got one objector to it, I mean that just doesn’t seem right to me,” he said.
“We are looking on a case by case basis to intervene.
“Not in a capricious way but in a way that we think is fair-minded to all parties.”
POLICE CONTINUE WITH SPOT CHECKS
Police continue to enforce Victoria’s lockdown restrictions with 17 fines issued since Thursday night.
Among those fined was a group of more than five people gathered at a private residence in Southbank.
In the past three days, there have been 2346 spot checks at homes, businesses and non-essential services across the state as part of Operation Sentinel.
Since 21 March, police have conducted a total of 53,370 spot checks.
CHAOS ON ROADS AS RESTRICTIONS EASE
Huge crowds have flocked to Redwood Forest in Warburton over the weekend as Victorians take advantage of easing coronavirus restrictions
A video posted to Facebook on Sunday afternoon shows a car passing hundreds of parked vehicles leading up to the entrance of the forest.
The 85-second video shows cars parked along the side of Cement Creek Rd and groups of friends and families walking to and from the forest.
Some cars were parked on the road which forced passing vehicles to squeeze past each other.
Coronavirus restrictions in Victoria were eased on May 13 to allow gatherings of up to 10 people outdoors.
Comments on the video labelled the situation “dangerous” and called for parking restrictions in the area.
PHONES RUN HOT TO LOCK IN HOLIDAYS
Caravan parks, hotels, restaurants and ski resorts across Victoria are celebrating after the state government yesterday announced they could reopen next month.
After weeks of uncertainty, Premier Daniel Andrews announced the staged easing of restrictions across the state, including the lifting of the ban on overnight trips.
From next Monday, overnight stays will be allowed at private residences and at camping and tourist accommodation sites.
The easing of the restrictions was a victory for the Herald Sun’s Kickstart campaign, as the Premier heeded the plea from desperate regional tourism businesses for overnight stays to be allowed.
Bookings at BIG4 Holiday Parks skyrocketed 500 per cent in the hours after the announcement with phones “running hot” as Victorians rushed to lock in holidays.
“Up until now, the bookings that have been coming through have been for Christmas and January next year but this has provided certainty to our parks and customers,” BIG4 chief executive Steven Wright said.
“I think people are seriously getting back into regional travel.
“Obviously they’re in their houses cooped up so people are looking forward to getting out and about.”
Rosebud caravan park owner Ron Neary told the Herald Sun it was “fantastic” he would be able to reopen in time for the coming long weekend and school holidays.
“(Restrictions) hurt the bank book,” he said.
“If the weather is fair to us, we’re expecting good numbers — a bigger Queen’s Birthday than usual and the winter school holidays.”
Public playgrounds will also reopen tomorrow, in another win for Victorian families, days after a Herald Sun front page revealed experts were pushing for the government’s “ridiculous” ban to be overturned.
Outdoor gyms and skateparks will also reopen.
Among the changes announced yesterday, private gatherings at homes will increase to up to 20 people from June 1, when restaurants, cafes and pubs are able to serve meals for up to 20 customers at a time.
“The rules that accompany that opening up will be with us for a long time,” Mr Andrews told reporters.
“This is a COVID normal, this is not a return to business as usual,” he said, warning that Victorians should continue working from home if they could.
Opposition leader Michael O’Brien welcomed the easing of restrictions but said the delay had hurt businesses.
“We’re still a long way behind the rest of the country, and the question is why,” he said.
Ski resorts across the state are ramping up preparations after news the season has the green light.
Australia Ski Areas Association CEO Colin Hackworth said the news was “thrilling” and operators would work hard to be ready.
“It means that all of the businesses up there can start to recruit staff and talk with suppliers,” he said.
Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham encouraged Victorians to explore the state while interstate and overseas travel was off the agenda.
STATE TAKES BELTING ON DEAL WITH CHINA
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned Victoria to “respect” its power over foreign policy as the state’s Belt and Road deal with China sparks tension with the US.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has sensationally said the US would “simply disconnect” from Australia if the controversial trade deal affected its telecommunications.
He warned the Belt and Road agreement increased the Chinese communist regime’s ability to do “harm”.
“We will not take any risks to our telecommunications infrastructure, any risk to the national security elements of what we need to do with our Five Eyes partners,” he said.
“To the extent they have an adverse impact on our ability to protect telecommunications from our private citizens, or security networks for our defence and intelligence communities, we will simply disconnect, we will simply separate.”
US Ambassador to Australia Arthur Culvahouse last night moved to temper Mr Pompeo’s remarks, saying the US had “every confidence” Australia was keeping shared telecommunications networks safe.
But it prompted Mr Morrison to again slam the Andrews Government for signing up to the deal against Federal Government policy.
He said states should follow the federal government’s lead on foreign policy.
“We didn’t support that decision at the time they made it,” Mr Morrison said.
“National interest issues on foreign affairs are determined by the Federal Government.
“I respect their jurisdiction when it comes to the issues they’re responsible for and it’s always been the usual practice for states to respect and recognise the role of the federal government in setting foreign policy.
“I think that’s always been a good practice.”
The State Government moved to clarify that Victoria had not, and “will not in the future”, agree to telecommunications projects under the deal with Beijing.
Premier Daniel Andrews defended the agreement by saying it was all about boosting Victorian jobs.
But Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien said the deal seemed to be “one way traffic” benefiting China rather than Victoria.
GRASSROOTS CLUBS EARN VITAL LEG UP
Victorian sports clubs have been given the green light to apply for millions of dollars in State Government funding.
The money scramble comes from a $40 million Andrews Government fund to help up to 12,000 clubs and associations with running costs and to prepare them for post-pandemic life.
As well as that boost, it was confirmed yesterday $68 million from the government’s $2.7 billion Building Works stimulus package would be allocated to speed up community sports infrastructure projects across the state.
“This is making it that little bit easier to pay the bills as we start to train again and move cautiously towards a return to the park,” Community Sport Minister Ros Spence said.
The Australian Sports Foundation warned last week some grassroots sports clubs were in danger of not returning after the COVID-19 outbreak.
Foundation chief executive Patrick Walker said grassroots sport was vital for physical and mental wellbeing. “Some clubs will disappear altogether,’’ he said.
From June 1, local councils and alpine resort boards will be able to apply for up to $10 million for shovel-ready projects in four categories, with grants available for amounts:
UP to $350,000 for large state sporting associations;
UP to $200,000 for smaller state sporting associations, regional sports assemblies and academies, and other recreational bodies;
UP to $15,000 for leagues and associations; and
UP to $1000 for individual clubs.
Parent Aislinn Breen said the next few months could have been tough for sponsorship of Pascoe Vale Football Club.
“Lots of the organisations we have sponsorship agreements with may not be able to survive through this time,” she said. “So that funding will also potentially dry up for the next year or 18 months.”