Victoria records 37,994 new Covid cases, 13 deaths
Pop-up vaccination clinics will be rolled out at 30 primary schools in an effort to ramp up jabs for children, see what schools are involved.
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Pop-up vaccination clinics will be rolled out at 30 primary schools across Victoria in an effort to ramp up jabs for children aged five to 11.
Premier Daniel Andrews said 39,000 bookings for vaccinations in this age group had been made so far and more than 40,000 were currently available.
The Andrews Government will put $4 million in grants to help GPs and community pharmacists to set up “mini” vaccination clinics in places where they are most needed.
These clinics will be at schools in areas that need higher vaccination levels, delivering jabs to students in locations they know well.
Jabs at these spots will be administered outside of school hours.
The grants include $6500 to cover staffing and other costs, along with a $5000 clinic establishment fee per school.
On top of this, an additional 30 pop up clinics will be set up at primary schools across the state.
The pop-ups will be open to all eligible children, not just those who attend the school hosting the clinic. Pop-up school vaccination sites will be rolled out over the coming weeks, with bookings available soon.
Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania general secretary Deb James said vaccinating students and staff on site at school would help drive up the number of kids vaccinated before they return to the classroom.
“Schools are amongst the most high-contact workplaces, and it is essential that everything possible is done to ensure that the start of Term 1 is a safe and positive experience for everyone,” Ms James said.
“Vaccinations for students should be accessible and easy, and all school staff should be given access to a booster shot before the start of the school year,” she said.
“We support any initiative to improve vaccine access to students and staff.”
Daily numbers
Victoria has recorded 37,994 new cases and 13 Covid deaths in the past 24 hours.
There are now 861 infected people in Victorian hospitals, with 117 in intensive care and 27 on ventilators.
More than 93 per cent of eligible Victorians are fully vaccinated and the state has 171,369 active cases.
A total of 59,670 PCR tests were taken on Monday and 16,433 vaccines were administered at state hubs.
It comes the day after health authorities announced a booster vaccine mandate on key industries and add some new restrictions, as health officials expect the Omicron wave to peak at the end of January.
It comes amid estimates one in every 25 Victorians may have Covid-19.
New restrictions
Health Minister Martin Foley on Monday revealed the government would make new pandemic orders, starting at 11.59pm on Wednesday, to help rein in surging case numbers.
The state recorded 34,808 new Covid infections and two deaths, and rapid antigen tests now make up half the results reported.
Under the changes, boosters will be required for staff in healthcare, aged care, disability, emergency services, jails, quarantine and food distribution.
Retail supermarket staff do not come under the guidelines
Workers eligible for their booster vaccinations on or before Wednesday will have until February 12 to meet this requirement.
Employees who are not yet eligible will be required to get a booster within three months and two weeks of the deadline from their second dose, which is the date when they were last required to be fully vaccinated for work.
Residential aged care workers must receive their third dose by March 1 and healthcare workers by March 29.
All other industries under the mandate will have until March 12.
Additional restrictions were also announced to curb case numbers. Indoor dance floors will be closed with the exception of weddings, but wedding hosts have been urged to consider moving them outdoors.
Victorians are still strongly recommended to work from home but no binding order enforcing this has been made.
Visitors to aged care centres must have a negative rapid test result before entering and if no rapid tests are available, the resident may only have two visitors that day, down from five.
Hospital visitors must have received two doses of a Covid vaccine and return a negative rapid test, while unvaccinated adults must wear a N95 mask during their visit.
Mr Foley said the rules were needed to ease pressure on overburdened healthcare services, with modelling showing the height of the outbreak still weeks away. “We would expect the peak of those Omicron cases to be in late January or early February,” he said
There are 818 people with Covid being treated in hospital, 118 patients undergoing intensive care and 28 people are on ventilators.
Acting chief health officer Ben Cowie said it was estimated that 4 per cent, or one in 25 Victorians, had the virus.
He said Omicron appeared to make up more than 90 per cent of new cases, but that Delta was possibly more prevalent in ICU.
“There’s probably a significantly greater proportion of people who have got mild symptoms that have decided to just stay at home and wait for seven days, although we do recommend people use diagnostics,” Professor Cowie said.
Kids queue for the jab
Victoria’s youngest rolled up their small sleeves on Monday as millions of children across the country became eligible for their first Covid vaccination.
Children aged five to 11 can now receive their first dose of the pediatric Pfizer vaccine at either state-run vaccination hubs, GPs or pharmacies.
But some families with appointments at their local GP on Monday were left scrambling. Balwyn Health Care was one of many Melbourne clinics due to start vaccinating children on the first day of the rollout, but their pediatric doses did not arrive on time.
With no vaccine available, Dr Mary-Anne Lancaster was forced to cancel appointments.
“We’re going to have to cancel, as are a lot of other clinics, the kids today,” she said. The frustrated GP said she would have been willing to drive to get the vaccine herself but had been prevented from doing so.
With supply shortages forcing other GPs to also cancel appointments, some families spent the morning queuing at walk-in vaccination clinics.
Upon walking into the enchanted “forest of protection” deep in the hubs, Victoria’s little ones quickly became less nervous to receive their first Covid vaccination.
Children were greeted by colourful stickers of kangaroos, koalas and echidnas on mint green walls.
Every child vaccinated at a hub also received a showbag full of goodies to calm the nerves.
Five-year-old Lincoln received his vaccination at the Sunshine Hospital hub, becoming one of the youngest Victorians to be protected against the virus.
“I’m really glad he could get vaccinated before he starts prep this year,” Lincoln’s mum, Huong Nguyen, said.
Isolation rules changed
Food distribution workers will be able to return to work even if they are a close contact of a Covid case under new rules to prevent shortages on supermarket shelves.
Acting chief health officer Ben Cowie on Monday announced an exemption system that will allow workers in food manufacturing, distribution and transport to avoid isolation if they and their employer both agree that they can go to work.
The exemption must only be used if necessary to help prevent the supply chain issues that are currently threatening Australian shops, as supermarkets warn of major shortages.
Under the rule changes starting at 11.59pm on Wednesday, a worker in this sector who is a close contact can be exempt from isolation but must be asymptomatic and take rapid tests for five days with negative results.
They must also be have breaks in solo areas, rather than share lunch rooms, and wear masks.
The rules follow similar guidelines introduced to ensure health services are less likely to experience staff shortages.
”While the Omicron wave does continue to grow, we also want to ensure that Victorians have continued access to essential food supplies,” Professor Cowie said.
National cabinet will meet on Thursday to discuss supply chain issues, as well as children returning to school amid rising Omicron cases.
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