Coles worker tests positive to coronavirus as pop-up testing sites overwhelmed
Victoria has approached the Federal Government about diverting overseas flights from Melbourne because of issues with the state’s hotel quarantine system. It comes as Australians were told to get serious about coronavirus rules after a top health expert warned most people are ignoring advice to socially distance from one another.
Coronavirus
Don't miss out on the headlines from Coronavirus. Followed categories will be added to My News.
This coronavirus article is unlocked and free to read in the interest of community health and safety. Get full digital access to trusted news from the Herald Sun and Leader for just $1 a week for the first 12 weeks.
Victoria has approached the Federal Government about diverting overseas flights from Melbourne because of issues with the state’s hotel quarantine system.
The Herald Sun has been told Victoria asked about sending some flights of returned travellers to Sydney on Tuesday.
Several security guards at Stamford Plaza have contracted coronavirus, sparking concerns about health and safety procedures.
Australian Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy said on Monday that Victoria was carrying out a “very extensive review of staffing and security provisions” for hotel quarantine.
“We as a nation are all going to look at our practices for hotel quarantine and share the best lessons learnt at a meeting later this week,” he said.
He said there had been “a very small number of breaches” in hotel quarantine, and that the Defence Force was available to help if required.
“At the moment no state or territory needs their resource but that offer is there,” Prof Murphy said.
The Herald Sun has contacted the federal and state governments for a response.
It is understood plans to divert flights from Melbourne were changed late on Tuesday.
“There are no plans at this stage to divert repatriation flights from Melbourne to other airports,” an Australian Border Force spokesman said.
“The ABF continues to work with state and territory authorities on their ability to receive repatriation flights at their airports based on the available health resources and quarantine capacity.”
A State Government spokeswoman said repatriation flights “are a matter for the Federal Government”
“We will continue to accept any returned travellers from overseas into our hotel quarantine program – as this is the best way to prevent returning travellers spreading the virus amongst the wider Victorian community,” she said.
CORONAVIRUS CASES GROW
A Coles worker employed at the supermarket giant’s Laverton distribution centre is among the state’s newest coronavirus cases.
The employee attended work at the Coles Distribution Centre in Laverton while infectious last week, but authorities say the risk of transmission was very low.
Close contacts of the employee have been quarantined.
The centre, which supplies food and groceries to stores across the state, was deep cleaned last night and will continue to operate.
A Keilor View Primary student is one of two new cases yesterday linked to the Keilor Downs family outbreak, which now totals 13 people across eight households.
Five members of one family household in the City of Maribyrnong have also tested positive.
The new cases bring the state’s current active case count to 131.
Nine people are in hospital, including three in intensive care.
Contact tracing is underway and investigations are ongoing into the source of the infection in this household.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said today’s figures represented seven days of double-digit case growth.
“We have made some great progress in slowing the spread of coronavirus, but we are still seeing new cases in the community,” Professor Sutton said.
“This is the seventh consecutive day of double-digit case growth in Victoria, with a continuing and concerning number of new cases associated with transmission in households and families.”
“Don’t take this disease lightly. If you feel unwell with any symptoms of coronavirus, however mild, you should stay home and get tested. If you have any fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, and loss of sense of smell or taste — stay home, don’t go in to work and don’t visit friends and family. Get tested and stay at home until you get the result.”
Prof Sutton reiterated public health advice to practice good hygiene, continue social distancing, and avoid crowds, and work from home.
– Shannon Deery
PLEAS FOR PEOPLE TO MAINTAIN 1.5M GAP
Australians have been warned they must keep 1.5m apart if the country is to stay open as Victoria battles a dangerous new coronavirus outbreak.
One of the nation’s top infectious diseases experts says most people are ignoring health advice to socially distance from one another, which could spark a second wave.
The proportion of people complying with physical distancing advice crashed to 25-40 per cent by the middle of this month, University of Melbourne epidemiologist James McCaw said.
Prof McCaw, part of the national medical expert panel, said government research found compliance with the 1.5m rule was at 60-80 per cent during the peak of the pandemic in April.
He said there had been a steady reduction since then, and if compliance continued to fall there would be more new cases.
“Because we are meeting more people as public health measures are relaxed, it is more important than ever before that when we do meet people, we stay a safe distance apart,” Prof McCaw said.
Combined with more contacts now than in April, the impact of lower compliance is dramatic. Transmission potential (Reff), was as low as 0.5 in April. It is now hovering around 1.0, the critical threshold. MESSAGE: If we want to keep society open, we must comply with 1.5m rule 4/4
— James McCaw (@j_mccaw) June 23, 2020
He said Australians could not forget about the virus if they wanted to “mix more in the community”, adding the spike in cases in Victoria was “an opportunity to reinforce to the community that it’s our responsibility and we have the ability to keep it under control”.
The surge in new cases over the past week also pushed up the effective reproduction rate of the virus to the “critical threshold” of 1.0, he said.
That rate has been central to the National Cabinet’s decision-making on easing restrictions. If it remains below 1.0, each infected person is spreading the virus to fewer than one other person on average.
Prof McCaw said the reproduction rate had fallen to 0.5 in April but was now “hovering around 1.0”.
Health Minister Greg Hunt pleaded with Australians to keep their distance after he said the Black Lives Matter protests fuelled “a certain relaxation” in attitudes to the critical health advice. He said people needed to stick with the “unnatural” physical distancing advice at a “critical juncture” in the pandemic.
“It wasn’t OK for 10,000 to be in close proximity, nor is it OK for 10 people — unless they’re living in the same household — to be physically close,” Mr Hunt said.
“Once there was a relaxation of the standards in the minds of some, not all, but in the minds of some, then that meant that there was the potential outside of the protests.
“We have to gently but very clearly send the message that, even if it’s Nonna or other close family members, not to hug, not to come within that 1.5m.”
– Tom Minear
NEW MOVE TO QUASH COMPANY OUTBREAKS
Workers will be able to take free short courses on how to be COVID-19 safe to prevent further outbreaks in businesses.
Staff in retail, food handling, transport and logistics will get training under a $10 million funding package to help workplaces maintain personal safety, hazards and infection risks.
The State Government will announce the newly accredited ‘Infection Control Training’ course on Wednesday, available for a year from July 1.
The 25-hour-long course will be held online and at work sites where participants will learn about hygiene and protective clothing, how to clean surfaces and get rid of items that could carry infection, and how to identify hazards and respond if there’s an outbreak.
The announcement comes following coronavirus outbreaks at Brooklyn abattoir Cedar Meats and H&M Northland.
Cedar Meats has been linked to at least 111 staff and close contact infections, while the H&M store was connected to four cases of coronavirus.
Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney said TAFEs were “playing a vital role in supporting the Victorian economy to recover”.
“This training will help protect Victorian workers, enabling them to put in place best infection control practices to continue serving their customers and keep them safe,” she said.
Training providers are currently being selected.
Register at https://www.skills.vic.gov.au/victorianskillsgateway/Explore/Pages/infection-control-training.aspx
- Ashley Argoon
HOTSPOT COUNCIL CALLS FOR CLARITY
A Melbourne council identified as one of Victoria’s coronavirus hot spots says the classification has only confused its residents.
Hume has been named as one of the six local government areas to avoid travelling to and from but it covers more than 500sq km, half of which is rural land.
Councillor Ann Potter said identifying hot spots by local government areas rather than suburbs didn’t make sense in a municipality as large as Hume.
“While I’m expecting it was not their intent, by categorising Hume as a hotspot they have provided even greater uncertainty to our residents,” she said.
“Providing a breakdown by suburb provides greater clarity.”
Hume Council last night unanimously voted to write to Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton to seek “urgent clarification” on the suburbs within the municipality that had seen a recent spike in COVID-19 cases.
There are currently 11 active cases in Hume and two primary schools in Craigieburn and Broadmeadows have been closed for cleaning after students tested positive for the virus.
A retail worker at Broadmeadows Central shopping centre also tested positive last week.
Centre manager Jeroam Whittington told retailers the employee worked on June 14-15 and the affected store would remain closed while a “thorough sanitisation” took place.
– Jack Paynter
DRIVE-THROUGH TESTING SITE CLOSES
Premier Daniel Andrews has apologised as wait times for coronavirus testing centres blow out beyond two hours.
People wanting to be tested at Southland Shopping Centre faced waiting more than four hours, while the testing centre Westfield Knox shopping centre stopped accepting people just minutes after opening this morning, as cars spilt out onto Burwood Highway.
Mr Andrews said testing was a critical part of the way out of the pandemic, and said he was impressed by the testing statistics, with a record number of between 16,000 and 18,000 tested yesterday.
“I’m very, very proud to think that so many Victorians are coming forward and getting tested even though they know it is going to take some time,” he said.
“I apologise for any delays. In the circumstance it will be inevitable, there will be some waiting.
“I’m always pleased to see large numbers of people coming forward and getting tested. It makes you proud seriously, the notion that people would give their time like that.
“And no matter how many test sites you have there will always be when so many people are being tested, they’ll always be some waiting. I’m not celebrating that.”
There have been reports of people walking away from being tested because of unreasonable wait times.
Mr Andrews flagged opening more test sites, with a focus on drive through sites which have emerged as a preferred option for Victorians.
At Westfield Knox, hundreds of cars were lined up awaiting a COVID-19 test ahead of the scheduled 9am opening time.
It closed temporarily minutes later as the queue began blocking Burwood Highway outside the shopping centre.
Cars with people wanting to be tested were turned away and encouraged to visit EACH facilities in Ringwood, Lilydale, Yarra Junction and Ferntree Gully.
The COVID testing site at Westfield Knox has stopped accepting cars just minutes after opening due to traffic blocking Burwood Hwy. Currently a 2-3 hour wait. People being encouraged to visit EACH facilities in Ringwood, Ferntree Gully @theheraldsun @LeaderOnline pic.twitter.com/Uns2pPjTbU
— Jack Paynter (@jackpayn) June 22, 2020
The clinic will reopen today.
Demand has surged at coronavirus testing centres across Melbourne with the majority of shopping centre facilities experiencing two to three hour waiting times.
Opening hours at Chadstone, Northland, Highpoint, Pacific Werribee and Pacific Epping have also been extended while a new test site opened at Craigieburn.
Mr Andrews also flagged increasing localised testing in hotspot areas saying it could target random sections of those communities.
Shadow health minister Georgie Crozier said the continuing increase of cases had sparked a panic among Victorians.
“The chaos and dysfunction in Daniel Andrews’ government has led to them dropping the ball on managing the pandemic,” she said.
“We immediately need the testing centres Daniel Andrews has closed to reopen to ensure everyone who needs to be tested, can be tested.
“By Daniel Andrews giving a nod a wink to the 10,000 protesters, he has caused outrage and confusion in the community; Victorians deserve better.”
MORE MELBOURNE SCHOOLS CLOSE
Two more schools will close today after students tested positive to COVID-19.
Brunswick East Primary School and Keilor Views Primary School, both in Melbourne virus hot spots, will close for three days.
A spokesman from the Department of Health and Human Services said each school would close for contact tracing and cleaning.
“Further investigations will be undertaken by DHHS, the schools and DET to identify whether any staff or students are required to self-isolate, and to determine any further actions required to reduce the risk of infection”, the spokesman said.
Victoria recorded another 17 cases overnight, bringing the state’s total to 1864.
One case is a returned traveller in hotel quarantine, two are linked to the Keilor Downs outbreak, three were detected in routine testing and 11 are still under investigation.
Premier Daniel Andrews said there was significant community transmission within those numbers.
“I know and understand that so many Victorian, perhaps all Victorians want this to be over. But we simply can’t pretend that the virus is gone,” he said.
“It is here. It travels so fast. It is so infectious”
Victorians were urged not to visit family or friends if they were sick, even if they had the mildest of symptoms.
The state’s testing blitz continues, with up to 18,000 people being tested yesterday.
Mr Andrews said it was important everyone follow simple rules like cough etiquette, keeping a distance, not shaking hands, and not greeting people with hugs and kisses.
“There will be hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people from our expanded public
health team out there door knocking in hotspot suburbs and other areas if that’s deemed appropriate,” he said.
“They will do that job in providing public health advice and making sure that everybody, where language and other issues like that won’t be a barrier.”
ILLEGAL BROTHEL BREACHES LOCKDOWN RULES
An illegal brothel in Geelong was busted breaching coronavirus restrictions amid fears of a second wave of infections.
Police were tipped to a hive of activity at an address in Barrabool Rd in Highton about 8.15pm on Monday.
Officers witnessed “a high level of foot traffic” entering and exiting the premises and soon ascertained it was an illegal brothel.
Four people were issued with fines for breaching COVID-19 rules.
TOURISM INDUSTRY HIT HARD BY RESTRICTION CHANGES
Victoria’s devastated tourism sector says confusion about travel in Victoria has led to booking cancellations by worried families.
Businesses are calling for clarity after “mixed messages” were sent in recent days about holiday plans.
On the weekend, Premier Daniel Andrews issued the strong warning: “Each of us need to be aware that the more people you see and the more often you see them — the more danger you are putting people in …
“If you do have to see people, keep your distance. No handshakes and no hugs … And if you’re feeling unwell — stay at home. Don’t visit friends and family. Don’t go on holiday. Don’t go to work. Stay home.”
The state government last night clarified that the Premier’s warning was not related to travel, only to those who were sick, as Health Minister Jenny Mikakos declared holidaying was OK. “Victorians can holiday within our great state — but if they are sick they should stay home,” she said.
Adding to the confusion, Victorians living in six council areas experiencing spikes in cases — Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Moreland, Cardinia and Darebin — were told not to holiday in large groups and to reconsider travel plans.
“Obviously some people have made commitments, they will have made payments,” Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said yesterday morning.
“But if there are plans to meet with significant other people, then that’s really worthy of reconsideration because we don’t want seeding into areas outside of current areas.”
But Prof Sutton said those living outside the six LGAs were free to travel.
“People can travel — they should really consider how they mix in those spaces, they should follow all of the advice that we have around getting that 1.5m distance, not going into crowded spaces, and certainly not going out,” he said.
Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief Felicia Mariani said the situation was “a devastating blow to an industry that was already on the edge” and potential travellers were cancelling bookings despite no actual travel ban.
“The stop and start is going to see the annihilation of some businesses,” she said.
Jubilee Lake Caravan Park manager Trish Boudville said she was seeing some concerns from families and cancellations.
“People see the new restrictions and they panic in case they think it will apply to everything,” she said.
Owner and head chef of Miss Amelie in Wodonga, David Kapay, said there should be different rules for regional and rural communities where no cases existed.
“We are in a tight situation. I spent three hours ringing customers with bookings because we were upping our numbers but now things have changed again,” he said.
Shirlene Allison and her family were keen to get out and her parents had planned to come down during school holidays, but had cancelled.
“Instead we are going to make some day trips,” she said.
POP-UP TESTING SITES KEPT BUSY
Health officials will conduct a mass doorknock across Victoria’s COVID-19 hot spots in a bid to stem a feared second wave.
The state’s coronavirus case count continues to rise and concerned authorities refuse to rule out harder lockdown measures if necessary.
It is believed increased restrictions would not necessarily apply statewide but could be targeted to hot spots.
Victoria’s case count more than doubled in a week, and 16 new cases yesterday took the total to 125 — the most in more than two months.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian yesterday warned against visiting Melbourne while West Australian Premier Mark McGowan called the Victorian situation “dire”.
He said he had abandoned plans to lift his state’s hard border closures because of the outbreak in Victoria.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said she feared a second wave and urged Victorians to take the virus seriously.
She said efforts to stamp out the virus had been boosted with doorknocks now underway across Melbourne’s COVID-19 trouble spots.
She said workers would check up on people who are close contacts to make sure they understood their obligations and any restrictions that applied.
Ms Mikakos reiterated the call for Victorians to be tested if they showed symptoms.
“Please take it seriously. We’re very grateful for the sacrifices that people have made,” she said. “But the thing that keeps me up late at night is the thought of a second peak.
“And we have seen very concerning increased numbers in recent days. We don’t want this to get away from us.”
But the call for testing came as inundated testing centres could not keep up with demand. People were turned away while others waited for up to three hours.
Ms Mikakos said the identification of particular hot spots across Melbourne had contributed to a rise in demand.
Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Moreland, Cardinia and Darebin, which collectively have a population of more than 1.1 million, have been identified as trouble areas with many active cases.
Ms Mikakos said the government was looking at establishing more testing sites in the hot spots.
There are 94 fixed testing sites and 37 drive and walk-through sites across Victoria.
Ms Mikakos said pop-up testing sites and a roving testing van would also visit the hotspot areas.
Widespread testing would also target schools, particularly Keilor Downs Secondary College and Albanvale Primary School, which had been forced to close for deep cleaning following positive tests.
Roving testing squads are also expected to be sent out this week.
More than 667,000 tests have been conducted across the state.
A Department of Health and Human Services spokesman said pop-up clinics had experienced the biggest increase in demand and urged Victorians to consider attending fixed testing sites.
Hundreds of drivers waited hours to be tested at Southland shopping centre yesterday.
St Kilda residents Maddie, 22, and Alex, 24, said they had been waiting for more than an hour and a half.
“I’ve had a fever the past few days and have been getting sweats and chills … I thought I’d get it checked out,” Alex said.
One tradie in line said he was just taking the test “as something to do” because “I’ve got some symptoms”.
John, who was also lining up, said he wanted a test after being told Casey was a hotspot for the virus.
“I’m really concerned about it. I have a sore throat and I thought I would come out here and do the right thing,” he said.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said he expected a further increase in cases in the coming days.
“We always see cases that reflect transmission and what was happening a week or two weeks ago,” he said. “So even though we’re stepping up very early, the kind of actions that we know should mitigate the risk, we’ll probably see an increase in cases or at least we’ll see steady numbers for some days to come before hopefully we can turn it around.”
NORTHLAND H&M OUTBREAK
Healthcare workers in scrubs and face masks were seen inspecting the Northland H&M store on Monday afternoon.
The store was closed for cleaning from June 17-18 before reopening on Saturday.
There were no signs inside the shop or out the front warning people that two staff members had tested positive to COVID-19.
Shoppers said on Monday afternoon they were unaware of the cluster.
Most said they felt comfortable the store was safe to visit because it was able to open.
However, father-of-three Maali Adam from Werribee said he would have liked more transparency.
“There’s no way known I would have gone in there had I have known,” he said.
“My concern is they should tell people or have a sign up saying what’s happened.
“There is no disclosure at all. Now I’m worried thinking I’m going to test positive.”
Two healthcare workers who attended the store on Monday refused to comment to the media and H & M employees directed all queries to the company’s head office.
An announcement over the Northland shopping centre loudspeaker urged people to follow social distancing guidelines.
“Please stay safe and look after each other,” the message said.
EXPLAINER: WHAT YOU CAN NOW DO IN VICTORIA
AFL PLAYERS GIVEN STRICT NEW MEASURES
WORLD LEADERS URGED TO UNITE IN VIRUS FIGHT
The World Health Organisation is urging globe leaders not to politicise the coronavirus pandemic but instead unite to fight it.
Director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ stark warning comes as the pandemic accelerates and produces record daily increases in infections in countries including Brazil, Iraq, India and parts of the US.
It took more than three months for the world to see one million virus infections but the last one million cases have come in just eight days, Mr Tedros said during a videoconference for the Dubai-based World Government Summit.
“The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself, it’s the lack of global solidarity and global leadership,” he said. “We cannot defeat this pandemic with a divided world.”
Additional reporting by Olivia Jenkins and Christina Karras