Major decrease in Victorians getting tested for coronavirus as state records 222 cases, 17 deaths
A man on a mission to “buy a fish tank for his frog” and another caught reversing his car to avoid a police checkpoint are among the latest fined for breaching COVID-19 restrictions. It comes as the number of active virus cases in Victoria dropped by 200 in the past 24 hours.
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Seventeen Victorians have died of coronavirus, with 222 new cases recorded overnight.
It is the state’s lowest daily total since 217 new cases were recorded on July 18, two weeks before stage four restrictions were introduced to metropolitan Melbourne.
Another 43 mystery cases have been added to the state’s tally.
Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton said the number of mystery cases had returned to 20 per cent of the daily cases, which was concerning, but it was now on par with June statistics.
The daily death toll is down on Monday’s record high of 25 — Australia’s deadliest day so far.
Since the pandemic began, Victoria has recorded 351 deaths and 17,238 virus cases.
Thirteen of Tuesday’s 17 deaths were linked to aged care.
Among the deaths were a man in his 60s, a woman and a man in their 70s, two women and four men in their 80s, and four men and four women in their 90s.
There are 665 Victorians battling the virus in hospital, including 45 in intensive care.
FINES FOR THOSE DRIVING TO EXERCISE
Police are warning people not to drive somewhere to exercise, even if it is within 5km from home.
Under Melbourne’s stage-four lockdown rules, travelling in a vehicle to exercise is forbidden and can result in a $1652 rule for breaching the Chief Health Officer directions.
The only exception, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, is if it is not reasonably practicable to exercise without driving somewhere, such as for mobility or safety reasons.
A post on the Port Phillip Police Eyewatch Facebook page explaining the department’s rule has attracted more than 3900 comments.
Many were incredulous at the restriction and argued it should not make any difference whether a person walked or drove to a park to exercise.
In their post, Port Phillip Police wrote: “We understand that some people are unhappy with this restriction.”
It said there had been some misunderstanding from people that did not know the rule was in place.
“As police officers it is our job to enforce these restrictions in order to keep our communities safe,” the post said.
“We believe it is important to educate our community. Please do the right thing and follow the restrictions.”
Victoria Police said it did not comment publicly on the specifics of individual infringements however confirmed “we know there have been some instances where people have been fined for travelling in a vehicle to exercise within 5km of their home”.
Between Monday night and Tuesday night, another 174 fines were handed out by Victoria Police for breach of stay-at-home orders.
– Josh Fagan
MAN'S EXPENSIVE FISH TANK MISSION
A man on a mission to “buy a fish tank for his frog” was fined for breaching COVID-19 restrictions.
Police sprung the man driving erratically in Brimbank, more than 5km from his home.
A total of 174 fines were issued in the past 24 hours, including to 31 people who were not wearing a mask and 55 who breached curfew.
One man seen reversing on the Calder Freeway to avoid a police checkpoint told police he was going to a friend’s farm to help with their new baby goats.
Police also fined a woman who left home after curfew to buy a soft drink and a man sitting at Upfield train station after curfew without a mask.
– Aneeka Simonis
TESTING DECLINE CAUSES CONCERN
Premier Daniel Andrews again urged people to get tested, especially if they have symptoms as it’s more likely to be coronavirus than the flu.
Mr Andrews said there was a 30 per cent drop in people getting tested, which he partially attributed to less movement in the community.
“The test numbers are too low for us to have clarity about just how much virus is out there,” he said.
“The greatest weapon we have in the fight against the pandemic is to keep testing.”
Importantly, the states’s active caseload dropped by 200 to 7247.
Prof Sutton said he hoped the daily case numbers would be in the hundreds, not in the 200s, next week.
“But it all depends on everyone doing the right thing, including stepping up for testing,” he said.
“I think we could have adequate levels of testing at 17,000 or 18,000 if we’re getting people who are symptomatic coming forward for testing. But the magic threshold, I don’t think there is one.
“I think it is all about the fact that we just need anyone who has got symptoms coming forward.”
Regional cases are going down with 422 active cases – a drop of 90 cases in recent days.
In Geelong there are 159 active cases, 44 in Bendigo and Ballarat has 24.
An announcement on Victoria’s borders is also imminent, according to Mr Andrews, who said ongoing discussions had been fruitful with the New South Wales Government expected time announce changes today.
It comes after warnings from the Victorian Farmers Federation over concerns of food and worker shortages revealed by the Herald Sun last week.
WARNING DEATH TOLL WILL RISE
Despite the promising fall in new cases, medical chiefs warn the death toll will rise.
As of Monday, there were 1999 active cases linked to 90 facilities and the aged-care death toll had hit 217.
As case numbers continued to grow, federal Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said it was a “very traumatic and tragic time”.
There are now eight aged-care homes connected to outbreaks that have more than 100 COVID-19-positive patients, including the troubled Epping Gardens facility which has 205 infections.
A class action against the home’s operator, Heritage Care, was launched on Monday by grieving family members of residents who have died.
A writ filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria alleged major breaches, including inadequate use of personal protective equipment, staff holding a “baby shower” on July 16 and a party at the facility on July 18.
Lead plaintiff Sebastian Agnello has made a claim for damages over the death of his 92-year-old mother, Carmela Agnello, on July 28.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth said the “wretched virus” often caused people to “deteriorate” between a week and two weeks after they began showing symptoms, meaning worse numbers could be on the way.
“That is an indicator that your severe disease will peak around about one to two weeks after your numbers in the community will peak,” Dr Coatsworth said.
“That daily number (of deaths) could exceed 25.”
Specialist medical teams worked to stabilise the situation at the Doutta Galla home in Yarraville on Monday, after almost 60 cases were linked to the facility.
A multiple number of residents were transferred out and Senator Colbeck said only COVID-positive residents remained at the facility.
He said facilities with positive cases were being overseen by individual case managers who were reporting to the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre and calling in extra support if required.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday said he had raised the need to improve communications with the families of aged-care residents, in talks with Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday.
“That’s something we’ve really got to push harder, all of us, to try to make sure we’re getting the best and most timely information to those families who are experiencing really significant stress. It’s a very anxious time,” he said.
“But it’s also about trying to make sure that anybody who has no cause to be anxious isn’t unnecessarily worried.’’
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said authorities still had “work to do” in Victoria, and the best defence for aged-care homes was to reduce community transmission.
“Without community transmission being controlled, we won’t be able to defeat this,” Mr Hunt said.
The Japara Elanora facility at Brighton is in lockdown after 22 residents and 12 staff tested positive since August 2.
“We continue to work closely with the various health authorities, the aged-care regulator and our infection control expert in the management of this outbreak,” a spokeswoman said.
“In addition to health screening, regular monitoring of residents and staff hygiene, and infection control processes, we have implemented areas in the home to help minimise cross infection.’’
Since the pandemic started, 21 Victorian paramedics have contracted coronavirus. As of August 18, 50 paramedics were off work due to waiting for tests results, being close contacts, testing positive, COVID-19 carers leave or school closures, or having flu-like symptoms.
WHY WE SHOULD BRACE FOR 40 DEATHS A DAY
SHOCK PICTURES INSIDE NIGHTMARE HOTELS
The shocking conditions inside Melbourne’s quarantine hotels have been revealed as a fresh probe into the bungled hotel system gets underway.
A Four Corners investigation on Monday lifted the lid on “dirty” conditions and risky practices reported by guests and guards inside the quarantine hotels as it examined the conditions that lead to Victoria’s deadly second COVID-19 wave.
Two inquiries are examining the role of Melbourne’s quarantine hotels in the explosion of community transmission in the state, which has seen 17,027 confirmed cases and 334 virus deaths.
Christine Cocks is an oncology nurse and infection control expert who stayed at the Rydges on Swanston in April after she returned to Australia from an overseas trip on the Greg Mortimer cruise ship.
She told Four Cornersconditions within the hotel room were “dirty” and that guards were not adequately protected while on duty.
Read the full story here.
FOUR WOOLWORTHS STAFF TEST POSITIVE
Coronavirus has hit four major Melbourne supermarkets in the past 24 hours.
Four Woolworths staff members returned positive tests for COVID-19 on Tuesday, with the employees working shifts at Mornington East, The Glen in Glen Waverley, Dan Murphy’s Collingwood and Plenty Valley
At the Mornington East store, the worker was last in the supermarket on August 5, with Woolworths confirming the store had been deep cleaned.
The infected Glen Waverley employee last worked on August 13, while Dan Murphy’s Collingwood and Plenty Valley staff members who tested positive last worked on August 12 and August 9 respectively.
In a statement, Woolworths confirmed the risk of transmission to customers and other team members was “low”.
“As a food retailer, we already have very high standards of cleaning and hygiene in place,” it said.
“We’re making contact with our team members and providing our full support to those required to self-isolate in line with advice from the health authorities.”
All four stores have returned to normal trading.
– Anthony Piovesan
OMBUDSMAN RECEIVES 150 COMPLAINTS OVER TOWER LOCKDOWNS
Victoria’s integrity watchdog has received over 150 complaints from residents in a Melbourne housing tower locked down for two weeks during the coronavirus pandemic.
The number of complaints have soared, tripling since the original probe into the lockdown at 33 Alfred St in North Melbourne was launched on July 17.
It comes after the building was surrounded by police and locked down on July 4 without warning amid soaring coronavirus infections.
At the time people reported being trapped in the building unable to access adequate fresh air, food or medical supplies.
Ombudsman Deborah Glass said some of the submissions to the inquiry were very concerning and called for anyone with a complaint to file it by August 28.
“We are hearing very strong concerns about the lack of access people had to information, as well as to fresh air, exercise and medical supplies,” Ms Glass said.
“Even with Melbourne in Stage 4 lockdown, generally most people still have access to essential supplies, fresh air and exercise.
“It is important that we document and understand what happened and learn lessons from what occurred, so that in the future the human rights of public housing tenants are recognised as much as everyone else’s.”
Ms Glass will continue to investigate, why and how the lockdown happened the impact on residents and whether it was in line with the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act and report to the Victorian parliament.
– Alex White
GRIM OUTLOOK FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Melbourne’s harsh lockdown will force more than one in eight small and medium businesses across the city to not reopen, Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien claims.
It comes after new figures released by the Sensis Business Index showed 56 per cent of Melbourne small and medium businesses (SMBs) suffered a “significant” reduction in sales compared with 39 per cent in Sydney.
The data released on Monday morning also found 54 per cent of Melbourne SMBs estimated profitability to decrease over the next three months compared with 27 per cent in Sydney, and 38 per cent of Melbourne SMBs were worried about their prospects for the next year compared with 28 per cent in Sydney.
Opposition Leader and spokesman for small business, Mr O’Brien said the damning results highlighted the precarious situation Victorian businesses were in.
“Tens of thousands of Victorian small businesses have been closed through no fault of their own,” he said.
“Small businesses are the backbone of the Victorian economy, and when small businesses are thriving, our economy thrives, but unfortunately, they’ve been the ones hardest hit in our state.”
A fortnight ago Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced another 250,000 workers would be sent home from their workplace under tough new lockdowns in a bid to slow the state’s growing COVID-19 infections.
The move meant about one million Victorians were no longer travelling across the state for work.
“If we’re serious about driving this thing down – and we absolutely must be – we need to take unprecedented steps in limiting the movement of people and therefore limiting the movement of this virus,” he said.
The state government subsequently launched a $534 million Business Support Package to provide support for struggling businesses, traders and workers.
— Anthony Piovesan
CHANGES COMING AFTER DISABILITY SECTOR CLUSTERS
Daniel Andrews has flagged changes to the governance structure of Victoria’s disability sector as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in residential disability accommodation.
On Monday night there were 87 cases linked to the sector, including 66 staff members and 21 residents.
The Victorian and federal governments are at loggerheads over the outbreaks, with claims the commonwealth rejected multiple pleas for help, including an invite to set up a joint task-force.
The Premier said on Monday he was in talks with the commonwealth about replicating the governance structure used in aged care within the disability sector.
“I think our rapid response that we’ve set up is a very good model,” he said.
“It’s by no means perfect and it’s by no means over, but the arrangements, that shared effort, all the most senior people around the table at the same time, all working with a common goal and that is to protect the welfare of aged-care residents, I think that’s a model that would serve us well in other settings and I think the disability sector is one of them.”
Thirteen residents were removed one by one by paramedics in hazmat gear, after the removal of about a dozen residents at the weekend.
The remaining residents of the troubled Hambleton House were taken away in ambulances late on Monday after an outbreak of the coronavirus forced the facility to close. Five residents and a staff member have been infected and locals feared they would spread the deadly virus because some who lived at Hambleton House had been outside in public without a face mask.
Hambleton House is a private supported residential service for people, some with mental health issues.
Although a police car was outside the facility for most of the day, none were present when a resident walked away.
Albert Park locals told the Herald Sun they were disgusted at the level of security, but didn’t blame the residents.
“It’s been a total disaster, all of this should have been avoided if we had have learned anything from the hotel (quarantine) fiasco,” one said.
Disability, Ageing and Carers Minister Luke Donnellan said the commonwealth refused Victoria’s requests for help.
Opposition carers and disability spokesman Tim Bull called on Mr Donnellan to detail what moves the government took to avoid outbreaks in the sector.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth said the federal government was aware of the risks within the sector but said it was distinct in many ways to aged care and therefore had to be treated differently.
“There are very specific needs for Australians with disability, keeping in mind that disability is not a catch-all term,” Dr Coatsworth said.
“Many Australians have different disabilities that have different susceptibilities to COVID-19.
“Not all Australians with disability are more susceptible to infection with COVID-19 and equally some Australians with disability are very susceptible to infection with COVID-19.”
He said the government was employing a “variety of tools” to prepare for outbreaks in the disability sector including the Disability Advisory Committee — part of the Health Department.
The Victorian government last year transferred 547 disability residential homes and their staff to five non-government providers, representative of about 43 per cent of the accommodation market.
Across Victoria, about 6500 people receive disability accommodation/respite services.
– Additional reporting by Tamsin Rose and Shannon Deery
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