Victoria launches first drive-through vaccination clinic, expands Astra Zeneca access to young

Australia’s first drive-through Covid-19 vaccination clinic has launched in the state, where 11 new cases were worryingly not in quarantine while infectious.

Victoria has opened Australia’s first drive-through Covid-19 vaccination clinic and expanded access to the Astra Zeneca jab for young people as the state battles another wave of infections that prompted a week-long lockdown.

It comes as eleven new cases were recorded on Sunday.

All are linked to previously confirmed cases within the Hobsons Bay cluster, but none were in quarantine during their infectious period.

Premier Daniel Andrews said six cases were in hospital, with one of those people in intensive care.

The state’s chief health officer Brett Sutton said four of the new cases were students from the Al-Taqwa College, three were household contacts of a confirmed case from The Wolf Cafe and Eatery in Altona North, one was a team member of the Newport Football Club and three were linked to the CS Square Shopping Centre.

Reported yesterday: 11 new local cases and 2 new cases acquired overseas (currently in HQ).
- 17,360 vaccine doses were administered
- 38,179 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicData [1/2] pic.twitter.com/um9ZSa7MjF

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) August 7, 2021

On Monday, the nation’s first drive-through vaccination clinic at a former Bunnings Warehouse in Melton will open following a soft launch on Sunday.

Department of Health COVID Response deputy secretary Naomi Bromley said the facility at 149 Barries Road was offering Pfizer this week and Astra Zeneca the following week.

“You book, you drive up, roll down your window, roll up your sleeve, get a jab - it’s that easy,” she said.

Mr Andrews announced nine of 50 state clinics would from Monday offer the Astra Zeneca vaccine to 18 to 39-year-olds.

They must provide informed consent by signing a document showing they are aware of the extremely rare but serious risks associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, including the risk of thrombosis thrombocytopenia syndrome.

The public housing tower in Flemington where there have been multiple cases of the Delta strain. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

The expanded eligibility will apply at multiple Victorian vaccination centres, including:

* Royal Exhibition Building

* Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

* Melbourne Showgrounds

* Sandown Racecourse

* Bayside Shopping Centre, Frankston

* Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre, South Morang

* Former Ford Factory, Geelong

* Kilmore District Health (outpatients building)

* Mansfield District Hospital (Anderson Hall)

The AstraZeneca vaccine will still be available to 18 to 39-year-olds at participating GPs, respiratory clinics and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations as well.

From Monday, children aged 12 to 15 with specified medical conditions that increase their risk of severe Covid-19 symptoms will become eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine at state-run clinics.

Families isolating on the 17th floor of the public housing tower in Flemington have tested negative. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Mr Andrews urged Victorians with any symptoms “no matter how mild” to get tested as soon as possible.

“Do not wait until tomorrow to get tested, go and get tested today,” he said.

“If you lose out on work, if you miss a shift and don’t get paid, we will give you $450 to compensate for you testing and waiting at home before you get your result, which is hopefully a negative result.

“Indeed, further on that score, there is payments of $1500 if you have to isolate and you are unable to go to work and you don’t have things like sick leave to fall back on.”

The Premier would not predict whether Victorians would emerge from lockdown after seven days as planned, saying that was assessed daily.

“It’s all based on the data that we receive each day,” he said.

“All based on not just case numbers but the circumstances that sit behind those cases.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews did not hint if the lockdown would end on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

“It is pleasing to see all of those additional cases today linked, but there is this ongoing challenge we have in that the two cases that began these two separate chains of transmission and this outbreak, we can’t work out where they got it.

“Those mystery cases ... it means there’s at least one other or a group of other cases out there somewhere.

“We just got to monitor this every single day ... we’ll be in lockdown no longer than we need to be and we just have to take this one day at a time, as frustrating and as painful as that is.”

Victoria was plunged into its sixth lockdown on Thursday in an attempt to curb a growing number of cases of the highly infectious Delta strain.

Residents queue for testing outside 130 Racecourse Rd, Flemington. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Mr Andrews said it was pleasing that families isolating on the 17th floor of the public housing tower in Flemington where there had been multiple cases of the strain had tested negative.

“It is not easy to be locked down as they are now, waiting for test results and some will have to be locked down regardless of the test result for the full 14 days, so we thank them very much,” he said.

“We thank many thousands of primary and close contacts doing the right thing, making great sacrifices on behalf of all of us. We are very, very grateful to them.”

Dr Sutton said subsequent investigations of the previously-announced cases in the tower had determined two were students at Ilim College Kiewa campus in Dallas and Mount Alexander College in Flemington.

“We have worked with those schools this morning and they’ll be sending direct communications to the families in the first instance,” he said.

The Premier on Saturday warned that the number of cases in the state would rise throughout the lockdown.