Victorian mystery case discovered on state’s first day of freedom

The Department of Health has identified more venues visited by a mystery case, whose diagnosis has dealt a blow to Victorians.

Victorians have been dealt a significant blow on their first day of freedom from a fifth Covid-19 lockdown with the discovery of a new mystery case who spent time in the community while potentially infectious.

The Department of Health updated its exposure site list on Wednesday evening, adding two new locations where the mystery case visited.

They were all Tier 2 sites, meaning anyone who had been there during the listed times needed to get tested urgently and isolate until a negative result was received.

• ALTONA NORTH: Woolworths (Borrack Square), 2/32 Borrack Square, July 24 July between 5:15pm and 6:30pm
• YARRAVILLE: 7-Eleven (Yarraville), Corner Williamstown and Somerville Rd, July 25 between 7:05am and 7:50am
  

Earlier on Wednesday, the Department of Health identified four other Tier 2 venues of concern that the mystery case had been to.

• FRANKSTON: Ritchies IGA Liquor (Towerhill), Corner of Golf Links and Hastings Road, July 24 between 4.10pm and 4.35pm
• FRANKSTON: Karingal Hub shopping centre, July 24 between 11.45am and 12.40pm
• FRANKSTON SOUTH: United Petroleum Baxter, 284 Frankston-Flinders Road, July 26 between 7.15am and 7.30am
• FRANKSTON: Coles supermarket, Karingal Hub shopping centre, July 24 between 11.45am and 12.40pm

The positive case, who was the state’s ninth new infection revealed on Wednesday, worked as a traffic controller at a drive-through testing site at Moonee Valley racecourse in Melbourne’s northwest.

Health authorities believe the man may have acquired the virus at the testing clinic and pathologists are checking to see if any other positive cases went through the site while he was working.

Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton said the case illustrated the state was not “risk free” and reinforced how infectious the Delta strain was.

“It’s not over, there will be ongoing risks and there will be ongoing potential for incursion into Victoria,” he said.

“(None) of us need to let our guard down, with respect to all of the things that we know we need to do.”

The mystery case ended Victoria’s impressive streak of all new locally acquired cases being in isolation for 100 per cent of the time, which had helped authorities be confident that they could lift the statewide lockdown.

Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton said the case illustrated the state was not risk free. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Paul Jeffers

Health Minister Martin Foley announced the new mystery case at a press conference just after 11am and as it was not included in the health department’s daily update at 9am, it will be included in Thursday’s figures.

He confirmed the new infection had not yet been linked to an existing outbreak.

Mr Foley said the mystery case had developed symptoms on Monday, got tested on Tuesday and the positive result was returned on Wednesday morning.

Mr Foley said authorities believed the risk was “minimal”, but the test site had been closed as a precaution.

The positive case worked two shifts while infectious and all staff at the now-closed site during that time had been sent home to isolate.

Victoria has reopened after its fifth lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

Mr Foley said case interviews were under way to determine the interactions of the positive person.

Professor Sutton confirmed the traffic controller wore a mask and would be required to get tested whenever symptomatic but said there was no surveillance testing undertaken.

“We’ll look through to see whether anyone who’s subsequently tested positive has gone through that testing site, but we have to do all of the investigations as to where he might have acquired it,” Professor Sutton said.

The case came as Premier Daniel Andrews lifted the state’s fifth lockdown on Tuesday night.

In Victoria, the five reasons to leave the home no longer apply and the 5km travel limit has been scrapped.

But the Premier said Victorians weren’t allowed to welcome visitors into their homes for at least another two weeks.

Mr Andrews also announced masks would still be required everywhere indoors and outdoors except private residences, and people would need to return a negative test within 72 hours if they wanted to go to the snow.

But in positive news for Victorian businesses, restaurant and cafes will be able to reopen for seated service.

Melbourne’s fifth lockdown has been lifted, with the five reasons to leave home no longer applying. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

Retail, beauty and personal care businesses can reopen in line with density limits of one person per 4sq m, along with entertainment venues and community facilities.

Victoria has now recorded 199 cases linked to the two outbreaks that jumped the border from Sydney’s deadly Delta cluster – one from a team of Sydney removalists who transited through the state and the other from a family who returned to Melbourne’s north from a NSW red zone.

More than 20,000 primary close contacts have been identified during the state’s latest outbreak, with at least 11,000 of those cleared from isolation so far.

No new cases were recorded in returned travellers in hotel quarantine, with the number of active cases in Victoria at 206 — up from 198 on Monday.

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