Coronavirus live updates: Postcodes where virus is surging despite lockdown

Last month, it had just five active cases of COVID-19. But now Wyndham, a council area in Melbourne's west, has the highest number of infections in the state.

Ben Graham, Natalie Wolfe and Ally Foster

less than 2 min read

July 15, 2020 - 7:48PM

Coronavirus Australia: Sydney infections on the rise while AFL moves to Queensland

Last month, it had just five active cases of COVID-19. But now Wyndham, a council area in Melbourne's west, has the highest number of coronavirus infections in Victoria.

While previous hotspot Hume's number of active infections has dropped by nine to 235, Wyndham now has 249 active COVID-19 cases – a number that increased by 18 overnight.

The number of active virus cases in several eastern suburbs are also similar to the ones reported in Melbourne's hotspot areas just over a fortnight ago – sparking fears they could be next to see a surge in infections.

"These restrictions have become necessary because of the sharp increase in cases," Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton said.

The numbers follow news that five healthcare workers at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne have reportedly tested positive to COVID-19.

MORE: Follow our full coronavirus coverage

Australia has recorded a total 10,305 cases of COVID-19, with 4448 in Victoria, 3328 in New South Wales, 1071 in Queensland, 443 in South Australia, 644 in Western Australia, 228 in Tasmania, 113 in the Australian Capital Territory and 30 in the Northern Territory.

Follow our live coverage below:

Updates

Seven cases linked to Melbourne childcare centre

Seven COVID-19 cases have been recorded at a childcare centre in Melbourne's north, and will likely remain closed until late next week.

A staff member at Only About Children's Coonans Hill campus tested positive last week, with six new infections reported since.

It's unclear how many cases are children and how many are teachers.

Chief executive Anna Learmonth, in a letter seen by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, wrote that six of the cases were associated with the 0-two age rooms and one in the "Broad Beans" room.

Ms Learmonth said the centre was continuing to work with the Department of Health and Human Services in appropriate cleaning of the campus.

"In the next few days, an additional clean will involve the removal, cleaning and storage of all books, toys, paperwork, equipment and resources off premises," she wrote.

"Due to cleaning and self-isolation requirements, we will not be reopening this week or Monday 20 July. Our best estimate at this stage is towards the end of next week but we will keep you updated. Reopening is dependent on DHHS sign off, so timing remains fluid."

Premier's stern warning to Queenslanders

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk sent out a strict reminder to the residents in her state tonight, after another day of reporting no new coronavirus infections.

"If you're sick, stay home," the Premier tweeted earlier.

"Queensland hasn't had any community transmission since May. Let's keep it that way."

Queensland hasn’t had any community transmission since May.

Let’s keep it that way.

If you’re sick, stay home.

No matter how mild your symptoms, isolate immediately and arrange a COVID-19 test.

Stay safe, Queensland!#covid19 pic.twitter.com/1A6DCggUfa
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) July 15, 2020

COVID-19 strikes again with more job cuts

Sydney’s University of New South Wales will cut hundreds of full-time staff, reduce its management and merge three of its faculties as it grapples with the ongoing effects of COVID-19 and a $370 million budget shortfall.

Vice-chancellor Ian Jacobs said a voluntary redundancy program for academic and non-academic staff will begin immediately, laying off 493 members and cutting its management by 25 per cent.

UNSW will cut close to 500 staff as it grapples with the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Picture: UNSW

“If necessary”, it will become compulsory to make sure the reductions are in place by October, with the job losses representing a staff reduction of 7.5 per cent.

“Some of the steps are unpalatable and painful, particularly when they have an impact on jobs and our people,” Professor Jacobs said, explaining they’d been made only after “all other options had been exhausted”.

Major job losses had been avoided until now, he said, due to a cut in discretionary spending, casual hours and senior management taking a 20 per cent pay cut earlier in the year.

Read the full story here.

Suppression versus elimination debate continues

The debate over whether Australia should change its approach toward beating the coronavirus from suppression to elimination as continued.

On ABC's 7:30 tonight, University of Melbourne epidemiologist Tony Blakely strongly advocated for our nation to aim to eradicate COVID-19, calling it a more costly approach but one that pays off.

"The reason I've come out now to argue for elimination? We're in lockdown anyway," Professor Blakely said.

“We know from the New Zealand experience it changed the cultural norms. When we get to 10 cases a day in 3 or 4 weeks, rather than us saying let's go back to the pub, we'll be going, ‘Let's knock it on the head because we're working to a goal.’”@TonyBlakely_PI #abc730 #COVID19Aus
— abc730 (@abc730) July 15, 2020

"We're in a six week lockdown. I'm advocating for going harder to maximise the chance of achieving elimination. If you achieve elimination, we go back to near normal living."

He pointed out elimination also "could be a lot better economically" in the medium to long term.

ANU infectious diseases physician and microbiologist Peter Collignon, however, disagreed, calling the term "elimination" a "worry".

"If you eliminate an infection everybody's expectation is we can go back to normal," Professor Collignon said.

"That's very unrealistic because this virus is around everywhere in the world. For us to think we can keep it out is not realistic."

He added, "With most things that we try and eliminate, if they're widespread around the world, we don't have success until we have a vaccine".

Tests come back negative for Crossroads Hotel Queenslanders

The Queensland Health department has just announced they've received the results of the 19 Queenslanders who visited south-west Sydney's Crossroads Hotel.

And, luckily, the tests for each person have come back negative.

⚠️UPDATE⚠️: The COVID-19 test results for the 19 Queenslanders who visited the Crossroads Hotel in the South Western Sydney suburb of Casula, New South Wales, have all come back negative.
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) July 15, 2020

Chief health officer Jeanette Young told reporters yesterday that all Queenslanders who'd visited the Casula venue were in self-quarantine at home after returning to the state.

The rules have changed now, however, meaning anyone from a hotspot who visits the Sunshine State will be required to isolate in a hotel for two weeks at their own expense.

Seven of WA's new cases travelled on same flight

Western Australia today confirmed eight new coronavirus cases – seven of who travelled on the same flight on July 1, the state's health department has revealed.

There'd already been 12 COVID-19 infections identified from that flight – London via Dubai, landing in Perth two weeks ago.

These infections bring the total number of cases associated with the plane to 19.

Melbourne David Jones staffer tests positive

A David Jones employee at a store in Melbourne's south-east has tested positive for coronavirus.

The staff member worked at The Glen shopping centre store on July 9.

Other workers identified as close contacts have been contacted and asked to self-isolate following the COVID-19 infection, and additional cleaning took place across the story last night.

A staff member at The Glen's David Jones store in Melbourne has tested positive for COVID-19. Picture: Supplied

Testing clinics for south-west Sydney residents

A number of COVID-19 testing locations have been set up in Sydney's south-west, where coronavirus infections are steadily increasing due to an outbreak at a Casula pub.

If you live in the area and are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, here are the locations where you can get tested:

Do you live in South Western Sydney and need to get tested?

Here is list of #COVID19 testing clinic locations near you. pic.twitter.com/ZfRdxVm361
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 15, 2020

Postcodes where virus is surging despite lockdown

Last month, it had just five active cases of COVID-19.

But now Wyndham, a council area in Melbourne's west, has the highest number of coronavirus infections in Victoria.

While previous hotspot Hume's number of active infections has dropped by nine to 235, Wyndham now has 249 active COVID-19 cases – a number that increased by 18 overnight.

Whitehorse, Casey and Manningham all now have active case numbers in the double-digits, though health authorities are hoping the Stage 3 "stay at home" restrictions brought in last week will prevent a similar spike in numbers.

"These restrictions have become necessary because of the sharp increase in cases," Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton said.

"If you live in these areas, there'll be only four reasons to leave your home: shopping for food and essential items; care and caregiving; daily exercise; and work and study, if you can't do it from home."

Victoria reported another 238 new coronavirus cases overnight.

Expert warns of 'high economic cost' of supression strategy

Professor Gregory Dore from the Kirby Institute warned that the current suppression strategy being used by the Australian government can have a high economic cost if outbreaks continue to flare up.

Speaking on The Project, Prof Dore said going with the suppression strategy rather than elimination runs the risk of communities having to go into multiple lockdowns.

"I think where there is community transmission, clearly we need to get control and that is the same under suppression or elimination. But there is a great economic cost of having multiple cycles, potentially under a suppression strategy," he said.

"So restrictions tightened and then eased and potentially a second, third, fourth and fifth cycle in terms of these restrictions and I think what is really key is that business really relies on confidence, and some certainty.

"That sort of lack of confidence in the position where we are now, I think that is an economic problem."

When the government first moved to lock everything down, the plan was to flatten the COVID curve enough that we could manage any outbreaks that followed, but now some experts are saying the strategy is no longer working. pic.twitter.com/wjKwdN0k2K
— The Project (@theprojecttv) July 15, 2020

Prof Dore said the integrity of the hotel quarantine program plays a key role in helping keep community transmission down and it was an aspect Victoria needed to sort out moving forward.

He said the actions being taken by the Victorian government now were the right actions but the key difference between the suppression and elimination strategies was what happens once community transmission is under control.

"If you get that community transmission under control, then the decision is, well, how long do we stay in these restrictions? Should we go for longer than the six weeks?" he said.

"Should we go for two to three weeks longer than that once we have no evidence of community transmission, just to make sure that we've really locked in no new infections within the community?"