Fears of another Victoria lockdown as state weighs up new restrictions
Victorians are furious at the way Covid was spread from Sydney to Melbourne and are anxious about the prospect of a fresh lockdown as new cases emerge tonight.
Victorians are anxiously waiting to see if they will be plunged into yet another lockdown, as the state government weighs fresh restrictions amid a worrying rise in Covid-19 cases brought in from NSW.
They are also furious that the virus was spread to Melbourne by removalists who failed to follow the rules of their workers' permit, did not wear masks and have not been cooperating with authorities.
Victoria recorded seven new cases early on Wednesday. Four of the new cases were recorded on level three of Ariele apartments in Maribyrnong where the removalists stopped.
A further two cases were family members of Ariele apartments residents and one case was believed to have been infected at Coles in Craigieburn where a family returning from a red zone were not isolating.
But on Wednesday night, a teacher at Bacchus Marsh Grammar tested positive and there are reports of an additional two cases which would bring the daily total to 10.
The three new cases are all believed to be linked to the apartment building where the removalists worked without face coverings.
Asked if the removalists had been deliberately evasive, Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said: "They're not being deliberately forthcoming, let me put it that way."
The Herald Sun reports the state government is holding high-level meetings this afternoon to weigh up whether to reimpose restrictions across Melbourne, with an announcement expected as early as Thursday.
It comes after NSW extended the Greater Sydney lockdown by at least another two weeks until the end of July, with another 97 cases on Wednesday bringing the total outbreak to 864.
The Department of Health in Victoria has revealed "two unexpected detections of COVID-19 viral fragments" in wastewater around Geelong.
The fragments were detected as early as July 4 in the Geelong suburbs of Breakwater, Clifton Springs, Curlewis, Leopold, Drysdale, East Geelong, Moolap, Newcomb, South Geelong, Thomson and Whittington.
This from tonight's CHO report in Victoria: Wastewater detections in Geelong BEFORE the Sydney removalists crossed the border. @newscomauHQpic.twitter.com/Bq8oMG9FID
Victorians are anxiously waiting to see if they will be plunged back into lockdown after a worrying spike in Covid-19 cases today.
The Herald Sun reports the state government is holding high-level meetings this afternoon to weigh up whether to reimpose restrictions across Melbourne, with venue limits and caps on home visitors among the options being considered.
An announcement is reportedly expected as early as tomorrow.
"I need to find any cases that are out there to get them under control, and obviously we need to continue to work very closely with our red zone arrivals to make sure that these flying embers don't catch light again," Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar told reporters earlier on Wednesday.
Picture: David Crosling/NCA NewsWire
ABC host Patricia Karvelas said Melbourne residents were "on high alert again". "Feeling tense. Worried. Are we set to have a third lockdown for 2021. It's relentless," she tweeted.
Guardian Australia journalist Melissa Davey said there was "no way (the Victorian government) will delay any restrictions they think are needed given the way Delta is spreading in NSW".
"Going to be so mad if we get sent into our fifth lockdown because of a Sydney removalist who wasn't wearing a mask," Choice journalist Jarni Blakkarly tweeted.
Victoria recorded eight new cases on Wednesday, seven of them linked to a returned family and a crew of removalists, who both came into the state from NSW.
But on Wednesday night, a further case emerged from a school in Bacchus Marsh as well as reports of two additional cases that would bring today's number to 10.
Among the potential exposure sites are a major Melbourne shopping centre and an AFL game.
This is kicking off very quickly. Hard to see how Vic doesn’t end up in Lockdown no. 5 https://t.co/RbnwQRfFF0
In case you missed it, the Sydney removalists who carried the virus to an apartment block in the Melbourne suburb of Maribyrnong have not been as forthcoming as authorities would like regarding the details of their trip.
Victoria recorded eight new cases on Wednesday, including seven linked to the removalists and a family from a red zone who should have been isolating for 14 days.
“This is clearly a very rapidly moving situation," Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said.
"We’re very keen to make sure we get a very firm grip of this as soon as we possibly can."
Four of the new cases were recorded on level three of Ariele apartments in Maribyrnong where the removalists stopped.
A further two cases were family members of Ariele apartments residents and one case was believed to have been infected at Coles in Craigieburn where a family returning from a red zone were not isolating.
Mr Weimar revealed on Wednesday that the removalists were in Melbourne on a workers' permit but that they did not wear masks inside the apartment building.
He said that was a breach of the conditions of their permit. But perhaps most frustrating was the news that the crew have not been cooperating with contact tracers who only today found out there were two trucks involved.
Asked if the removalists had been deliberately evasive, Mr Weimar said: "They're not being deliberately forthcoming, let me put it that way."
Unless exercising at 90, wear a mask.
Victoria has revealed eight new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, with a major Melbourne shopping centre and an AFL game potential points of exposure.
Earlier, one locally acquired case was announced before a press conference at 11.30am where a further seven cases were announced.
Highpoint shopping centre has also emerged as an exposure site, with anyone who attended between on Friday night between 10am and 2pm urged to get tested.
More than 2000 people who attended an MCG match between Carlton and Geelong on July 10 are also on alert after the game was attended by an infected person.
Picture: Nicki Connolly/NCA NewsWire
There were three initial cases earlier this week, that leaked in from NSW.
A crew of infectious removalists from Sydney transited through Victoria last Thursday, visiting households in Craigieburn and Maribyrnong, and coming into contact with two families of four.
Victorian Covid-19 testing head Jeroen Weimar said four of the new cases on Wednesday were linked to the Ariele apartment complex.
“This is clearly a very rapidly moving situation. We’re very keen to make sure we get a very firm grip of this as soon as we possibly can,” Mr Weimar said.
– Additional reporting NCA NewsWire
Vaccination way out of lockdown
There are growing calls for Greater Sydney to be placed into a hard lockdown similar to the one imposed in Melbourne last year, but chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant insists NSW is already under "hard" restrictions.
Dr Chant said it was imperative that everyone takes the current restrictions seriously.
"This is a hard lockdown. I cannot stress this enough that everyone needs to take it seriously as hard lockdown," she said.
"We need to see the numbers decrease. 20 infections in the community at this time is not what I would like to be seeing. So we need to all play our part in taking this incredibly seriously. And please, do not leave your home unless it is absolutely essential."
Picture: Nikki Short/NCA NewsWire
NSW Covid update at 11am
Premier Gladys Berejiklain said its "very difficult" to compare the current situation in Sydney to the situation experienced by Melbourne last year.
SBS reporter asked Ms Berejiklian if she was seeking advice from the Victorian government given they are the only other state that have dealt with an outbreak of this size, which they supressed with hard lockdown rules.
The Premier said it isn't "fair" to compare the two.
"It is very difficult to compare apples and oranges given the Delta strain and along the lockdown period in Victoria. But the Victoria government waited far longer than we did to go into the lockdown situation," Ms Berejiklian said.
"I don’t think it is fair to compare because every state has different circumstances at a different way of dealing with the virus.
"Please note that we have always taken the position in New South Wales they will keep the community safe but also make sure that we keep livelihoods going."
Queenslanders urged to copy NSW
People who have had their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine are being urged to get their second dose as soon as four weeks after, rather than waiting the usual 12 weeks.
Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said this advice is particularly aimed at those in Greater Sydney.
"Clearly, what we’re saying is particularly in greater Sydney, I have said openly that if you have had your AstraZeneca shots, over four weeks ago, contact your GP and talk about bringing the second dose forward from the 12 week mark to around 6- eight weeks," she said.
"But if you are in certain areas where you know you are in even greater risk, as low as four weeks is acceptable.
"We are will have to vaccinate again against Covid and will have further advice about boosters but in the context of an outbreak, what we want to do is give people the advice so that they are protected."
Dr Chant said one dose is helpful in protecting against hospitalisation but two doses i even more effective.
QLD records nine new cases
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the number NSW health officials are concerned about is how many people are spending time in the community while infectious.
Of today's cases, 24 were in the community during their infectious period.
"The number that would worry us in the last 24 hours is the 24 number. 24 people were infectious in the community. We need to get that down to is close to zero as possible," she said.
Ms Berejiklian said authorities will know by the end of this two week extension whether the lockdown will need to be even longer.
Picture: Nikki Short/NCA NewsWire
"We will know at the end of two weeks to what extent we need to extend the lockdown, whether there is any chance of face-to-face schooling. There are a number of issues we won't know until we have further data," she said.
Ms Berejiklian said the impact of some of the more recent changes wouldn't be known for at least a few more days.
"It is important for us to assess all the advice we have which will be based on data and that will take us the next two weeks to make that assessment," she said.
"The reason why we want to provide that 2-week period at least is so that parents who are teaching children or supervising children from home know that unfortunately for an additional two weeks at least their children will need to learn from home."
Hazzard ignores lockdown's end Qs
The local government areas of Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown are still areas of concern for NSW health officials.
Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant called out a number of suburbs of concern, highlighting the need for high rates of testing.
The areas of concern are Fairfield local government area, Roselands, Rosebury, Canterbury, Belmore, Sutherland shire, the St George area, Windsor, St Ives, Penrith and Bayside local government area," she said.
"I am highlighting that the risk is ever present and remember, what I'm reading you today is what has happened overnight so tomorrow, there might be different sites," Dr Chant said.
"That really reinforces the message that whenever you leave the house, you've got to assume you can come into contact with someone who is infectious with covid."
NSW has recorded 97 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
This brings the total number of infections in NSW to 864.
Of the new cases, 60 were isolation throughout their infectious period, seven cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period and 24 were infectious in the community. The isolation status of six cases remain under investigation.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the number of people infectious in the community needed to drop before the lockdown could be lifted.
"That is the number, the 24 number is what we need to get down to is close to zero as possible," she said.
NSW recorded 97 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/YfNptxyua5
