Live Breaking News: Fears virus is seeding outside of Melbourne

Victorians have been assured they aren't in lockdown for "trivial reasons", with concerns the virus could be seeding into regional areas.

Ally Foster

@allyjfoster

less than 2 min read

August 6, 2021 - 2:06PM

Covid commander Jeroen Weimar has assured Victorians that they haven't been sent into lockdown for "trivial reasons" and that authorities are concerned the virus could be spreading undetected.

"We didn't do it because we were worried about a small number of cases in the western suburbs. We're worried about a Delta penetration again here in Victoria," Mr Weimar said.

"We're worried it might be seeding out quite widely. We're worried it might be going to places we haven't yet seen."

It comes as the state recorded four new locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Friday, plus two infections that were announced yesterday.

Premier Daniel Andrews announced a snap seven-day lockdown yesterday, with the stay-at-home order coming into effect at 8pm last night.

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The Victorian government has requested that their allocated doses of Pfizer be brought forward in light of the new lockdown.

"As people will recall yesterday, the NSW government announced that, I think they had got approval for some 180,000 extra Pfizer vaccines to be brought forward," Health Minister Martin Foley said.

"Queensland, through their pharmacy network, had put in also some positive messages from the Commonwealth about how this was to be also dealt with in the Queensland circumstances.

"Victoria made its case very forcefully that we'll have our proportionate share too, thanks, brought forward because what we have is enormous unmet demand.

"We've asked our offices to engage with the Commonwealth offices about what that is. If it is a proportionate amount, my estimate is it is about 150,000 Pfizer doses."

Health Minister Martin Foley said lockdowns will continue to be the main tool in fighting Covid-19 outbreaks until vaccination rates are high enough.

"Nobody likes lockdowns. But as we've now established, they work. They're one of our major tools in our public health response, and until such time as we have the levels of 70 to 80 per cent vaccinations, they're going to continue to be a part of that tool kit," he said.

"We can't rule out their future use, but at the moment, we're simply focussed on getting ahead of this particular outbreak and avoiding the kind of catastrophe that Sydney and NSW are enduring at the moment."

Covid commander Jeroen Weimar has assured Victorians that they haven't been sent into lockdown for "trivial reasons" and that authorities are concerned the virus could be spreading undetected.

"We didn't do it because we were worried about a small number of cases in the western suburbs. We're worried about a Delta penetration again here in Victoria," Mr Weimar said.

"We're worried it might be seeding out quite widely. We're worried it might be going to places we haven't yet seen.

"The message to all Victorians is I know it's frustrating and tedious but you need to get tested if you've got any symptoms. That's the only way to find it."

Here is a breakdown of the new cases reported in Victoria today.

One is linked to the Hobsons Bay community outbreak, with an additional two cases linked to this outbreak reported on Thursday but included in today's numbers.

"Those close contacts of those three all live together in different households from the original two of the Hobson's Bay outbreak," Health Minister Martin Foley said.

There are now five cases in total linked to the Hobsons Bay cluster.

The other three cases are linked to the city of Maribyrnong outbreak, with one of these infections the housemate of the warehouse worker who was reported yesterday.

"The housemate is a cleaner and the public health team are investigating the movements of that person. He worked at the Epworth Hospital in Richmond," Mr Foley said.

"It would appear in the administration area not in the wards and we are working with that hospital to assess who he may have come in contact with."

The two other Maribyrnong cases are close contacts that live in a different household to the index case.

"One of these attends the Merinda Park special School in Hoppers Crossing, a particularly important school that looks after some of our most vulnerable kids," Mr Foley said.

"We're working through with these school community and with this person when they may have been infectious and what their movements would have been and what them movements would have been throughout that period."

There are now four cases in total linked to the Maribyrnong cluster.

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A major inner city hospital in Melbourne has been named as a Covid exposure site, after a cleaner tested positive to the virus.

The cleaner, who tested positive overnight, worked in consulting rooms on level 6 and eight of the Epworth Hospital in Richmond on August 6, 7 and 8.

In a statement, hospital CEO Lachlan Henderson said the contractor was cleaning the building after business hours.

“This contractor cleans several floors within the Centre, after business hours,” Dr Henderson said.

“Epworth, in its pandemic planning, has prepared for this scenario and we have enacted a range of comprehensive safety precautions.

“We are already working with the tenants who may be impacted and the Department of Health, following all necessary protocols and processes.”

– Additional reporting NCA NewsWire

A Melbourne epidemiologist has warned Victoria will likely have a "bumpy" next few months as the state tackles its new Covid-19 cases.

Melbourne University's Professor Tony Blakely told ABC News Breakfast sending Victoria into its sixth lockdown was the only way to control the new cases.

"[The Premier] didn't have any choice, but, boy, we're over it, we're sick of it, but no choice," he said.

"Two separate chains of transmission. We are not sure if they are linked back to the last outbreak. It could be a new outbreak. Too much uncertainty so we've had to into another lockdown.

"The next couple of months will be bumpy, I fear."

Professor Blakely said not having a high enough vaccine coverage and the changing nature of the virus means lockdowns are still necessary.

"The first thing, we don't have enough vaccine coverage to ride through it, we still need lockdowns," he said.

"The second thing, this virus, we keep learning about it, it really is another ballpark from the previous variants.

"And the third thing is we still have incursions, be that because of someone getting through the border at New South Wales, or out of quarantine. As long as we have those incursions on top of a population with low vaccination rates, with this virus it will be bumpy until one of those things change which will hopefully be reducing quarantine leakage, but also the vaccine coverage going up."

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Victoria has reported a rise of four new locally acquired cases Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to midnight last night.

Two additional cases, which were announced yesterday, have also been included in today's numbers.

These cases are all linked to previously reported infectious and were not in quarantine during their infectious periods.

Reported yesterday: 6 new local cases and 0 new cases acquired overseas.
– 18,901 vaccine doses were administered
– 29,631 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData [1/2] pic.twitter.com/Vh0YKSQESC
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) August 5, 2021

As Victoria enters the first day of its sixth lockdown speculation is rife over what sparked this situation, with fears an “illegal” gathering may have played a part in spreading the virus.

Six locally transmitted cases of the virus were confirmed on Thursday morning, with three of those infections under investigation, sending contact tracers scrambling.

Two more cases, which came in after the official reporting period, were also announced, bringing the total number of new cases to eight.

The rise in unlinked cases prompted Premier Daniel Andrews to announce a snap seven-day lockdown, which kicked in at 8pm last night.
It follows speculation that an “illegal” gathering may have contributed to the rise in cases, with covid response commander Jeroen Weimar saying multiple reports were being investigated.

Authorities are also investigating whether some of the cases may have a link to people who travelled to Victoria from NSW.

Mr Andrews said there were "a couple of people" who came back to the state after undergoing hotel quarantine in Sydney who may have been visited by a positive case.

“It may well be the case that they’ve been visited, against the rules, by a positive case,” the Premier said on Thursday, before urging all Victorians to follow the rules.

“If we don’t have that sense of common purpose and be as stubborn and determined as this virus, then we just have to look at what’s happening in other parts of the country, and that will happen here,” he said.

“There are many people, who are perhaps not doing as they should.”

Dozens arrested, fined in Melbourne protests

Police arrested at least 15 people and fined 16 others after there were mass protests in Melbourne's CBD as the state went into lockdown.

Police said a number of incidents will be criminally investigated, including the assault of a police officer where offenders allegedly pushed a police sergeant to the ground and kicked him.

A flare was also allegedly set off and protesters also damaged a police vehicle.

“Four of the offenders who were arrested or fined are known to police as protest organisers. They have been dealt with previously and it is expected will be presented to court on appropriate charges, such as incitement,” AC Luke Cornelius said.

“Police will continue to review video footage to identify as many protesters as we can, in order to hold offenders to account, as has been the case for previous protests.

“Police are, together with the vast majority of Victorians who are doing the right thing, outraged that a small minority of people continue to engage in deliberate breaches of the CHO Directions, putting the lives and jobs of their fellow Victorians, as well as their police at risk.”

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