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Live breaking news: Victoria enters state-wide lockdown, record cases in NSW

As Australia reels from its worst day since the pandemic began, one study suggests an unusual move could hold the key to slowing the spread. 

Natalie BrownNatalie Brown
@natalieisbrown
less than 2 min read
August 21, 2021 - 7:24PM
NSW records 825 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths

Officials have expressed their concern as the situation in NSW continues to worsen, recording the highest case numbers in Australia since the pandemic began. 

 

 

Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced there had been a whopping 825 new cases of community transmission in her state overnight and another three days. 

Ms Berejiklian warned that the "handful" of residents still doing the wrong thing were having "catastrophic consequences" on the lives of everyone else, a sentiment repeated by Health Minister Brad Hazzard.

Meanwhile in Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed that his state's regions would enter lockdown as of 1pm today, and announced further restrictions for childcare centres and "high risk" industries. 

Follow our live coverage below. You can find yesterday's blog here.

Updates

Big move could stop Covid spread

Widely vaccinating children and teenagers could be a key to stopping the spread of Covid, according to one expert.

An exclusive report in The Australian today reveals University of Melbourne modelling suggests vaccinating three million young people could halve the spread of Covid once state borders open back up.

The research, led by ­epidemiologist Tony Blakely, estimates that "vaccinating children from the age of five and up would halve the infection rate that Australia is likely to see once interstate borders are opened."

At present, only those aged 16 and over are eligible to be vaccinated.

“I think the adult vaccination is going extremely well and I don’t see why, if we really wanted to, we couldn’t double vaccinate all school kids by Christmas,” Professor Blakely told the Australian.
“We might even be able to get a single shot into all primary school kids as well.”

The report comes as Australia today recorded its highest Covid case numbers since the pandemic began.

At least 2000 anti-lockdown protesters have also gathered in Brisbane's Botanic Gardens, ahead of a planned march through the Queensland capital.

The Courier-Mail reports that some attendees were seen abusing members of the media, telling them "you're the f***ing virus" and wielding signs that read "Jesus is my vaccine".

Others carried signs reading "end the lockdowns, open borders" and "don't believe the Covid-19 hoax pandemic".

Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled
Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled
Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled
Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

Things have quickly descended into chaos in Melbourne, where "police have been forced to use pepper spray to block protesters after a hearted clash", the Herald Sun's Suzan Delibasic shared on Twitter.

There've also been reports of police tackling demonstrators as the situation escalates.

Here's some more footage from the protests underway in Melbourne at the moment.

Apparently they're surrounded by a heavy police presence and multiple arrests have been made "within minutes".

There've been eight new cases of locally transmitted Covid-19 in the last 24 hours in the ACT.

All of the new cases are linked to known infections, and in some great news, none were infectious while out in the community.

Chief minister Andrew Barr said authorities are "cautiously confident" that the effect of the lockdown is beginning to reflect in the daily numbers.

The total number of active cases now sit at 102.

Victoria Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has declared the latest Shepparton outbreak "very concerning", warning the public of how rapidly the Delta variant can spread.

“It does show regional Victoria is under threat," Dr Sutton told the media on Saturday.

"That’s why we’ve declared all restrictions in place in Melbourne will apply for regional Victoria."

There are 18 people in hospital across the state, with 8 in ICU and two on ventilators.

There were 29,539 vaccination doses administered yesterday, with 45,670 tests conducted in the previous 24 hour period.

New cases were found in the suburbs of Keysborough, Frankston, Mordialloc, Airport West, all the way across to Melton and down to point Cook.
“That is pretty much every part of Melbourne with exposure sites, and there will be one near you,” Jeroen Weimar said.

“You have to be aware Covid is circulating the community near you.

“Any case we can stop today, stops us from having thousands of cases in the future.”

44 per cent of Victoria’s current cases are under the age of 20, with around half between 20 and 60. Just 4 per cent are over the age of 60.

NSW has reported 825 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. That's the highest number of any state in Australia since the pandemic began.

Of those, at least 58 people were infectious while in the community.

There were also, sadly, three deaths: a man in his 90s from northern Sydney, a man in his 80s from northern Sydney, and a woman in her 90s from southwest Sydney.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is set to give an update at 10.45am.

We're expecting he'll announce further restrictions in his state – including, most likely, a lockdown of regional Victoria and tougher measures surrounding childcare.

He'll be joined by the usual suspects – chief health officer Brett Sutton, Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar and Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton.

We'll bring you all the details from that one here, and you can watch live at the stream at the top of the page.

Chief health officer Jeanette Young is urging all Queenslanders over the age of 16 to come out and get vaccinated.

"We all need to do that, we all have a responsibility to do that," Dr Young told reporters.

"So, if you're 16 years of age or older, it is absolutely critical that you get vaccinated. We will not be able to hold back community spread of Covid in our state if we are not vaccinated."

Dr Young called on those over 60 who still haven't gotten their first dose to "really and truly come forward and get vaccinated".

"See your own GP – obviously you've got some concerns, because you haven't been vaccinated so far, so go and talk to your own GP and if they can't vaccinate you, there are not many who can't," she said.

"If your aged 16 through to 59, make a booking, register, and then make a booking as soon as it's offered to you get Pfizer at one of our clinics or go to one of the GPs that's offering Pfizer."

She urged Queenslanders not to wait, because "we are not going to be able to hold back the virus from our border, it is going to come across".

"But if we're vaccinated, we'll be fine," she added.

Good news for Queenslanders this morning – there've been no new cases of community transmission in the last 24 hours.

Two new cases have been identified in the state's hotel quarantine system, both of which are overseas acquired.

There are currently 51 active cases of Covid-19 in the Sunshine State.

Read related topics:Annastacia PalaszczukAustralian BordersBrisbaneLive Daily NewsMelbourneScott MorrisonSydneyVaccine
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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/australia/live-covid-updates-melbourne-lockdown-nsw-case-numbers/live-coverage/7619f13282516131087f0ae0d7c7ede8