Victoria Covid news live: 324 new locally acquired cases
Victoria has announced new mandatory vaccination rules as the state deals with a its worst day of the outbreak so far.
Welcome to our coverage of the Covid situation in Victoria.
Victoria confirmed 324 locally acquired cases on Thursday as all regional Victorians, apart from residents in the Greater Shepparton area, prepare to be released from lockdown tonight.
From 11.59pm, the majority of regions will have their travel distance scrapped, most businesses and venues will be allowed to reopen with capacity limits, funerals will be permitted with up t 20 people, weddings will be permitted with up to 10 and schools will open for students in Prep to Year 2 and Year 12.
This live blog has now ended, read on for updates from earlier today. You can find the latest Covid-19 updates here.
Mandatory vaccines for truckies, healthcare workers
Health Minister Martin Foley has announced mandatory vaccinations for freight and healthcare workers who need to enter Victoria after being in high-risk Covid areas.
“Due to the risk that continues to be posed by the movement of the virus across NSW, and what that poses to a number of states including Victoria, we are further tightening the border requirement restrictions as they apply to specified worker groups for multiple entry permits,” Mr Foley said.
“As of the 23rd of September, freight and healthcare workers entering Victoria under those specified multiple entry work permits must have had at least one vaccination dose before entering Victoria.
“The evidence from the documentation of the first dose of the COVID-19 digital certificate
will be one of the preferred methods and that will, I suspect, increasingly become a tool as proof of vaccination status becomes an important part of the nation’s approach to managing the transmission of the virus and getting us back towards a more open and successful community.”
Cause of Victoria’s ‘rapid escalation’ of cases
Victorian Covid-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar has said the spread of the virus in households is one of the major driver’s of the state’s outbreak.
Mr Weimar said authorities were seeing “significant community transmission”, particularly in the northern and western Melbourne suburbs.
“Even as late as yesterday we are still finding cases where entire households are positive when the first person has come forward to be tested and where adjoining household families are all positive at the same time,” he said.
“[This] not only indicates that we have seen some level of household to household contact but, far more worryingly, that coronavirus has been there for a number of days, possibly a number of weeks.
“That makes it harder for everyone to track down in this way we see a rapid escalation of numbers because we pick up new cases and there are a lot of cases sitting behind them who have already been infected for many days beforehand.”
Victoria records 324 Covid cases
Victoria has recorded another worrying spike in Covid-19 cases, with 324 locally acquired infections in the 24 hours to midnight.
Of the new cases, just 107 were linked to known infections and outbreaks, with the source of 217 under investigation.
NSW records 1405 cases, six deaths
NSW has recorded 1405 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases and six deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
NSW Health also confirmed that 23 previously reported cases have been excluded following further investigations.
Follow our live NSW Covid blog for more updates.
NSW recorded 1,405 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) September 9, 2021
Two new cases were acquired overseas in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, and 23 previously reported cases have been excluded following further investigation. pic.twitter.com/kztOigGRBW
Rule breakers were begged to do right thing
The lengths that community members, politicians and police went to in order to prevent ultra-Orthodox worshippers gathering for Jewish New Year celebrations in Melbourne’s east has been revealed. And it was all for nothing.
Police have handed out more than 100 fines — each totalling $5452 — to those who gathered on Tuesday for Rosh Hashanah services in violation of the Victorian Government’s lockdown rules.
Tensions spilled over at the synagogue in Ripponlea where worshippers clashed with members of the media and police worked to calm the situation.
Some of the Ripponlea worshippers finally emerged after 8pm - media forced around the other side of the building after things got hairy @theagepic.twitter.com/Ez9l5laGXo
— Cassie Morgan (@cassieemorgan) September 7, 2021
A cameraman, who did not wish to be named, said he would pursue charges after he was allegedly assaulted while filming outside the Addas Israel Synagogue on Glen Eira Road.
As news of the breach makes news around the country — and overseas — it has emerged the group was begged not to go ahead with the gathering.
Local rabbis gave lengthy instructions about how to mark the reflective season in a safe manner, state Liberal MP David Southwick wrote letters directly to worshippers for months and the Prime Minister even urged the community not to congregate together in shule.
Mr Southwick said the group had been holding gatherings for “months” and were untouchable because “they were operating under an (Alcoholics Anonymous)-type meeting and mental health group that allows you to have 10 people congregate at a time”.
He said the Victorian Department of Health could not enforce powers “because the group was operating in a certain guise”.
– Rohan Smith
New mandatory jab rule expected to cause upset
Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to announce a new plan today that will see truck drivers going into ‘red zones’ and coming back into Victoria required to have their Covid-19 vaccinations.
The Herald Sun reports the government told the freight industry late on Wednesday night that drivers must have at least one dose of the vaccine by September 23.
The move is set to cause upset among workers, with fears many will push back against the deadline.
One source told the publication that the government was “dreaming” if they thought this change was practical, warning some drivers would refuse and could potentially quit.
It comes as the state has already been dealing with a shortage truck drivers this year, with concerns this could place even more pressure on supply chains.
Pub vows to let unvaccinated drink
The owners of a well-known pub in regional Victoria have defended their choice to allow unvaccinated people into their business, as heated discussion about the issue rages on.
A post from the Grand Hotel Healesville went viral this week when the owners explained that would allow all people, regardless of their Covid vaccine status, into the pub.
“Jab or no jab, everyone is welcome at the Grand Hotel Healesville,” the update read.
The post received thousands of likes and comments, with some congratulating the pub for “being on the right side of history”.
“Good on you guys. It’s such a delight to see not all are discriminating those who chose not to have a jab. I’ll absolutely be there to support your amazing business,” one Facebook user wrote.
“Thank you for supporting all and not creating division,” another user posted. You are going to be a very busy pub.”
But the post wasn’t received well by others.
“This is a pub I definitely won’t visit,” a user commented.
“Your choice mate, but here’s one little duck that won’t be stopping at your place, and I’m tipping you’ll change your mind by December,” another posted.
– Additional reporting NCA NewsWire
Anti-vaxxer made $50k a day in custody
An anti-lockdown activist appears to have made $50,000 a day sitting in a cell on remand after refusing to sign off on her own release on bail.
Reality TV wannabe turned anti-vaxxer and activist Monica Smit was successful in a bail application last week but in a spectacular twist she refused to sign an undertaking to follow the strict conditions.
The 33-year-old from Pakenham has been charged with two counts of incitement and three counts of breaching the chief health officer’s directions.
She is alleged to have encouraged people to attend illegal protests held in Melbourne on August 11 and August 21 during Victoria’s sixth lockdown by authoring and transmitting posts on the encrypted Telegram app.
Shortly after Ms Smit refused to sign her release document, her partner Morgan Jonas – also an anti-lockdown activist and vocal critic of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews – launched a crowd fundraiser for her legal defence.
The crowd funding web page states that all money raised would be used to fight the charges.
The crowd sourcing campaign showed it had raised $247,000 in just five days despite some of Ms Smit’s legal team working pro-Bono.
– Additional reporting NCA NewsWire
Regional Victoria to leave lockdown tonight
Regional Victorians are set to exit lockdown tonight, though Premier Daniel Andrews warned that some tough rules will still remain in place.
From 11.59pm tonight, the following rules will ease for the regions, apart from those in Greater Shepparton:
• The five reasons to leave home will be removed
• There will be no limit on travel, other than restrictions around entering Melbourne
• Most businesses and venues, including restaurants and cafes, will be allowed to reopen with capacity limits
• Residents are still encouraged to work from home if they can but office workers will be able to return up to 25 per cent or 10 people, whichever is greater
• Schools will reopen for Prep to Year 2 and Year 12 students. Remote learning will remain for all other years.
• Funerals will be allowed with up to 20 people and weddings will be allowed with up to 10 people, plus those required to conduct the service.
• Masks will continue to be required indoors and outdoors, apart from private residences, unless an exception applies.
“As I said, and I have said a number of times, it‘s not a snapback, it’s not Freedom Day, it’s not 100 per cent capacity down at the pub,” Mr Andrews said on Wednesday.
“We want to do this in a cautious way, but in a positive way in as optimistic way as possible.”
The only change for metropolitan Melbourne is that single parents can now access childcare regardless whether you are an authorised worker or not.
‘Stay at home’: New Covid wave surges
Another wave of Covid-19 is surging across one Aussie state, with authorities urging residents to have a new booster jab.
‘Really did erode trust’: Shock Covid apology
The apology follows a major report into Australia’s response to the pandemic that found trust in vaccination programs has declined.
‘Another one’: Grim pandemic warning
Australia’s health minister is issuing a grim warning about the country’s ability to weather another pandemic.