Coronavirus: Easing of restrictions uncertain as new cases emerge in Melbourne apartment complex

Residents of a Melbourne apartment complex linked to six coronavirus cases were not tested until more than a fortnight after exposure.

Health workers arrive to check on tenants of the townhouse complex in Southbank after the Victorian government place the tenants on a mandatory 14-day quarantine. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Ascui

Melburnians still do not know whether they will be permitted to leave their city this weekend as the Andrews government refuses to confirm whether a planned easing of restrictions will go ahead, despite several days with low numbers of new Covid-19 cases.

Tuesday’s official locally acquired case count was zero for only the second time since the first of Victoria’s current outbreaks emerged on May 24.

However, Health Minister Martin Foley confirmed early on Tuesday afternoon two new cases had been detected in residents of the Kings Park apartment complex in inner-city Southbank, bringing to six the total number of cases linked to the building.

The index case for the apartment complex cluster is a worker at the Arcare aged-care facility in Maidstone, in Melbourne’s northwest, where a staff member tested positive for the virus on May 30.

While the worker was moved into hotel quarantine soon after testing positive, exposure sites listed by Victoria’s health department on Tuesday indicate they had already passed the virus on to another resident, who was moving around the apartment complex while infectious from as early as June 2.

The health department did not organise testing for residents until Monday, and it was not until Tuesday that the complex was declared a Tier 1 exposure site.

Covid-19 logistics chief Jeroen Weimar said the two new positive results had been detected in “two adult males residing in separate apartments, adjacent to the four other positive cases we’ve ­already seen in that wider complex”.

About 200 residents submitted to testing on Monday, and all will be forced to quarantine for 14 days.

“Those two positive cases are connected to some communal areas that we are concerned about, thoroughfares within that busy complex,” Mr Weimar said.

While the state government has previously flagged an easing from midnight on Thursday of restrictions that currently see Melburnians banned from driving further than 25km from home for non-essential reasons, Mr Foley on Tuesday refused to guarantee it would go ahead.

“In terms of restrictions announcements, it’s a day-to-day proposition, and we know that families, businesses, all sorts of people need the certainty that the review of the restrictions that is under way and when we’ve got more to say about that, as always, we’ll have more to say,” he said.

The uncertainty has left ­regional hospitality businesses unable to make decisions on whether to order stock to cater for visiting Melburnians this weekend, as well as forcing the AFL to ban crowds at this weekend’s Victorian matches, including a highlight clash between Geelong and the Western Bulldogs at the Cats’ home ground.

The ban on crowds comes despite regional Victoria being a step ahead of Melbourne in easing ­restrictions.

Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher said it was “not ideal” that Cats fans would be forced to watch the showdown between the second and third teams on the AFL ladder at home.

Ms Asher said while views in the Geelong community were mixed regarding coronavirus restrictions, “it’s the inconsistency and uncertainty that creates the most angst”.

“It means these fluid decisions are hard for people to deal with even when they understand the rationale,” she said.

“The region’s local hospitality and tourism businesses have taken a huge hit from lockdown and from being unable to welcome (Melburnians) during the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

“There’s no doubt that footy crowds on Friday would have provided a much-needed boost.”

The lack of certainty on restrictions came as Victoria paused new bookings for the Pfizer vaccine to ensure all who had a first dose are able to receive a second.