Coronavirus: Lockdown continues as Victoria records 73 cases

Brett Sutton implores Victorians to follow the rules as the state faces an uncertain end to lockdown.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Ascui

Victorian chief health officr Brett Sutton has implored the community to comply with Covid-19 restrictions as the state faces an uncertain end to lockdown.

Of Victoria’s 73 new cases, Professor Sutton said nine were linked to the Shepparton outbreak, a childcare centre in Broadmeadows and five to the Al-Taqwa college in Truganina.

As well, three are linked to the Hobson’s Bay outbreak, two to Glenroy West primary school outbreak and two are linked to the emergency department at Sunshine Hospital.

Two are linked to a Chemist Warehouse in Hopper’s Crossing, one is linked to the Royal Melbourne Hospital outbreak and one to the St Kilda outbreak.

There are now more than 16,000 primary close contacts and more than 20,000 secondary close contacts.

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said details over the extension of the state’s sixth lockdown are being worked on by the public health team.

Mr Foley said case numbers had begun to “plateau” after the state recorded 73 new cases on Monday.

He said the state would have more options when it hit the 70 and per cent targets agreed upon by national cabinet.

“Our options multiply,” he said.

Of the 73 new cases, 52 have so far been linked to known outbreaks, meaning the remaining 21 are mystery cases.

Reported yesterday: 73 new local cases and no new cases acquired overseas.
- 26,702 vaccine doses were administered
- 41,395 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicData [1/2] pic.twitter.com/lQxcfi9yEW

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) August 29, 2021

The health department is yet to release any information regarding the isolation status of Monday’s new cases.

Monday’s 21 new mystery cases add to 56 cases which were under investigation as of Sunday evening, bringing the state’s total number of mystery cases to 77.

Monday’s 73 new cases follow 92 cases on Sunday – the highest daily caseload since Victoria recorded 110 cases on September 2, 2020, as its second wave receded.

There were 64 new cases on Saturday, 79 on Friday, 80 on Thursday, 45 on Wednesday, 51 on Tuesday and 71 last Monday.

The current outbreak emerged almost four weeks ago, amid short-lived celebrations of a zero case day on August 4 – the day before the state’s sixth lockdown was announced.

There are now 800 active cases that have been locally acquired in Victoria after the state saw 73 new cases on Monday.

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said 21 cases remained under investigation while at least 24 had been in isolation for their infectious period.

This means potentially up to 49 cases were in the community for at least part of their infectious period.

There are 49 people in hospital, 15 in intensive care and 11 on a ventilator, Mr Foley said.

The latest cases come after 41,395 tests were processed on Sunday, compared with 51,030 on Saturday, 55,333 on Friday, 50,535 on Thursday, 56,248 on Wednesday, 53,321 on Tuesday, 48,424 on Monday and 46,446 last Sunday.

Victoria’s testing record is 59,355 tests on July 20.