Covid-19: Tougher restrictions loom amid Victorian outbreak

Victorian health authorities and the Andrews government are meeting to discuss bolstering virus rules amid seven new cases.

The Ariele Apartments at Maribyrnong have been placed into Covid lockdown. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Victorian health authorities and the Andrews government are meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss bolstering coronavirus restrictions following the discovery of seven new cases linked to two separated incursions from NSW.

The Australian understands restrictions – which are likely to include wearing masks in all indoor venues and limits on visits to households – could be announced as soon as Thursday.

A return to seated service, a ban on dancing, and limits on patron numbers and density in hospitality venues are also being considered.

Victoria had begun to return to a level of normality following 11 days with no new community acquired cases before the latest incursions from NSW.

Currently household visits are capped at 15 people per day, with density limits of one person per two square metres in hospitality venues.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Geraghty

‘Book to be thrown’ at maskless removalists

Three Sydney removalists at the centre of one of Victoria’s latest coronavirus outbreaks were not wearing masks while unloading furniture at the apartment building now linked to six virus transmissions, Victorian health authorities have revealed.

Covid-19 logistics chief Jeroen Weimar also confirmed on Tuesday that the removalists had taken almost 48 hours to reveal that they were travelling with a second truck and visited an additional set of exposure sites during their journey last Thursday from Sydney to Melbourne and on to Adelaide.

The southbound Caltex service station and Hungry Jack’s at Kalkallo, 30km north of Melbourne, were added to Victoria’s list of exposure sites on Tuesday night, after a removalist visited them between 9:07am and 10:06am last Thursday.

“Books will be thrown when it’s appropriate to throw them,” Mr Weimar said when asked whether the removalists would be punished.

“I’m exceptionally frustrated at the pace and transparency of information coming from the removalists’ exposure. That’s been a real matter of concern.

“We’ve now identified that we’ve got two vehicles.

“It’s not my job to worry about, you know, how safely those operations are run, but it is my concern that we haven’t had as quick and transparent exposure of all the information.

“That’s why we’re talking about Kalkallo now, you know, 24 hours after we started talking about the first site, which is a source of frustration to all of us.

“I would still not be surprised if we’re standing here tomorrow with yet another exposure site.”

Mr Weimar said residents of the Ariele Maribyrnong apartment building in Melbourne’s west, now linked to at least six coronavirus cases, had told authorities the removalists were not wearing masks while working there, “which is a breach of their permit condition”.

Victoria records seven new cases

Earlier, authorities identified seven new coronavirus cases, six of which are linked to the Ariele apartment complex visited by a team of Sydney removalists last Thursday.

The cases include a man in his 60s and a household of three people, all of whom live on the third floor of the Maribyrnong apartment building in Melbourne’s west, which was visited by the removalists.

The man’s parents, aged 89 and 90, have also tested positive for the virus.

The elderly couple live in Craigieburn, in Melbourne’s outer north.

Exposure sites already linked to the man include the Carlton-Geelong match at the MCG on Saturday, and the busy Highpoint shopping centre in Maribyrnong.

Separately, a fourth member of a family in the City of Hume in Melbourne’s outer north has tested positive.

One member of that family breached home quarantine to visit a Craigieburn Coles on Saturday, and a man in his 30s who was at the supermarket during the same period has also tested positive.

Cheryl Scott, a resident at the Ariele Apartments. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Victorian Covid-19 logistics chief Jeroen Weimar said 70 personal close contacts had been identified at the Craigieburn Coles visited by the member of the City of Hume family, 45 had been identified at the Ballan service station and McDonalds visited by the removalists and 134 had been identified at the Ariele apartments.

He said 70 per cent of Ariele apartment block residents had so far tested negative for the virus, with more test results expected to be returned in coming hours.

Removalists’ unwanted delivery

The removalists travelled from Sydney to a property in Craigieburn to deliver furniture to a family of five, arriving at 9.30am last Thursday.

At 1pm, the removalists arrived at the Ariele apartment complex to retrieve furniture from another family.

Craigieburn Central Shopping Centre has been listed as a Covid-19 exposure site. Picture: Josie Hayden

After leaving Maribyrnong on Thursday, the removalists stopped at the Mobil service station at Ballan, 70km west of ­Melbourne, using the shower facilities and dining at the adjacent McDonald’s restaurant.

They arrived in Adelaide in the early hours of Friday and unloaded furniture before one of them received a call from NSW contact tracers advising that he was a close contact of a positive coronavirus case.

The removalist was tested on his return to Sydney on Saturday, and was given a positive result on Sunday.

Mr Weimar said a second removalist had tested positive on Monday and the third was symptomatic. Victorian health authorities have since been conducting interviews with all three men and their employer.

New exposure sites added

Victorian health authorities have added yet more exposure sites, including iconic Melbourne pub Young & Jackson, and a coffee shop in the southeastern suburbs.

Tier 1:

- Young & Jackson, 1 Swanston St, Melbourne between 2:40pm and 4:10pm last Saturday July 10;

- Vanilla Lounge, 17-21 Eaton Mall, Oakleigh (southeastern suburbs) between 2:45pm and 4:30pm last Friday July 9;

- Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre, 1 Aquatic Drive, Maribyrnong between 10am and 11:30am last Saturday July 10;

- The Reject Shop, Highpoint Shopping Centre Level 2, 120-200 Rosamond Rd, Maribyrnong between 11:30am and 12:10pm last Friday July 9;

- SkinKandy, Highpoint Shopping Centre Level 2, 120-200 Rosamond Rd, Maribyrnong between 11:15am and 12:35pm last Friday July 9;

Tier 2:

- Highpoint Shopping Centre North Carpark, 120-200 Rosamond Rd, Maribyrnong between 11:10am and 11:40am last Friday July 9;

- Highpoint Shopping Centre North Carpark, 120-200 Rosamond Rd, Maribyrnong between 12:00pm and 12:30pm last Friday July 9;

Earlier, four other exposure sites were linked to a Covid-positive man in his 60s and family of three who live in the Ariele apartment building in Maribyrnong.

The sites are:

Tier 1:

- Highpoint Kinder Haven, 2A Mephan St, Maribyrnong between 9:15am and 5pm on Monday July 12;

Tier 2:

- ALDI Maribyrnong, 11 Edgewater Boulevard, Maribyrnong between 5:30pm and 6:10pm on Friday July 9;

- Level 2 of MCC Members’ Reserve, Carlton vs Geelong AFL game, MCG, Brunton Ave, Richmond between 4pm and 8pm on Saturday July 10;

Tier 3:

- Carlton vs Geelong AFL game (excluding) Level 2 of MCC Members’ Reserve, MCG, Brunton Ave, Richmond between 4pm and 8pm on Saturday July 10;

People who attended Tier 1 sites must isolate for 14 days, those who visited Tier 2 sites must get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result, and those who visited Tier 3 sites should monitor for symptoms.

Households breach lockdown orders

Victorian Covid-19 logistics chief Jeroen Weimar says five households appeared to be in breach of home quarantine requirements when authorities checked on them on Tuesday.

There were 1600 red zone permits issued on Tuesday to people returning from NSW, on top of more than 9400 issued to Monday.

“I think what we can see from the story of the last day or so is the absolute critical importance of red zone arrivals isolating, getting tested and maintaining isolation,” Mr Weimar said.

“We made over 250 home visits yesterday to red zone arrivals. Five of those, regrettably, either weren’t cooperating or we believe were absent and they’re being taken forward by the appropriate authorities.”

Authorities have opted not to punish a member of a City of Hume family who breached quarantine to visit Craigieburn Coles in Melbourne’s outer north last Saturday, infecting a fellow customer.

Mr Weimar said on Tuesday that the family had otherwise “done the right thing” given they tested negative on arrival in Victoria but got tested again when they developed symptoms over the weekend.