Coronavirus Australia live news: Melbourne vaccine centre now an exposure site
A Melbourne city hall used for vaccination is a Tier 1 exposure site as four more cases take the Whittlesea cluster to 30.
- Vaccine centre becomes exposure site
- Victoria’s five venues of concern
- Victoria records four new cases
- $200m business support package imminent
- Sliding doors moment led to lockdown
- Victorian plea for more contact tracers
- Lockdown a $1.3bn hit to economy
Welcome to our live coverage of the latest news in Australia’s battle with the coronavirus pandemic.
A Melbourne vaccination centre in a suburban city hall has been listed as a Tier 1 exposure site after an infectious person attended the venue last Saturday.
Victoria has recorded four new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total linked to the Whittlesea cluster to 30 as the state government prepares to announce a $200m support package for businesses hit by the lockdown. The news comes as it’s been revealed an 18-second sliding doors moment in Adelaide was responsible for the Victorian outbreak of the highly-contagious Indian variant of Covid-19.
Rachel Baxendale10.00pm:More exposure sites linked to food distribution centre
Victorian health authorities are scrambling to trace the movements of a coronavirus case confirmed on Thursday who worked for a large food distribution centre and visited multiple food stores across Melbourne 10 days ago.
In its daily press release, which was not issued until after 8:30pm on Friday, the state’s health department said the case did not have symptoms while at work.
“Significant contact tracing work is underway to identify all close contacts of this positive case,” the department said.
“The department is working closely with the employee’s company in its contract tracing efforts.
“Details of site exposures have been published urgently.
“The full investigation on specific times is still underway so time details of these sites may be refined – and we thank the affected public for their understanding.”
The department has issued a list of newly-listed exposure sites it considers particularly high risk, which include the sites visited by the case.
The sites extend from Melbourne’s northern suburbs to the outer southeast.
The list includes Vic Fields Summerhill Shopping Centre and Healthy India in Reservoir, Khalsa Sweets and Snacks, Indiagate Spices & Groceries and Epping Spices & Nuts Grocery Store in Epping, Erol’s Fruit Shop and Hamara Bazaar in Wollert, Bestway Supermarket, Marmara Halal Meats and Spice Inn Groceries in Dandenong, Sabrini Foods in Carrum Downs, Dosa Hut in Craigieburn, and the Star Car Wash 1, Westfield Plenty Valley in Mill Park.
Interestingly, Indiagate Spices & Groceries in Epping was one of the last sites visited by the original Wollert case who caught the virus in an Adelaide quarantine hotel before flying back to Melbourne on May 4.
The Wollert man is believed to have been infectious from May 6 and developed symptoms on May 8 - the same day he visited Indiagate Spices and the Epping North Woolworths, which Victoria’s health department initially labelled Epping Woolworths before correcting their mistake 10 days later amid positive coronavirus detections in Epping and Wollert sewage.
Rachel Baxendale8.30pm:Contact fears amid QR delays
Victoria’s Covid-19 logistics chief has conceded moving to a uniform QR code system for venue check-ins will boost compliance, but failed to explain why the state has taken up to eight months longer than other jurisdictions to make the move.
Jeroen Weimar’s concession came as he issued a plea to people who may have attended five high-risk bars in Melbourne’s south and southeast over the weekend to come forward for testing, amid fears authorities may have been unable to contact a significant number of people who were present but did not check in.
As Victorians spent their first day in a week-long lockdown, four new cases were linked to the Whittlesea cluster, bringing the total to 30.
Read the full story here.
Angelica Snowden7.30pm: Melbourne aged care residents get jabbed
Federal health authorities on Friday raced to vaccinate aged-care residents across Melbourne who had yet to receive coronavirus vaccinations as Victoria entered its first day of a week-long snap lockdown.
Residents at Doutta Galla aged-care home in inner-west Footscray were among those to receive Pfizer jabs after a commonwealth scheduling bungle left them exposed amid the state’s fourth coronavirus outbreak.
On Friday, The Australian revealed that the aged-care home – where nine residents died during Victoria’s second wave last year – was supposed to receive vaccine doses from May 17, but these arrived only on Friday.
“Doutta Galla is pleased residents have been able to receive the vaccination today. We have staff monitoring their progress and from all reports the process has been successful, and residents are happy and well,” a spokeswoman for the facility said.
Read the full story here.
Rhiannon Tuffield 6.45pm:Fan told not to use QR code at footy
A man who attended a Melbourne AFL match on the same night as a positive coronavirus case says a stadium official actively discouraged him from signing into the venue via QR code.
The Victorian man was attempting to sign in at the entry gates to Marvel Stadium before a match on Sunday, but claimed an official told crowds not to worry about signing in, before turning QR signs around and rushing people through the gates.
But the AFL has backed its Covid-safe protocols in the wake of the revelation, saying all attendees could be contact-traced through their tickets and QR codes outside the stadium were used as an additional layer of protection.
Luciana Magalhaes6.31pm:Covid killing hundreds of pregnant women in Brazil
Taíssa Souza, an advertising manager, wasn’t due to give birth until April. But in February she fell so ill with Covid-19 that she struggled to breathe, forcing doctors to deliver her baby son who was pressing up against her disease-ridden lungs.
It was too late. Ms. Souza, an otherwise healthy 30-year-old, died three weeks after the caesarean section. She didn’t get to hold her newborn, who was whisked away for fear she would infect him, or say goodbye to her 4-year-old son.
“She was so young, I can’t make sense of it,” said her husband, Victor Silva, a military police officer from this hard-hit coastal city. “Our sons will have to grow up without the affection and protection of a mother.”
More than a hundred pregnant women are dying from Covid-19 every month in Brazil, more than twice the rate last year, according to government figures—a tragedy researchers largely blame on the P.1 variant of the virus that first emerged in the Amazon and overwhelmed hospitals. In total, more than 800 expectant and postpartum mothers in Brazil have died from the disease since the pandemic began.
Angelica Snowden6.00pm:Pub owners happy with short term shutdowns
Bar owners and managers whose venues are at the centre of Victoria’s latest Covid-19 outbreak say they don’t mind short term closures in order to safeguard their long term survival.
Three Monkeys bar owner Antony Harvey said news a positive Covid-19 case visited his venue in Prahran was “alarming”.
“But the good news is all the staff onsite have so far tested negative,” the 52-year-old said.
About 150 patrons were identified at the bar after the exposure period started from 9pm last Saturday night.
Mr Harvey said he agreed the seven-day circuit breaker lockdown was a good idea for the sake of exterminating the virus and saving the industry in the long term.
“Economically we have put contingency plans in place knowing we are in a volatile environment,” he said.
“We have adapted and been resilient through each of the lockdowns and will continue to do the same.”
A spokesman for The Local in Port Melbourne - managed by the Australian Venue Co. - said the pub would bounce back, after a positive case attended the venue at lunchtime on May 21.
“We’ve seen that typically our pubs will bounce back within 3 weeks of a snap lockdown which is better than the alternative of prolonged restrictions,” Simon Caruso said.
“While these lockdowns are another hit to the hospitality industry more broadly, we respect the health advice and hope that we can get back to pouring pints next week,” he said.
Emily Cosenza 5.40pm: Hitchikers spark stricter SA border ban
South Australia will completely shut its border with all of Victoria after two teenagers hitchhiked their way into the state to see a friend before the lockdown came into effect.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens — who is also the State Coordinator — made the announcement on Friday afternoon and said he would be signing a new declaration later in the day.
Under the new directions, border residents within 70km will still be allowed to enter.
The state had earlier this week only closed its border with Greater Melbourne, no longer allowing travellers to enter South Australia unless someone was a returning resident, an essential traveller or had been granted an exemption.
But the stricter border rules were announced after it was discovered two Victorian girls who’d been reported missing crossed the border into SA overnight to visit a friend.
READ the full story here.
Anthony Piovesan 5.15pm: Jim’s furious take on Victoria’s lockdown
Jim’s Mowing founder Jim Penman has written another blistering open letter to the Victorian government blasting a decision to plunge the state into its fourth major lockdown in 12 months.
The mowing magnate penned the fiery letter moments after Acting Premier James Merlino and chief health officer Brett Sutton gave conflicting advice about whether garden maintenance workers could operate during the seven day lockdown.
When questioned about it at Friday morning’s press conference Mr Merlino said: “If the facility or the home is owner occupied and or the site is owner occupied, then they should not be going ahead”.
But Professor Sutton said “I will come back on that specific question” when he was asked if a Jim’s Mowing type businesses could operate.
Jim’s Mowing employees and franchisees were ordered to stop work in early August last year after lawn mowing and garden maintenance was among the list of industries forced to grind to a halt under public health orders.
The state government’s list of authorised workers published on Thursday did not include garden maintenance workers.
But it did state maintenance was an approved operation providing it was maintenance on “essential infrastructure and essential services required to maintain or protect human health, safety and wellbeing”.
Mr Penman said he believed this advice applied to his 615 Victorian franchisees and was adamant they could continue to operate during the latest lockdown.
READ the full story here.
Nicholas Jensen 4.05pm: More than 4 million doses now administered
A record day of 124,871 doses were administered across Australia on Thursday, building to a total of 4,031,539 jabs administered.
Across the country approximately 2,594,241 of the total doses have been administered through the commonwealth’s rollout, while 1,437,298 were given in state and territory clinics.
Victoria continues to lead the states, having administered 23,625 jabs yesterday, with NSW following on 13,588.
Queensland recorded 7257 jabs, Western Australia 3530 and South Australia 2849.
Tasmania administered 768 jabs, the ACT 828 and the Northern Territory 949.
Nicholas Jensen 3.45pm: Melbourne vaccine centre an exposure site
A Melbourne vaccination centre has been listed as a Tier 1 exposure site after an infectious person attended the venue last Saturday.
According to the Victorian Health Department, the infectious case attended Preston City Hall to get a flu jab on May 22 between 9.30am and 11am.
Victoria Health is requesting anyone who visited the Gower St venue at these times to contact them, get tested, isolate and quarantine for 14 days.
The listing comes after Victoria recorded four new cases of community transmission.
All four new cases are linked to the current outbreak.
READ MORE:List of virus exposure sites
Adeshola Ore 3.23pm: Record day of vaccinations as 124,000 doses administered
Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia had a record day of coronavirus vaccinations on Thursday with 124,000 doses administered.
There have now been more than 4 million doses of coronavirus vaccines administered across Australia.
Commodore Eric Young, which is managing the country’s distribution of vaccines, said the pace of the rollout was continuing to accelerate.
“It took us 47 days to get to our first million doses of vaccines administered and 13 days to get to our most recent million,” he said.
Adeshola Ore3.17pm: All aged care will have first dose by end of day: Hunt
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the situation in Victoria — which has been plunged into its fourth Covid-19 lockdown- is “very different” to one year ago.
Mr Hunt said the health officials and government had moved early to enact a lockdown.
“The Prime Minister has spoken with the Victorian acting premier and we indicated that if Victoria were to move early, they would have our support and they have done that and that is to their credit,” he said.
He also pointed to an improved contact tracing system and the vaccine rollout. He noted by the end of the day the commonwealth would have administered a first dose vaccine to all aged-care facilities in the country.
The government is also providing 160 defence personnel to Victoria to assist with the state’s lockdown.
“That allows Victorian authorities to be deeply engaged in the contact tracing program. That request has been made by Victoria to the Commonwealth,” Mr Hunt said.
Joseph Lam 2.10pm: McKay supporter laments ‘ALP dysfunction’
Politicians have taken to Twitter in support of former NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay who announced she would step down from her position midday Friday.
Summer Hill member Jo Haylen said Ms McKay was a hard worker who fought for her community.
“It takes guts to make the decision she has today,” she wrote.
“Her decision today is another example of her commitment to NSW Labor, and of putting the community before herself.”
NSW Legislative Council member David Shoebridge said the focus on “ALP dysfunction” is enough to “make you weep if you let it”.
“Multiple ICAC referrals, Ministerial resignations, police investigations, grants scandals and billion dollar bungles — all in the ranks of Coalition MPs from the Premier down — and the NSW political story is about ALP dysfunction,” he wrote.
Port Stephens member Kate Washington said she admired Ms McKay’s “integrity, strength and resilience in the face of treachery”.
“As a colleague and a friend, I have seen that Jodi’s leadership was never about the personal pursuit of power. It was always about doing the right thing by the people of NSW and the Labor Party.”
Newtown Member Jenny Leong said the decision was “disappointing”, questioning whether it was the right “solution to their woes”.
“So at a time when women are rising up with more strength, more determination and collectively saying (sic) #EnoughisEnough NSW Labor get rid of Jodi McKay as their leader?”
READ MORE: Jodi McKay quits after horror Hunter result
Caroline Schelle 1.50pm: Victoria requests ADF help
Victoria’s acting premier has asked for Australian Defence Force members to help with the latest coronavirus outbreak in the state.
“We’ll be putting a formal request through for additional ADF staff, so the request for 160 ADF staff for at least the next fortnight,” Mr Merlino told reporters during a press conference.
The defence staff would be used to supplement authorised officers doorknocking positive cases and primary close contacts, he said.
“Having 160 ADF staff over the next couple of weeks effectively doubles the capacity to do that work and ensure that people are doing the right thing,” Mr Merlino said.
He said authorised officers who were carrying out the checks to ensure people were isolating had to work in pairs, and the additional support would help them carry out the work.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison indicated the federal government would “work through” the request for help, Mr Merlino explained.
It comes as more than 47,000 people were tested for the virus and 17,000 vaccines were administered on Thursday.
Up to 15,000 have been identified as close or secondary contacts and have been asked to isolate.
In Victoria more than one million vaccine doses have been delivered.
READ MORE: ‘No accountability in a woke state’
John Lethlean 1.30pm: Restaurant group demands new Covid support scheme
Restaurant & Catering Australia has written to acting Victorian Premier James Merlino demanding a new support scheme.
CEO Wes Lambert said Friday that Thursday’s announcement represented “a crushing blow to the thousands of restaurants, cafes and caterers who continue to bear the brunt of lockdowns and ongoing restrictions.”
“This spectre of continual disruption for the next 7 days of lockdown and beyond as restrictions are likely to remain in place, is a source of grave concern and anxiety for the wider accommodation and food services sector. Grants of just a few thousand dollars just won’t cut it this time, not with Federal JobKeeper gone and Tenant Protections having just expired”, Mr Lambert said in a statement.
Proposing a scheme to be called VicHospoSaver, Lambert said it would target businesses within the accommodation and food services sector in Victoria.
“This cycle of lockdown, restrictions and border closures cannot continue. The wider Accommodation and Food Services Industry across Victoria has irrefutably been one of the hardest hit sectors during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” he said.
“With 14,609 restaurants, cafes and catering businesses across Victoria, employing more than 180,000 people, R&CA expects this program to carry a total cost of $90 million per week of lockdown to the Victorian Government.”
“Restaurants, cafes and caterers have continued to suffer, and this latest lockdown put Victorian businesses further behind their counterparts in every other state and territory across the country.
“Whilst all of these actions follow the best health advice available, they unfortunately leave thousands of businesses facing sustained losses and with the threat of eventual closure. Put simply, now is the time to save our Victorian hospitality sector,” Mr Lambert said.
READ MORE: Hospitality bid for special foreign staff visas
Joseph Lam 1.10pm: Jodi McKay quits: ‘If a ballot were held today, I’d win’
Jodi McKay has resigned from her position as leader of the NSW Labor Party, signing off on the notion that “leadership is also about knowing when you step up, and when you step down”.
Ms McKay said she was leaving despite having the support of her party, maintaining that no other party members had asked her to leave.
“I do this, even though I have the support of my caucus, and our wonderful party members. No one has asked me to stand aside, in fact colleagues have asked me to stay,” Ms McKay said.
“If a ballot was held today I can tell you I would win that ballot.”
Ms McKay acknowledged her party had come into some trouble recently but, in true Labor spirit, she said, she wished the next leader well.
“We have had, as you know, some bumps and bruises along the way, but I do want my successor to continue this reform, to ensure that we continue to speak, and also have relevance to the broader population.”
Ms McKay said she looked forward to spending more time in her Strathfield electorate.
READ MORE: Jodi McKay quits NSW Labor leadership after horror Hunter result
Joseph Lam 12.50pm: Victoria’s five venues of concern
Victorian authorities are urgently seeking anyone who visited the following five venues:
Sporting Globe in Mordialloc: May 23 from 6.15pm to 9.45pm
Three Monkeys in Prahran, May 22 and 23 from 7pm to 11pm
The Palace hotel in Melbourne, May 22 from 9.45pm to 6:45pm
The Somewhere Bar in Prahran, May 22 from 10.30pm to 1am
The Local, 22-24 Bay St, Port Melbourne: May 21 from 1.30pm to 3.30pm
“We’ve got a number of locations where we just don’t think we’ve got hold of all the people who were in those venues,” testing chief Jeroen Weimar said.
“It’s important to get hold of them now.”
Remy Varga12.45pm: Teenage border-crossing hitchhikers busted
SA Police have taken into custody two teenage girls who hitchhiked across the Victorian border last night, sparking a Covid scare.
A police spokesperson said the teens would undergo testing after travelling in multiple vehicles to Goolwa, about 85km south of Adelaide, to see a friend.
The trio on Friday morning then took a school bus from Goolwa to Harbor High School this morning before police stopped the bus.
The two girls are in isolation and SA Police is co-operating with SA Health, Victoria Police and Victor Harbour High School.
“About 7.14am today (Friday 28 May) SAPOL were contacted by Victoria Police, who advised them that the two girls had hitchhiked to South Australia, using several different vehicles to travel in to see another girl in Goolwa,” said a spokesperson.
“The three girls then travelled on a school bus from Goolwa with other students to Victor Harbor High School this morning.
“The bus was stopped before the students could leave the bus, SAPOL is working with other agencies including SA Health, Victoria Police and Victor Harbor High School to ensure the safety of those on board.
Anyone who believes they gave the girls a lift is urged to isolate immediately and contact SA Health on the Covid hotline on 1800 253 787.
Joseph Lam 12.35pm: Funeral exemption rejected for 8-year-old boy
A family who tragically lost their 8-year-old son in a drowning incident last week have held a funeral with just 10 people after the Department of Health rejected their application for an exemption.
Cooper Onyett drowned at Belfast Aquatics in Port Fairy, 290km west of Melbourne, On May 21.
Plans for his funeral were disrupted Victoria’s snap seven-day lockdown which came into effect at 11.59pm on Thursday.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton on Friday confirmed an exemption had not been made for the family.
“I think these are the most difficult decisions for the exemptions team to make, and it will be weighing extremely heavily on them, but our thoughts are with the family at such extraordinarily difficult times,” Professor Sutton said.
“I don’t know the thinking behind it. I am sure they are considering the equity issues for everyone who will unfortunately have funerals in coming days, and the equity issues around how you manage the risk and all of those settings, because we know that transmission occurs in large gatherings.”
Cooper’s parents, Skye and Heath, made the call to only hold a 10-person funeral late on Thursday, member for South West Coast Roma Britnell told the Herald Sun.
“She never found out and made the call at 10 o’clock (Thursday) night, she put a message out to her family, saying that she was going to have to make the call,” Ms Britnell said.
“I’m quite disturbed that they gave her a glimmer of hope.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family.
Ellen Ransley 12.20pm: Virus alert for 40,500 Sydney residents
Health authorities have issued an urgent warning for tens of thousands of Sydney residents, after fragments of Covid-19 were found in a sewerage network.
The Homebush network site encompasses about 40,500 people living in Homebush West, Strathfield, Concord West, Sydney Olympic Park, Wentworth Point, Newington, Lidcombe, Homebush, Silverwater, Petersham, Liberty Grove, Rhodes, North Strathfield and Concord.
In a statement, NSW said they were aware of a recent Covid-19 case who had left hotel quarantine and was living in this catchment, but urged everyone in the area to be “vigilant” in monitoring their symptoms.
“People who have recently recovered from Covid-19 can continue to shed virus fragments into the sewerage system for several weeks even after they are no longer infectious,” a NSW Health spokesperson said.
“Nonetheless, NSW Health is asking everyone in the area to be vigilant in monitoring for symptoms, and if they appear get tested and isolate immediately until they receive a negative result.”
It comes as NSW Health “strongly advise” against all non-essential travel to Victoria, as the southern state enters a seven day “circuit-breaker” lockdown to curb widespread Covid-19 transmission.
Fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been detected at a sewage network site at Homebush.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) May 28, 2021
Health authorities are continuing to ask people who had been in Victoria since May 12 and had visited any of the venues of concern to contact them.
“NSW Health is grateful for those contacts who have contacted us so far,” the spokesperson said.
“Twenty-eight close contacts in NSW who attended venues of concern in Victoria have returned negative results. These people will isolate for 14 days from their exposure date and will be tested again before the end of their isolation period.”
Three new cases were detected in hotel quarantine in NSW in the last 24 hours, and 17,593 tests were carried out.
READ MORE: Over-50s rebellion risks a bleak winter
Alistair Dawber 12.00pm: Immunity could last years if you’ve had virus and jab
Immunity against Covid-19 may last for years among those who have recovered from the virus and received a vaccine, two studies suggest.
Cells in bone marrow generated as part of an immune response may retain a memory of the virus and can produce long-lasting antibodies as a defence against future infections, according to researchers.
They indicate that these cells strengthen over a period of at least a year and that people who have developed this level of immunity may not need booster shots of the vaccine for a considerable period of time.
The two studies, published this week in Nature and on BioRxiv, a pre-print online research site, will give cheer to those concerned that antibodies produced after infection are short lived.
“It’s normal for antibody levels to go down after acute infection, but they don’t go down to zero; they plateau,” Ali Ellebedy, an assistant professor at Washington University in St Louis who led the Nature study, said.
“These cells have been generated as part of the immune response and they live at this stage for a very long period and continue to secrete antibodies.
“These cells are not dividing. They are quiescent, just sitting in the bone marrow and secreting antibodies. They have been doing that ever since the infection resolved, and they will continue doing that indefinitely.”
Ellebedy’s study monitored the antibodies in 77 patients who had tested positive for coronavirus. In all cases the level of antibodies found in bone marrow cells fell after four months, but the pace of decline then slowed. Eleven months after contracting the virus, antibodies could still be detected.
Ellebedy says that this indicated people who have recovered from the virus and are vaccinated may be “super protected,” but he still urged these people to get a vaccine in order to protect against variants.
“The chances of getting protection against variants increases significantly and that’s the advantage that we are seeing in people who have experienced the infection before,” he said.
Other scientists not involved in the study agreed with its findings.
The Times
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Joseph Lam 11.14am: Victoria’s vaccine hotline capacity doubled
Victoria’s Covid-19 vaccination booking hotline which has reportedly crashed several times since Thursday has had its capacity doubled.
Covid-19 testing Commander Jeroen Weimar said the hotline received 17,000 calls over a 15-minute period on Thursday as the lockdown was announced.
“It did cause a few challenges for our colleagues at Telstra to hold up our calls for that time,” Mr Weimar said.
“They have now doubled the capacity and the number of lines we have into our contact centres and we now have over 630 people working in the contact centre to take both activation bookings and deal with any other questions that people may have in the way that we are handling this response.”
Victoria’s Covid-19 vaccination hotline has made more than 12,000 bookings since Thursday, 2000 of which were made before 9am Friday.
READ MORE: If Covid leaked, the China rise narrative is in tatters
Joseph Lam 11.09am: Victoria identifies 15,000 primary, secondary contacts
Contact tracers have identified more than 15,000 primary and secondary contacts linked to two Melbourne Covid-19 clusters which threw the city into a seven-day lockdown.
Victorian COVID-19 testing Commander Jeroen Weimar announced the discovery on Friday as four new cases of Covid-19 were recorded.
“Of those 15,000 people we now have 1452 identified as primary close contacts, associated with both the Whittlesea outbreak and the Port of Melbourne outbreak,” Mr Weimar said.
All 15,000 residents have been asked to isolate for 14 days and a total of 30 cases are linked to both clusters.
One case identified last night caught the virus at the The Sporting Globe Bar & Grill in Mordialloc, authorities believe.
Mr Weimar said authorities were urgently trying to track down those who visited The Sporting Globe Bar & Grill, Three Monkeys, Somewhere Bar, The Palace Hotel and The Local.
“If you have been to those locations you have been out partying with somebody who was covered positive at the same time, with you in that space,” he said.
READ MORE: The 18-second breach that brought misery
Adeshola Ore 11.07am: Hospitality group’s plea to commonwealth
Australia’s peak hospitality group is urging the commonwealth to work with the Victorian government to offer targeted support for businesses forced to close in the state’s lockdown.
Victorians have begun a snap seven-day lockdown and the first without the JobKeeper wage subsidy. The Victorian government is preparing to announce a $200m support package to help Victorian businesses get through the current lockdown. The federal government has deferred questions about financial support for Victorian businesses to the state government.
The Australian Hotels Association has written to Scott Morrison and state premiers to request that national cabinet agree on targeted and temporary financial assistance for workers and employees impacted by snap lockdowns.
“We understand the public health orders are put in place to make Australians safe,” the association’s chief executive Stephen Ferguson said.
“But the latest seven-day lockdown in Victoria highlights again that workers and businesses are stuck with no co-ordinated scheme in place to look after the welfare of businesses and workers financially impacted by the restrictions imposed on them.”
READ MORE: Over-50s rebellion threatens to derail vaccination program
Joseph Lam 10.41am: Lockdown to cost over $2.5 billion: AIG
Australian Industry Groups says Melbourne’s seven-day lockdown will cost Victoria somewhere north of $2.5 billion, says chief executive Innes Willox.
“We calculate that this will cost the state somewhere over $2bn, about $2.5bn in deferred or missed spending,” Mr Willox told Sky News on Friday.
“That’s a huge hit to the economy, to business confidence.”
Mr Willox questioned whether the snap lockdown was the best decision for Victoria.
“We’ve always argued that lockdowns should be targeted and proportionate and it’s hard to think locking down a state this quick was necessary but that’s the call they’ve made.”
READ MORE: Kennett’s AFL vow: I will fix this hush money mess
Adrian McMurray 10.38am: McKay could quit today: reports
NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay could quit as early as today.
Sky News is reporting Ms McKay has struggled to form a new shadow cabinet, following the resignation of transport spokesman Chris Minns and treasury spokesman Walt Secord earlier this week in the wake of the Upper Hunter by-election claimed by the Nationals’ Dave Layzell.
A press conference could be held in the coming hours.
Joseph Lam 10.26am: Queensland records two new quarantine cases
Queensland has recorded two new cases of Covid-19 over the past 24 hours among overseas returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
The state conducted 9049 tests and administered 7159 vaccinations over the past 24 hours.
That figure move to 7160 on Friday when Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath received her Covid-19 vaccine in Brisbane’s Redcliffe.
✅ #COVID19 first vaccination ✅
— Yvette D'Ath MP (@YvetteDAth) May 27, 2021
This morning I received my first dose of the Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccination. 💉
It was quick. Easy. And didn’t even feel it happening.
Thank you Lisa a nurse of over 16 years for administering my jab this morning. ðŸ‘🻠pic.twitter.com/3r4UDrOZDd
“I couldn’t even tell you’d done it so you were good,” Ms D’Ath told nurse Lisa, who administered the vaccine. Ms D’Ath received her flu vaccine three weeks ago.
Speaking to media following the vaccination, Ms D’Ath defended claims Queensland had overreacted to Melbourne’s latest cluster.
“Any of those contacts could be in Queensland right now so no, we don’t think we have overreacted,” she said.
Friday 28 May - coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) May 27, 2021
• 0 new locally acquired cases
• 2 new overseas acquired cases
• 14 active cases
• 1,615 total cases
• 2,623,951 tests conducted
Sadly, seven people with COVID-19 have died. 1,588 patients have recovered.#covid19pic.twitter.com/9H6GivynkG
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Rachel Baxendale10.19am: Merlino, Sutton to speak shortly
Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino and chief health officer Brett Sutton are due to address the media at 10:45am.
The update comes as the Whittlesea cluster reached 30 cases on Friday morning, with four new cases overnight, and as Victorians spend their first day in a seven day lockdown.
We’ll have a live stream of the press conference at the top of this blog.
Adeshola Ore 9.55am: Other financial support already in place: Birmingham
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham says the federal government will closely monitor Victoria’s lockdown, but has not committed to additional financial support for businesses or employees.
Victorians have begun their fourth Covid-19 lockdown and the first without the JobKeeper wage subsidy. The Victorian government is preparing to announce a $200m support package to help businesses get through the current lockdown. The federal government has deferred questions about financial support for Victorian businesses to the state government.
Mr Birmingham pointed to targeted support for the aviation industry and “highly discounted” small businesses loans the federal government had already provided.
“In the budget we handed down just a few weeks ago, there was a further $40bn worth of temporary Covid-19 measures,” Senator Birmingham told Sky News.
“We’ll of course monitor the situation very closely, particularly if it is extended.
“There’s a chance it may end up being shorter than what’s there.”
READ MORE: My beloved Melbourne now resembles a poorly run police state
Courtney Walsh 9.52am: Blockbuster AFL clash to go ahead
Melbourne is free to play in the top of the table clash against the Western Bulldogs on Friday night after a Covid-19 scare.
The Demons were cleared this morning after the final tests for the playing group and staff were negative to the virus.
They were forced to isolate after a player, who is currently in rehabilitation and not working with the main squad, reported that he had attended a hotspot.
The Western Bulldogs had a similar issue earlier in the week after a staff member attended the Highpoint Shopping Centre, but they also received the all clear.
The match at Marvel Stadium will be played with the roof open to comply with new Covid-19 guidelines. No fans will be in attendance for a clash between the two premiership aspirants, which have both won nine of their ten matches to date in 2021.
READ MORE: Demons test negative, blockbuster to go ahead
Rachel Baxendale 9.15am: Victorian health department HQ scare
Four levels of the Victorian health department’s Melbourne CBD headquarters have been deep cleaned, after a close contact of the Whittlesea cluster worked there.
A spokeswoman for Acting Premier James Merlino said the four levels were cleaned “out of an abundance of caution after it was confirmed that a close contact worked there”, but the person had not tested positive.
READ MORE: How an 18-second breach brought misery to Victoria
Adeshola Ore 9.12am: Victorian quarantine facility ‘some months’ away
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the federal government is supportive of the Victorian government’s proposal for a purpose-built quarantine facility, but says it will be “some months” before it is functioning.
The proposal, which would supplement hotel quarantine, is being considered by the commonwealth.
“Those discussions are moving at pace, we are very keen to support the Victorian facility proposal. It will take time,” Mr Hunt told ABC Radio.
Asked when the centre would be opened, Mr Hunt said “we don’t have a figure yet from the Victorian government, but it will take some months.”
READ MORE: My beloved Melbourne now resembles a poorly run police state
Rachel Baxendale 9.05am:Victoria records four new cases
Victoria has recorded four new locally acquired coronavirus cases, bringing the total linked to the Whittlesea cluster to 30.
Reported yesterday: 4 new local cases and 2 new cases acquired overseas (currently in HQ).
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) May 27, 2021
- 17,223 vaccine doses were administered
- 47,462 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/9TJ9Iphw0e
There were also two overseas-acquired cases detected in hotel quarantine.
A record 17,223 vaccine doses were administered by state authorities on Thursday, up from 12,677 on Wednesday.
There were 47,462 tests processed in the 24 hours to Thursday night, up from 40,411 in the previous 24 hours.
READ MORE: Over-50s rebellion threatens to derail rollout
Daniel Sankey 8.55am: Victorian vaccine hotline again overwhelmed
Victorians attempting to book a Covid-19 vaccine appointment are again striking out, with the state’s 1800 675 398 hotline unable to take calls.
The state’s health department said yesterday it was working to resolve connection issues after the hotline crashed yesterday following the announcement that Victorians aged 40-49 years could receive a Covid-19 vaccine.
When the hotline opened at 8am this morning, however, problems resurfaced. Between 8am and 8.30am, callers reported getting a busy signal, before an automated message was added shortly after 8.30am.
Advising that the hotline was “experiencing a high volume of calls”, those wishing to book a Covid-19 vaccine appointment were instead asked to call 1800 571 121.
However, callers to that number were also hit with a busy signal.
READ MORE: Over-50s rebellion threatens to derail rollout
Adeshola Ore 8.47am: Melbourne mayor’s appeal for business assistance
Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp has called for state and federal financial assistance for businesses affected by Victoria’s first lockdown without JobKeeper.
Seven million Victorians will spend the next seven days locked down after the state’s coronavirus outbreak grew to 26 cases on Thursday.
The Victorian government is preparing to announce a $200m support package to help Victorian businesses get through the current lockdown. The federal government has deferred questions about financial support for Victorian businesses to the state government.
Ms Capp said without the JobKeeper wage subsidy, governments needed to provide urgent financial support to businesses.
“We do need confidence and certainty from the state government and federal governments about assistance for those who need it,” she told the ABC.
“Financial assistance for business owners that have managed to hang in there this long and who are going to be devastated by this lockdown in Victoria.”
READ MORE: Jabs the only way out, say business chiefs
Rachel Baxendale 8.42am:$200m business support package imminent
The Andrews government is preparing to announce a $200m support package to help Victorian businesses get through the current lockdown of at least seven days.
The package is unlikely to be announced on Friday, but is set to be unveiled in coming days.
However, hundreds of thousands of casual workers locked down at home without any idea when they’ll next get a pay cheque have been left without the security of the federal government’s JobKeeper payment, which was in place during Victoria’s other three lockdowns.
Asked on Friday morning whether Victorian businesses would have access to JobKeeper or any form of federal government help to help them through the lockdown, Health Minister Greg Hunt deferred to the state government.
“Well, at this stage, Victoria is the responsible body. They have said that they will be providing additional support,” Mr Hunt told ABC radio.
“And we take them at their word. I think we’ve all up provided extraordinary support so far.”
Pressed again on whether that meant Victorian businesses would get “no help” from the federal government, Mr Hunt said: “This is a difficult time, and I’ll leave those matters to the Treasurer, but it’s the Victorian government that has indicated that they will be taking measures.”
READ MORE: Hotels fail to contain Covid
Joseph Lam 8.38am: Call for income support for Victorians
Victorian Chamber of Commerce chief executive Paul Guerra says the Victorian government needs to provide income support for thousands of Australians who will be without income over the next seven days.
“Some businesses are hanging by a thread, and that will be cut today,” Mr Guerra said.
“There are thousands and thousands of workers today that will be without income, and that needs to be addressed as a priority by the covenant.”
Mr Guerra said without income support, workers could be forced to work when they shouldn’t during the lockdown.
“We need a worker keeper to ensure the money will flow to those people they won’t have work over the next few days.
“I think every Victorian is over the blame game, we’re back here again for the fourth time and we shouldn’t be.
“Is it a delayed vaccine rollout, is it a quality in the program that keeps failing, every quality hotel has failed. Let’s build a purpose-built facility.”
READ MORE: Restrictions a $1.3bn hit to business
Eli Greenblat 8.17am: Woolworths introduces toilet paper limit in Victoria
Woolworths has quickly followed Coles to impose buying limits on toilet paper as Victoria begins its seven day lockdown triggered by the latest Covid-19 outbreak.
The supermarket giant said on Friday that it is imposing a limit of two packs of toilet paper per person.
“We’re reinstating limits on toilet paper in Victoria to help ensure more customers have fair access to the product. We’ll continue to closely monitor demand and our team is working hard to restock shelves for our customers. We thank customers for their patience as we do this,” a spokesman for Woolworths said.
Coles has also introduced a buying limit of two packs of toilet paper per shopper.
READ MORE: Stoicism as virus empties a city again
Joseph Lam 8.11am: Casual sites key to easing restrictions: expert
Deakin University epidemiologist Catherine Bennett says Victoria could see an easing of restrictions in the state’s regions if authorities find no cases linked to casual sites.
“If in a few days they’re still not seeing any cases linked to casual sites, that may allow them to relax some restrictions, particularly in regional Victoria,” Professor Bennett told Sunrise on Friday.
“Or, we might be able to shorten the lockdown, so we’ll wait and see what happens with these exposure sites, both in Melbourne and regional Victoria, and hope that it gives them more options for easing restrictions, given that we’re not seeing cases outside those immediate close contacts.”
Professor Bennett said Victoria was “still in catch-up mode” in terms of the latest cluster and the next few days would provide a better picture of its spread.
READ MORE: All suburbs with Covid cases
Joseph Lam 8.01am: Vaccination blitz hits aged care homes
A vaccination blitz is set to hit aged-care homes on Friday as the federal government looks to fully vaccinate Australia’s most vulnerable people.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt on Friday told Sky News that the majority of commonwealth aged-care facilities would be vaccinated by the end of the day with the remaining homes to receive their jabs next week.
“Around Australia by the end of today we should be close to 99 per cent of facilities being completed. In Victoria, we’re expecting that would be 100 per cent,” Mr Hunt said.
“By the end of today it will be approximately one per cent left to be vaccinated,” Mr Hunt said.
Approximately 25 facilities out of Australia’s 2500 aged care facilities will be still awaiting vaccinations by the end of the day.
The Australian spoke to several aged-care homes across Victoria on Friday and recorded several which were yet to be vaccinated.
Jewish Care Victoria said its original vaccination date of May 11 was cancelled and had been rescheduled to June 4. After receiving contact from the federal government on Thursday, the provider said vaccinations would begin Friday.
“Whilst the late notice creates some operational challenges, we are delighted that our elders will receive their first COVID-19 vaccination injection tomorrow,” a statement from the provider said.
Jewish Care said it received contact from the government which permitted not waiting 14 days between receiving the flu vaccine and Covid-19 vaccine.
“This afternoon, Jewish Care also received advice from the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, that shortening the interval between the administration of the influenza vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine can be justified given the prevailing local epidemiological situation.”
READ MORE: Jab bungle at nursing home in hot zone
Rachel Baxendale 7.55am: New exposure sites offer clues to cluster’s origin
As Victorians wake to their first day of what will be at least seven days of lockdown, a series of exposure sites dating back to May 13 at Melbourne’s RMIT university and in the northern suburbs may offer the strongest clues so far as to how the current cluster emerged from a man in his 30s who caught it in an Adelaide quarantine hotel and travelled home to the northern suburb of Wollert on May 4.
The health department’s list of public exposure sites had reached 121 on Friday morning, after more than 40 sites were added in the previous 24 hours, indicating more cases are likely to be linked to the Whittlesea cluster of 26 when the department issues its daily update later in the morning.
The latest sites are all over Melbourne, from Aspendale Gardens and Cranbourne in the outer southeast, to Tullamarine in the northwest, Yarraville and Seddon in the west, and throughout the northern suburbs and inner city.
Among the sites added in the past 24 hours are a series from May 13 and 14, which represent the earliest known exposure for members of the Whittlesea cluster.
They include:
– RMIT Buildings 56 and 57 in Carlton, just north of Melbourne’s CBD, between 8am and 4pm on Thursday, May 13;
– The Caltex Woolworths service station in the outer northern suburb of Epping between 4:10pm and 4:55pm on Thursday, May 13, and Bunnings in nearby Thomastown between 11:am and 12pm the same day;
– Everfresh Fruit Market, Fruits of Lalor and No. 1 Fruit Market, all in the outer northern suburb of Lalor, and all between 11:30am and 12:30pm on Friday, May 14.
RMIT Building 56 had previously been listed as an exposure site between 8am and 10:30am on Friday, May 21, as had the three Lalor fruit shops on between 12:00pm and 1:00pm on Wednesday, May 19. Those times remain as exposure periods, in addition to the exposures on May 13 and 14.
At Thursday morning’s press conference chief health officer Brett Sutton confirmed authorities still regarded the fifth known case in the cluster to be the index case, from whom all other known cases contracted the virus.
But these latest exposure times predate what we’ve previously been told about case five, a man in his 60s, who is believed to have been infectious from about May 15, developed symptoms on May 17, met with the first known case in the cluster on May 18, and did not test positive until May 25.
The discovery of an exposure as early as May 13 implies that authorities may be moving closer to establishing how case five caught the virus, and how his case is linked to the original Wollert case.
The Wollert man, aged in his 30s, is understood to have been infectious from about May 6, having developed symptoms on May 8, tested positive on May 10, and gone back into quarantine when his positive result was received on May 11.
Both the Wollert man and case five are residents of the Whittlesea local government area, and both had visited sites in the Epping area, although no direct overlaps have been detected.
Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino and health authorities are expected to hold a press conference later on Friday, although no time has yet been determined for the briefing.
The full list of exposure sites is available here.
READ MORE: Lockdown plea for overwhelmed Covid tracers
Eli Greenblat 7.50am: Coles introduces buying limits in Victoria
As Victoria enters its first day of a seven day lockdown, supermarket giant Coles has imposed buying limits for toilet paper to safeguard stocks on the shelf.
Coles said on Friday that to ensure more customers have access to toilet paper, it has introduced a temporary two pack per person limit in Victoria.
“We have plenty of stock in our supply chain, and this temporary measure will help us to manage demand so that we can return our stores to a fully-stocked position as quickly as possible,” a Coles spokeswoman said.
All Coles supermarkets, liquor and Coles Express sites will continue to trade during the lockdown in Victoria with enhanced cleaning and safety measures in place.
“We ask that customers stay calm, shop normally and be respectful to our hardworking team members.”
Woolworths is yet to announce any buying limits in Victoria.
READ MORE: Coles brings back buying limits
Joseph Lam 7.36am: Australia likely to pass 4m jabs today
Greg Hunt says Australia is likely to reach a new milestone in the vaccine rollout, having administered the jab to the equivalent of 20 per cent of the adult population.
The federal Health Minister on Tuesday told Sunrise Australia had reached record vaccination rates over the past two days.
“We’re likely to pass the four million mark today, that would be approximately 20 per cent of the adult population, over 30 per cent of the over 50s, over 50 per cent of the over 70s,” Mr Hunt said.
Mr Hunt said almost two thirds of the 660,000 vaccines delivered to Victoria had been administered with 130,000 on the way.
“There is no day where we are immune, vaccination is the strongest possible protection, as well as our behaviours and as well as our borders, are the three things that kept us safe,” he said.
“If people can come forward at the earliest possible time to be tested, to be vaccinated whilst also keeping their distance and hand hygiene, all the things we know, that’s what’s going to keep us safe and get us through this”
READ MORE: Qantas eyes sweeteners to lift vaccine rates
Joseph Lam 7am: ‘Any person should fill empty jab booking spots’
Basil Zempilas wants to jab anyone willing to show up at Perth’s Covid-19 vaccination centres, saying while overs-50s should be a priority, empty bookings should be filled.
The Perth Lord Mayor told Sunrise the importance of vaccinating as many Australians as possible should outweigh age if booking spots were not being filled.
“If there’s any empty space and a spare jab, give it to the next person,” Mr Zempilas said.
“What we need to do is get it into as many Australians around the country as possible, so I’d certainly change the rules.”
“I open the centres, priority every morning every day every hour for those over 50, but if there is an empty space and available jab I might give it to the next person.”
READ MORE: Henry Ergas — Failure to heed lesson of the flu pandemic
Joseph Lam 6.25am: Victorian Covid-19 exposure sites increase to 121
Several new exposure sites have been listed overnight in Victoria, bringing the total number of venues of concern to 121.
The latest additions include a vegetarian pub, a massage shop, an optometrist and a hotel.
Reported yesterday: 12 new local cases and no new cases acquired overseas.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) May 26, 2021
- 12,677 vaccine doses were administered
- 40,411 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/e9rfizWbGp
The following venues are listed as tier one venues, with the Department of Health urging those who have visited to get tested immediately and isolate for 14 days:
■ Chelsea Heights Hotel Springvale, Aspendale Gardens, Victoria 3196: May 23, 12.10pm to 1.30pm;
■ OPSM Barkley Square, 90-160 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, Victoria 3056: May 22 between 3.45pm and 4.15pm;
■ Bung Pai Thai Massage Bundoora, 11/1320 Plenty Road, Bundoora, Victoria 3083: May 23 from 4.15pm to 6.15pm; and
■ Green Man’s Arms, 418 Lygon street, Carlton VIC 3053: May 23 from 1.20pm to 2.15pm
READ MORE: Jab bungle at nursing home in hot zone
Robyn Ironside 5.45am: Qantas to offer incentives to get vaccinated
Qantas will become the first Australian company to offer incentives for vaccination against Covid-19 to try to boost jab rates in the hope that will lead to international borders reopening.
Although the details of a potential incentive are still being finalised, it’s expected to take the form of a flight voucher, frequent flyer points or status credits.
Anyone who has had the full Covid-19 vaccination will be eligible with the initiative likely to run until the end of the year.
Since late February, about 3.9 million doses of vaccine have been administered in Australia compared to 60 million in the UK and 288 million in the US.
In other countries, companies and governments have offered their citizens a range of sweeteners to get vaccinated, from free bread in Israel to lottery tickets, marijuana and Uber rides in the US.
Read the full story here.
Stephen Lunn 5am: How sliding doors moment opened way for lockdown
It was the sliding doors moment that left nearly seven million Victorians facing another soul-crushing lockdown.
Just 18 seconds in duration. On May 3 in the Playford Hotel in Adelaide’s CBD, the door to the room of a man known as Case A was opened for a couple of seconds. Just enough time for the 30-something to collect a meal placed outside.
Case A, as SA Health has dubbed him in its investigation into how the virus spread inside the hotel, was near the end of his 14-day quarantine after returning from India. He was tested for Covid-19 on day one, five and 13, returning a negative result each time.
But unfortunately for Case A, and now for Victoria, he was in a room adjacent to Case B.
In what should have been a red flag given previous incidents of hotel quarantine infections, their rooms were at the end of a corridor.
Read Stephen Lunn’s inside story here.
Rachel Baxendale 4.45am: Plea for more contact tracers as Victoria enters lockdown
Seven million Victorians will spend the next seven days locked down after a virulent Indian Covid-19 strain overwhelmed contact tracers, prompting the state’s health department to issue an urgent call-out to medical and nursing students to bolster its struggling team.
As the number of Covid-19 cases linked to the state’s Whittlesea cluster reached 26, and more than 14,000 primary and secondary close contacts were identified as being linked to almost 200 public and private exposure sites, Acting Premier James Merlino announced the state’s fourth lockdown in 14 months.
Business groups estimated the lockdown would cost more than $1 billion as most states and territories shut their borders to Victorians.
More than 100 people linked to infection hot spots have already returned to South Australia, Western Australia and NSW.
The Whittlesea cluster — genomically linked to a man in his 30s who returned to the northern Melbourne suburb of Wollert via an Adelaide quarantine hotel on May 4 — is the 17th coronavirus outbreak to come out of hotel quarantine nationwide.
Read the full story here.
Patrick Commins 4.30am: Stay-at-home order a $1.3bn hit to economy
Victoria’s “circuit breaker” seven-day lockdown will cost the national economy $1.3 billion and “devastate” businesses in the country’s second largest city.
The measures announced on Thursday to suppress the latest Covid-19 outbreak include forcing shops to move to click and collect, and cafes and restaurants to offer takeaway only.
Victorians will not be allowed to travel more than 5km from home for non-essential business, children will study from home, and private and public gatherings have been banned.
CBA head of Australian economics Gareth Aird said the restrictions were equivalent to stage-four orders imposed in Victoria last August, and were expected to slash economic activity in the state by about 15 per cent over the week.
The $1.3 billion implied hit to GDP did not include indirect effects, Mr Aird said, such as a reluctance to travel to and from Victoria once the lockdown was lifted.
Read the full story here.
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