Victoria to reopen construction sites from Tuesday

Victorian tradies will be allowed back on the tools but Daniel Andrews has issued a stern warning to construction workers.

Construction workers will be allowed to get back on the tools from next Tuesday after Premier Daniel Andrews announced up to 25 per cent of workers would be allowed back onsite.

The reopening is contingent on the condition that operators have “completed an attestation” that their site is compliant with the new directions from the chief health officer. Sites must also have sighted evidence workers have had at least one dose of the Covid-19 jab, or they have a medical exemption.

“There has been an enormous amount of work done to have our construction sector reopen,” Mr Andrews said.

The construction industry was sent into a shutdown over a week ago over concerns of rising case numbers across the sector.

But the premier warned he would not hesitate to shut worksites down if they were not operating to the road map.

Worksites must have sighted evidence of Covid vaccination if they open. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

“You will be open from next Tuesday but you will only stay open if all of us continue to work together to focus on safety. That's about compliance and all of us playing our part. I want this industry to stay open and get pack normal.”

Up to five workers will be able to work onsite on small construction projects. Larger projects will be able to have up to 25 per cent of workers on site. On larger sites, once crib facility ventilation issues are addressed, and if workers are fully vaccinated, up to 50 per cent of workers will be allowed on site.

It comes as state officials blame the latest surge in infections on household transmission after Victoria recorded 1143 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday

There were also three more deaths in the past 24 hours. Mr Andrews said the deaths include a man in his 80s from Hume, a woman in her 70s from Alphington and a man in his 70s from Moreland.

There were 62,883 test results processed on Thursday and 34,935 vaccine doses administered.

A total of 80.1 per cent of Victorians have received their first Covid-19 jab, while 49.8 per cent of the state’s population were fully vaccinated.

There were 62,883 test results processed on Thursday and 34,935 vaccine doses administered. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett

After an almost 50 per cent jump in infections where Victoria posted 1438 new cases on Thursday Premier Daniel Andrews said many of the cases were avoidable.

“Yesterday‘s case numbers I think took a lot of people by surprise. It’s probably fair to say that many people would have been quite concerned, scared even to see a number as high as that, getting close to that 1500 mark,” he said.

“No-one wants to get this and even though the number is less than yesterday, we have had overnight and again this morning some serious discussions at a Cabinet level.”

Residents of the Moorabool Local Government Area will enter a seven-day lockdown from midnight Friday. Mr Andrews said the same rules that apply to Melbourne will apply to Moorabool, with the exception of the curfew.

“We will stand with that community with additional testing capacity and support for anyone who needs them, just like Ballarat, Shepparton and so many other communities, Latrobe Valley,” he said.

“These lockdowns have been effective in bringing stability to case numbers and driving case numbers down. But on advice and very careful analysis, this is unavoidable that a lockdown must be applied to that community.”

An urgent call to get tested for Covid-19 has been extended to anyone across Victoria who attended an illegal AFL grand final gathering last weekend.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews blasts Victorians for breaching public health orders. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Luis Enrique Ascui

Covid-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar on Thursday said transmission was now an issue across Melbourne, and not just in the city’s north and west.

“We now have cases in every local government, so if you have been out, if you have been mixing over the last few days, if you decided to go to a grand final party on Saturday, if you went to a barbecue on Friday, I would like you to go and get tested,” he said.

“You don‘t know whether somebody there was harbouring the virus, and we now have at least 500 people who we know have had that experience.

“There will be many hundreds more who went through some kind of social activity.

“We need to make sure if you are positive, you can protect yourself and isolate yourself and not spread it further.”

Originally published as Victoria to reopen construction sites from Tuesday