Two new cases linked to northern suburbs virus cluster, Melbourne’s 111-day lockdown finally ends
Shopping centres and eateries are abuzz as Melburnians rush to embrace their first day of freedom after the crippling lockdown ended. It comes as the state’s two new coronavirus cases have been linked to the northern suburbs cluster and mystery cases in Melbourne continue to drop.
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Victoria has recorded two new cases of coronavirus, along with two deaths.
The two deaths are historic and are linked to aged care facilities. One death occurred on 6 September 6 and the other was on October 7.
Both of the new cases are linked to the northern suburbs cluster, with one at Regis Macleod aged care facility and the other at East Preston Islamic College.
The two cases were already quarantining when diagnosed.
Premier Daniel Andrews said there was no risk to public health.
A whopping 24,673 people were tested for coronavirus in the past 24 hours - the biggest daily turnout since early August.
Mr Andrews praised the efforts of Victorians for the “massive number” of tests.
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am — 24,673 tests, a huge number and we are deeply grateful to everyone who came forward and got tested,” he said.
More than 208,000 Victorians have been tested over the past two weeks.
DHHS testing commander Jeroen Weimar said that was a 48 per cent increase in the previous two weeks, and 161,000 tests across metropolitan Melbourne over the last two weeks, again 12 per cent up on the previous fortnight.
“For every positive case in regional Victoria in the last two weeks — there haven’t been many, only three — 5951 tests have been done. Within the metro, it is about 1500 tests for every positive case,” he said.
“But every negative test result tells us something more. It tells us where the virus isn’t, and gives us a good understanding of who is coming forward, the geographic spread, and where we need to keep searching to detect and control the virus.”
The northern suburbs community continues to get tested in big numbers, with 4689 test results in the area in the past 24 hours.
There are 41 cases in the northern cluster, with 23 of those still active.
It comes after the state recorded no new cases or deaths on Monday and Tuesday.
The 14-day rolling average for metropolitan Melbourne has dropped to 2.7, while regional Victoria’s tally has dropped to zero for the first time.
There have been just three cases with an unknown source in Melbourne in the past 14 days, while regional Victoria has recorded zero mystery cases.
Of the state’s 80 active cases, three are in aged care.
NO OWNERS ALLOWED AT MELBOURNE CUP
The Melbourne Cup will be run at an empty Flemington, without crowds.
Racing Minister Martin Pakula on Wednesday announced not even connections of horses competing in the race would be allowed to attend the track.
“The government has determined that next week is not a suitable time for gatherings of that nature,” Mr Pakula said.
“It is the right decision and has been made in the interests of all Victorians.
Last week, community backlash saw the decision to allow owners at the Cox Plate reversed.
HOPE NEXT STEP TAKEN BY WHOLE STATE
The Premier hopes regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne will take the next step out of restrictions together.
Mr Andrews said everyone played a part in keeping the numbers low despite the reopening and the best thing to do was see out the next couple of weeks.
“We then bring down the 25km limit and regional-metro border on November 8,” he said.
“And if there is another step, a ‘3B’, we can take that step at the same time. That is preferable than having different roles in different parts of the state because what that means you have to get the border on for longer.
“Which I don’t think any tourism business — not only about those issues, it’s about personal issues as well, the ability to go and see people that people haven’t seen for a long time.”
Mr Andrews said Wednesday was a positive day for the state and every Victorian should have a sense of pride.
“We have come a very long way, and it is all down to every single Victorian,” he said.
MELBURNIANS MAKE MOST OF FIRST DAY OF FREEDOM
About 16,200 retail stores, 5800 cafes and restaurants and 1000 beauty salons and 800 pubs can reopen their doors today.
Mr Andrews said that was about 180,000 workers returning to work on site, an achievement that every single Victorian should be proud of.
“I want to thank everybody in all of these industries for the very productive way in which they have continued to engage with us,” he said.
“They know and understand deep down that we all have to be safe and follow rules to protect customers and staff and the fragile thing we have built, this precious thing that every single Victorian has built.
“We are grateful to all of those businesses. They have been through a lot and we have tried to support them as much as we can now the greater support is for everybody to remain vigilant so we can be COVID-safe and open and finally COVID-normal and lock it in.”
Meanwhile, restaurants have filled four weeks worth of bookings in a day as excited Melburnians rush to embrace an easing of restrictions.
After 111 days between drinks, punters wasted no time toasting the reopening of pubs, restaurants and cafes from midnight.
Carla Snellen was among the first customers through the doors at The Local in Port Melbourne, which had a special reopening event.
She and friends Tess and Steph were marking the occasion with glasses of bubbles and parmas.
She said it was a welcome change from seeing friends while exercising.
“While it’s been good to meet up with people one-on-one, there’s something about hanging out in a group that’s so much fun,” she said.
“It’s so nice to be out again.”
When Mr Andrews made the announcement on Monday about restrictions easing, she said she immediately started refreshing websites of pubs and restaurants to get a booking.
“I’m really excited to get back out and support local businesses,” she said.
Tess Fisher said the build-up to being back at the pub felt like New Year’s Eve.
“I’m so pumped to be out of the house again seeing my girls,” she said.
“It’s the first time in ages I’ve worn heels.”
The Local venue manager Sam Heathcote said it was good to be fully booked for the reopening night.
“It shows how eager everyone is,” he said.
“It’s been a long seven months and it’s great being able to start serving beers and see some familiar faces and generally just see people other than your housemate.”
A wall of balloons and confetti guns greeted a group of excited guests who were enjoying midnight drinks at Prahran steakhouse Angus and Bon.
Inside, a message made of balloons said “get on the beers”.
Giulia Smith said it was an “overwhelming” feeling reuniting with friends.
“I still can’t quite believe it, it doesn’t feel real yet it hasn’t quite sunk in,” she said.
“When I walked in and saw my friends greeting me with champagne it was overwhelming.
“We’re already to be a bit sleepy at work tomorrow but it’s worth it.”
Friend Gemma Reid added: “It’s been such a long road to get back here and obviously there’s more to go but it’s really exciting and I’m happy for these guys that they can do this and open again and ride that wave of momentum of having so many bookings. The support has been really amazing so we’re happy to be sharing in this first night back joy.”
Angus and Bon owner Liam Ganley said there was a great atmosphere at the reopening event having so many happy people back enjoying themselves.
“It’s a good vibe,” he said.
“It’s a big community feel. There’s been this real pent-up desire from people to want to go out.”
He said the venue had been booked solidly for the next five weeks but he hoped to increase capacity once Greville St was blocked off with marquees and alfresco dining.
“The phone’s been ringing off the hook and the website’s crashed since Dan made the announcement,” he said.
Mr Andrews on Wednesday clarified the sufficient spacing rules for inside dining.
“The main message is we can’t have two groups of 10 that are de facto become one group of 20 because they are not sufficiently far apart that they are essentially at the same gathering in the same space,” he said.
“Inside is 20 times more dangerous than outside. And it is really important that we have those spaces separated. Common sense is an important part. It is not the physical barrier as much as it is keeping people apart.”
At Kmart Burwood, about 50 eager shoppers were waiting for their chance to step into the store – and they won’t be the last. Anyone planning on visiting has to book their time in advance, and slots have been filed until at least the middle of this afternoon.
Melissa Cook and Marie Denetsos had been in the line at Kmart since 6pm Tuesday.
“I’m so happy and excited, it’s good to be able to do this again,” Ms Cook said, adding it was homeware like cutlery and plates that was at the top of her shopping list.
Mr Andrews said 100,000 people have pre-registered to visit Wesfarmers shops.
In Abbotsford, kegs were being loaded on trucks at Carlton United Brewery as pubs and bars scrambled to stock up.
Chief executive Peter Filipovic said thousands of kegs were leaving the brewery to ensure pubs across Melbourne were stocked and ready for a busy week.
Chapel Street bar and eatery Abacus had a flurry of 300 bookings for the week flood in within three hours.
“We’re so excited, the energy on the street is unreal,” bar manager Robbie Nash said.
Businesses were delighted to be back operating but warned unless patron caps were eased in coming weeks they would be unsustainable.
As revealed by the Herald Sun, an Australian Hotels Association survey found pubs were being battered with costs of $10,000 to $25,000 a week, leaving some with crippling debts.
The AHA is concerned the current cap on patrons — up to 20 indoor in two spaces and 50 outdoor — will force some venues to close for good.
And with rain forecast for the rest of the week, concerns are growing over the practicality of outdoor dining.
“We’re going to have some umbrellas and a screen (to separate tables) but if it rains we can’t shift people inside,” The Windsor Alehouse general manager Ian Wooder said, as he turned on-street parking into a makeshift beer garden.
Struggling businesses will continue to receive a JobKeeper lifeline with payments to subsidise staff wages — $1200 a fortnight for full-time workers and $750 for those working less than 20 hours a week — for the rest of the year.
Employers must comply with workplace laws so employees are paid their normal rates if their hours mean they should earn more than $1200 a fortnight.
AHA president David Canny said patron caps on pubs needed to be increased by Christmas.
“Bookings have been enormous,” Mr Canny said. “But this is very much a starting point. Hopefully we’ll be able to have greater capacity by Christmas.”
Daniel Andrews on Tuesday warned Victorians to remain vigilant, despite the excitement.
“I know there’s a real buzz and an energy … because people can see what they’ve been able to achieve,” the Premier said. “They see what they’ve built and they know and understand that it’s come at a really significant cost. But we all have to remain vigilant.”
CHADSTONE ABUZZ WITH EXCITEMENT
Hordes of shoppers have descended on Chadstone Shopping Centre after retailers opened their doors for the first time in months.
The centre is abuzz with excitement as friends and families pick up items they have been longing for during lockdown.
AFLW star Moana Hope, partner Bella Carlstrom and sister Lavinia Hope hit the shops at 8am for a $1400 shopping spree at Kmart.
Lavinia Hope was thrilled to be buying a whole new wardrobe after dropping five sizes in lockdown.
“We have been waiting so long and haven’t been able to buy anything,” sister Moana Hope said.
“It was like being a kid on Christmas. I kept singing ‘freedom’ in the shop because it feels like we have been given our freedom back.”
Ms Carlstrom, who is heavily pregnant with the couple’s first child, said she shopped out.
“I need to sit down,” she said.
Dingley Village mum and daughter Chris, 72, and Jules Irlam, 45, were enjoying pancakes and coffee at Jasper Coffee.
It is the first time they have both been out since February because they are both immunocompromised.
“We have been missing the pancakes,” Jules said.
The pair were excited to stock up on Christmas decorations, bras and underwear.
“I am sick of mum doing nudie runs in the house,” Jules jokes.
Toorak couple Stefan Britt and Emma Russell were also enjoying some retail therapy.
“It’s fantastic being able to leave home. We have been cooped up since March,” Ms Russell said.
“We want to buy some gifts for family when we go to New Zealand later this year.”
Shoppers queued outside high-end retailers including Louis Vuitton, where staff temperature checked people before they were let inside.
COVID-19 marshalls and cleaning staff were also busy keeping the centre safe for shoppers.
YARRA RIVER SET FOR POST-LOCKDOWN MAKEOVER
The Yarra River is set for a French Riviera style make over with a new riverfront bar, dining and entertainment space.
The Crown Riverwalk has been transformed to accommodate 10 of the entertainment venue’s most popular restaurants as well as a huge screen for major sporting events, a quirky terrain for a game of pétanque and an entertainment space for live DJs and Jazz Sundays.
Crown Executive General Manager of Food & Beverage Enda Cunningham says they are maximising the outdoor area to create the unique new venue to be called Pétanque Social.
“European cities do riverside dining and drinking so well, we want to bring more of that to Melbourne. We have an incredible space down at Southbank, and while COVID-19 has brought us many challenges, we’re also seeing the opportunity for us to evolve and innovate,” he says.
“More outdoor dining in beautiful settings is a good thing for the city and for Melburnians.”
Bistro Guillaume, Rosetta, Ging Thai, Merrywell Burger Bar, Gradi, Lucky Chan, Baci and Cervo will be among the first to open their doors, with Rockpool Bar & Grill and The Atlantic to follow shortly after.
Eight of those venues will be extending their terrace dining offering out onto the Riverwalk.
“Think of the beach clubs that are scattered all over France, and that’s very much the vibe we’re wanting to create here. Melbourne is a beautiful city, we wanted to provide Melburnians with an experience that celebrates the city, celebrates summer on the banks of the Yarra, after what has been a tough year for the city,” Mr Cunningham says.
“The fit out and design is incredible and is really about letting you completely escape the moment – custom-made blonde and pastel timber day beds, lounge chairs and striped pastel blue umbrellas reminiscent of Fontelina Beach Club on the Island of Capri.”
“It has been a two month project to get this up and running. Normally a project of this scale would be something we work on for six months, but naturally that program was fast-tracked to ensure we could respond to the step based road-map and the Victoria Government and City of Melbourne’s recent outdoor dining permit system; and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring it to life.”
MASKS SET TO BE FIXTURE OF 2021
Victorians may still be forced to wear masks into 2021 despite the state’s daily case numbers hitting zero.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the mandatory mask policy will not be removed anytime soon, even in regional Victoria.
“Masks need to be with us across the whole state for some time to come,” the Premier said.
“I know that’s frustrating, I know that no one particularly enjoys wearing a mask.
“But at the same time it is a very low price to pay for potentially a very significant benefit.”
Although masks are a recommendation by the World Health Organisation, no other Australian state has mandated mask wearing, even when their active case numbers where higher than Victoria’s current total.
Mr Andrews pointed to the state’s mystery cases and said masks will be in place “for as long as it serves a useful purpose”.
HUNT HITS BACK AT CONTACT TRACING CLAIM
The federal Health Minister has shot down state Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton’s claim the state’s contact tracing is the best in the nation.
On Tuesday, Victoria recorded no new cases for the second consecutive day — the first time since March 5-6.
Prof Sutton denied there were issues with Victoria’s system, claiming it now operated better than in any other state.
“Our case contact management is the best in Australia at the moment,” he said.
“Again, that’s just a frank — and I am biased — an honest appraisal of the fact that we have had to step up.
“This set-up we have now can do things at scale if required, but even more importantly at very low numbers it is the best in the country to be able to respond.”
A spokesman for federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said: “It is up to Victoria to explain how they have come to this conclusion.
“NSW remains the gold standard for the continued suppression of COVID-19, alongside a safe opening of their economy. Victoria has improved significantly but as the most recent error which contributed to the northern suburbs outbreak indicates, there is still more work to do.”
Department of Health secretary Brendan Murphy told Senate estimates he hoped Victoria had improved.
“We have to have the best possible contact tracing and public health response system like NSW has and like, we hope, Victoria has,” he said.
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