Victoria cases grow to 11; infected man visited MCG, Young & Jackson pub, Highpoint
Two states have tightened border restrictions with Victoria as the outbreak spread to a primary school and a secondary school, where a teacher has since infected two of his relatives.
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Two states have quickly changed their border restrictions for Victorians as the state’s case numbers grow.
Meanwhile a secondary school in Melbourne’s west and a primary school in Barwon Heads have been forced to close.
It’s understood a teacher at Bacchus Marsh Grammar tested positive to Covid-19 and has since infected two of his family members, bringing the total number of local cases announced on Wednesday to 11.
The Herald Sun has been told the teacher is a friend of the man in his 60s from the Ariele Apartment complex.
The pair visited Young & Jackson on the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets on Saturday before attending the Carlton-Geelong match at the MCG.
Staff and students at Barwon Heads Primary School are also being told to stay at home after someone at the school contracted the virus.
It was unclear on Wednesday night whether it was a student or a staff member who has tested positive.
About 2000 footy fans were in the MCC stand at the Cats and Blues’ MCG clash on Saturday – including Brit Selwood, wife of Geelong captain Joel, and Emma Hawkins, partner of star forward Tom.
Ms Selwood and Ms Hawkins are both believed to have already been tested and to be isolating awaiting results.
About 25 staff and patrons have been deemed Tier 1 close contacts and will be forced into 14-day isolation.
Western Australia and South Australia have upgraded their border measures for Victoria after the new Covid cases were recorded on Wednesday.
Western Australia upgraded Victoria from “very low risk” to “low risk”, meaning arrivals must immediately get tested, self-isolate for 14 days and be swabbed again on day 11.
SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens also announced similar measures on Wednesday evening.
He said from midnight people arriving from Victoria would be subject to “level one” testing.
“That means you must have a test within 24 hours of arriving in South Australia and you are not permitted to go to a high-risk location, for example, an aged-care facility until you have a negative result,” he said.
“We are also requiring all freight drivers who are arriving in South Australia to produce evidence of a negative Covid test that has been undertaken within the last 48 hours on arrival.
BARWON HEADS PRIMARY SCHOOL CLOSED
Staff and students at Barwon Heads Primary School are also being told to stay at home after someone at the school contracted the virus.
It was unclear on Wednesday night whether it was a student or a staff member who has tested positive.
School principal Daniel Valla emailed parents to inform them the school will be closed and staff and students are to “stay home and limit their movements until advised otherwise.”
“A confirmed case of COVID-19 has been reported at Barwon Heads Primary School
As a result, the site is now closed to all students, staff and community members until further notice,” the email states.
“Students must avoid public places and only leave home for brief periods for necessary activities that include: exercise, caregiving to family members when no alternative is available necessary medical appointments where no alternative is available (such as telehealth) shopping for necessary items, only where no one else in the household can perform this task and no alternative is available (such as delivery).
“If you are identified as a close contact (Tier 1 contact) or casual contact (Tier 2 contact), DH will get in touch with you directly. These calls or text messages can come from private or unknown numbers. Please answer these calls or follow text message advice if you receive a call or text message.”
TEACHER, FAMILY MEMBERS TESTS POSITIVE
Bacchus Marsh Grammar in Melbourne’s west has been forced to close after a teacher tested positive to Covid-19.
The Bacchus Marsh teacher has since infected two of his family members, bringing the total number of local cases announced on Wednesday to 11.
Parents were informed that the teacher attended a “staff day” on July 12 but had not been in contact with students on either July 13 or 14, in a statement posted to the school’s website.
All staff in attendance on July 12 have been directed by DHHS to get tested and isolate.
“We are awaiting instruction from the department on appropriate sanitation and cleaning of the school,” the statement read.
Classes at the Woodlea or Maddingley campus on Thursday and Friday have been cancelled for all students.
If staff need to isolate beyond this week, the school will return to remote learning on July 19.
“This is a fairly fluid situation and we will endeavour to keep parents informed of the situation as it develops as we have further information of any additional public health requirements,” principal Andrew Neal said.
“At this stage, I would strongly advise that if any student does start to present with any of the recognised Covid symptoms they are tested as soon as possible as a matter of precaution.”
EXPOSURE SITES GROW
Further exposure sites have been announced after seven more Victorians tested positive on Wednesday morning — including the MCG and a popular Melbourne pub.
It comes after an infected man who tested positive this week lives at Maribyrnong’s Ariele Apartments and is understood to have visited a number of stores at Highpoint Shopping Centre on Friday, July 9.
He then attended the Carlton-Geelong match at the MCG on Saturday, July 10, where he was in the Members’ Reserve on level two, Covid commander Jeroen Weimar said.
More than 31,000 fans attended the Blues and Cats match on Saturday, according to the MCG.
Anyone who was in level two of the MCC reserve that day is a Tier Two contact, and must get tested urgently and isolate until a negative result is returned.
An MCC spokeswoman said that included all bathrooms, bars and function rooms in that area.
She said approximately 2000 people were in the impacted area at the time.
The landmark Young & Jackson, which is located across the road from Flinders St station and is popular among football fans, has also been named a Tier One exposure site between 2.40pm to 4.10pm.
“We currently have identified 2000 people in the MCC reserve at the Carlton-Geelong game,” Mr Weimar said.
“They are all being contacted as we speak to isolate and to get tested. There are a number of them we will treat as primary close contacts.”
An Epping radiology practice has been listed as a Tier One exposure site, while a DFO has also been listed as a Tier Two exposure site.
Anyone who visited Southern Cross Medical Imaging in Epping between 9.45am and 10.35am on Monday must isolate for 14 days from exposure.
Anyone who visited O’Herns Road/Dalton Road Medical Centre between 9.45am and 10.35am on Monday — which houses the radiology practice, as well as a dental clinic and Australian Clinical Labs collection centre – must get tested and isolate until a negative result is returned.
Anyone who visited DFO Uni Hill in Bundoora between 4.40pm and 6.40pm on Friday must get tested and isolate until a negative result is returned.
DFO Uni Hill posted a statement to its website on Wednesday afternoon, listing Nike, Adidas, Asics, Puma, Cotton On and Connor as the stores a positive case visited on Friday.
These stores are yet to be listed on the DHHS website but anyone who visited those stores between those times must isolate for 14 days from exposure.
A kebab shop in Campbellfield has also been added to the growing list of Tier One exposure sites.
Anyone who visited Bizzler Take-Away Food, also known as Bizzler Kebabs, on Sunday between 2.30pm and 3.30pm must isolate for 14 days from exposure.
Anyone who visited Highpoint Shopping Centre on Friday, July 9, between 10am-2pm has also been urged to get tested.
A Bras N Things store on level two at Highpoint has been listed as a Tier One site after a confirmed case visited on July 9.
Anyone who was at the store between 11.15 and 11.30am on July 9 must isolate for 14 days from the exposure period.
According to their website, the Health Department posted the exposure site at 4.25pm on Wednesday but when the Herald Sun visited Highpoint a store with the same name was still open and trading at 5.10pm.
The store was on level two and a search of the centre’s digital map said there was only one store named Bras N Things in the shopping centre.
When asked by the Herald Sun about the exposure site, a worker seemed surprised but was unable to comment.
Two stores and a carpark have also been singled out as exposure sites, including The Reject Shop, SkinKandy and the centre’s north carpark.
In a statement, Highpoint Shopping Centre there would be a “comprehensive deep clean” of Tier One exposure sites within the retail hub.
“The impacted retailers have notified staff members who had close contact with the individual (and advised them) to get tested and isolate for 14 days,” the statement said.
“Centre Management continues to monitor the situation, and are following all relevant advice and guidance issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. As a precautionary measure, the centre will undergo a thorough deep clean.
“The heightened cleaning regimes already implemented will remain in place throughout all high traffic areas and the Centre will remain open for trade.
“The comfort and safety of customers, tenants, contractors and staff at Highpoint remains the utmost priority at all times.”
Meanwhile, Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre which has been listed as a Tier 1 exposure site after an infected person visited between 10am and 11.30am on July 10.
The centre’s voicemail says it will remain “closed until further notice”.
The football fan was one of four new infections detected on the third level of the locked-down Ariele Apartment complex in Maribyrnong, which was visited by the infected NSW removalists on July 8.
Worryingly, the man’s elderly parents, aged 89 and 90, have also tested positive.
Early investigations suggest the elderly Craigieburn couple does not reside in an aged care home.
It is also believed one of them has received their first AstraZeneca vaccination.
Aldi Maribyrnong, which is located across the road from the Ariele Apartments, has also been added to the list of hot spots.
The new cases are on top of the one case recorded in Wednesday morning’s figures.
“Those four cases are in two separate apartments,” he said.
“One is a male in his 60s and one is a household of three people. All other third-floor residents to date have returned negative results.”
“This is clearly a very rapidly moving situation. We’re very keen to make sure we get a very firm grip on this as soon as we possibly can,” Mr Weimar said.
There are 134 primary close contacts at the Ariele apartment complex — 70 per cent have returned negative tests.
Residents cannot leave their apartment unless it is to get tested or if they are in an emergency, and getting vaccinated is not a permitted reason to leave.
Meanwhile, a man in his 30s has tested positive after visiting Craigieburn Coles at the same time as a City of Hume family member breached isolation.
The earlier positive case is the fourth household member of the City of Hume household cluster.
So far, 70 primary close contacts have been associated with Coles Craigieburn.
A total of 44 people have been identified as being at the Ballan Mobil and McDonald’s when the removalists were at the site.
Mr Weimar revealed the interviews with the three removalists remained “frustrating and challenging”.
He said it appeared the removalists were not wearing masks while at the apartment — a breach of strict permit restrictions — and hinted the crew would face enforcement actions.
“Books will be thrown when they need to be thrown,” he said.
When asked if they had been deliberately misleading, he said: “Well, they’re not deliberately being forthcoming, let me put it that way”.
NSW LOCKDOWN EXTENDED
NSW has recorded 97 new local Covid cases — 24 of which were in the community while infectious.
The state has also extended the Greater Sydney lockdown by a fortnight, which will continue beyond July 16 to until “at least” July 30, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
“It always hurts to say but we need to extend the lockdown … this includes home learning,” she said.
“We’ll assess the situation at the end of those two weeks.”
TREASURER DODGES BULLET AMID POLITICAL WAR OF WORDS
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is among thousands of footy fans who have dodged a bullet after part of the MCC reserve at the Carlton-Geelong game was listed as an exposure site.
The close call comes after the federal Treasurer held a press conference in Hawthorn East on Wednesday morning.
A spokesman said Mr Frydenberg was not in the members’ area.
It comes as he was embroiled in a war of words that erupted over federal Covid-19 relief funding.
Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar branded the Victorian government liars after the Prime Minister was accused of favouring NSW by offering financial relief to struggling businesses during the latest outbreak.
Mr Sukkar was hitting back after the Andrews government said they were “sick and tired” of having to beg for help and that financial support offered to NSW represented a “double standard”.
But he said the state government claims were not true.
“We won’t allow lies to go unchecked,” Mr Sukkar said.
Read the full story here.
NO FINES FOR RED-ZONE RENEGADES
The Covid-infected family who returned from Sydney and breached red-zone permit requirements won’t be fined.
Two parents and a child within the City of Hume household had caught the virus on Tuesday, with authorities confident the fourth household member would also test positive in coming days.
Authorities thought the family had been isolating at home, but later revealed one person had visited a Coles supermarket in Craigieburn and Metro petrol station in Broadmeadows.
Mr Weimar said the family would not face scrutiny for breaching quarantine requirements.
“They’ve been fulsome in their information with our contact tracers … We’re not going to pursue any further enforcement,” he said.
When asked if that set a precedent for the 9000-odd people currently in Victoria on a red-zone permit, Mr Weimar said: “People need to do the right thing. Going to get a bag of sugar at Coles … is not an accepted thing to do, but throwing a book at people or starting with a presumption that we’re going to penalise people isn’t going to work.”
The news comes amid fears a “gang” of infectious removalists may not have provided contact tracers with a full picture of their travels, as the number of close contacts is expected to grow.
The group delivered furniture to a house in Craigieburn last Thursday, before picking up furniture from the Ariele Apartments.
Both households who came into contact with the removalists – a family of five and a family of four — have tested negative.
The removalists later travelled to a Ballan McDonald’s and a Mobil service station, where they ate and showered over a two-hour period.
Contact tracers are scouring CCTV to determine how many people may have been exposed, after just 52 QR check-ins were logged across both sites.
It’s feared more unknown stops were also made as the removalists travelled to South Australia.
Mr Weimar hinted the group members may have breached their special workers permits, adding that authorities were “exploring” whether enforcement action was necessary.
But he refused to name the removal company, despite Premier Daniel Andrews earlier flagging he would publicly shame rule flouters.
“I have no interest in making anybody famous,” Mr Weimar said.
“What we need people to do is comply with the obligations in those permits.”
About 300 close contacts – across known exposure sites connected to both the Hume family and removalists – had been identified on Tuesday afternoon.
Two new Tier One coronavirus exposure sites were listed on Tuesday night.
They were Caltex Kalkallo and Hungry Jack’s Kalkallo, both on the Hume Highway, for the period of 9.07am-10.06am on July 8.
Acting chief health officer Dan O’Brien said he didn’t believe the new restrictions would be required at this stage.
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