Rolling coverage: Victoria weighs up NSW border changes after hotel quarantine case
NSW and Queensland’s latest COVID cases are confirmed to be the UK strain, with Victoria weighing up border changes.
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Victorian health officials are weighing up border changes after a security guard working in hotel quarantine in NSW contracted COVID-19.
The health department revealed on Sunday night areas of NSW could be redesignated as red or orange zones as further information emerges about 47-year-old guard who tested positive on Saturday.
The guard was on Monday confirmed to be infected with the UK strain of COVID-19, which is believed to be up to 70 per cent more transmissible than other variants.
A red zone designation means that people would be banned from entering Victoria if from that particular region, while an orange zone requires people travelling from that area to apply for a permit, get a COVID-19 test with 72 hours of arrival and self-quarantine until a negative result is received.
The health department said chief health officer Brett Sutton would have the final say on areas being redesignated as red or orange zones.
Meanwhile, Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said there was currently no intention to restrict border movements with New South Wales and Queensland.
Ms Allan also welcomed news of eased restrictions for Victorians entering Western Australia after WA announced Victoria would transition from “low risk” to “very low risk” at 12.01am, on Monday, March 15, pending no further outbreaks.
“It is a positive step forward,” she said.
“But we’ve seen, with the recent cases in New South Wales particularly, that we have to continue to be vigilant.
“We have to continue to follow the health advice and continue to support the rollout by the federal government of their vaccine program.”
All arrivals to Victoria from Sydney will be contacted after the security guard, who had the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, was infected with coronavirus after an apparent leak from hotel quarantine.
The 47-year-old, who had his first vaccine shot on March 2, returned a positive COVID test on Saturday night.
The guard, who has a full-time job in an office but also works as a security guard on weekends at the Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney’s CBD as well as the Mantra at Haymarket, was the first local case of COVID-19 in NSW in 55 days.
Victoria’s health department said on Sunday night that all arrivals from Sydney since March 13 would be contacted.
“NSW has identified one high risk exposure site (on Saturday),” it said. “We will be requiring anyone who visited this site at the times specified to get tested and immediately quarantine for 14 days.”
The site is Pancakes on the Rocks, 507 King Georges Road, Beverley Hills, on March 13 from 10.45am-12pm.
The man’s family has so far tested negative. Around 130 people have been ordered to self isolate and get a COVID test following the result, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said.
Victoria on Monday recorded no new coronavirus cases but authorities were urging anyone with mild symptoms of COVID-19 to get tested.
Two active cases remain, with nearly 9700 swabs received Sunday.
QUEENSLAND ALSO ON HIGH ALERT
Millions of Queenslanders are anxiously awaiting COVID-19 results of more than 300 people after a doctor contracted the virus on the weekend and was linked to two returning travellers.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said none of the new cases were located in the Hotel Grand Chancellor. There are currently 38 active cases in Queensland.
Ms Palaszczuk said it would be another 24 hours before authorities could be confident that there has been no community transmission linked to a doctor who tested positive on Friday last week.
A total of 272 close contacts of the doctor have been identified plus a further 160 in the Princess Alexandra Hospital – with 86 tested and coming back negative Monday.
The positive result in the community came after a returning traveller who tested positive to the UK strain of COVID-19 while quarantining at the Hotel Grand Chancellor last week was transferred to the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
At least 272 community contacts have been traced and 160 staff and seven patients were identified as close contacts of the doctor at the hospital, with test results expected to begin trickling in on Monday.
Authorities had contacted more than 2200 people who arrived in Victoria from Brisbane after the recent outbreak in Queensland.
No Victorian arrivals had been identified who had been to the high risk exposure sites — a cafe, gym and hotel.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 has been detected in the wastewater of 14 Melbourne suburbs with residents urged to get tested if they have any symptoms of the illness.
Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton on Sunday said the wastewater samples were from March 7 to 11 and anyone who visited these suburbs on the listed days should be on high alert for symptoms and get tested as soon as possible if “even mild” symptoms are present.
“Fragments of the virus detected in wastewater may be due to a person with COVID-19 being in the early active infectious phase or it could be because someone is continuing to shed the virus after the early infectious period.”
The suburbs are:
— Laverton and Laverton North from March 9 to 11
—Werribee (east of the Werribee River) from March 9 to 11
— Balwyn North, Blackburn North, Box Hill North, Bulleen, Doncaster, Doncaster East, — Donvale, Mitcham, Mont Albert North and Nunawading from March 9 to 11
— Sunbury (northeastern area) from March 7 to 11
SINGAPORE TRAVEL BUBBLE IN THE WORKS
Australia has held “productive discussions” with Singapore over a travel bubble, and South Korea and Japan could follow, the Deputy Prime Minister says.
The federal government has held talks over establishing a travel bubble with Singapore that would serve as a quarantine gateway and tourist destination for international students and returning Australians.
Mr McCormack confirmed the government had begun “working through” the proposal with Singapore that has been mooted for July.
“We have been in productive discussions with Singapore, and we have that travel bubble with New Zealand that is one way at the moment,” he said.
Read the full story here.
AUSTRALIA’S NEW VACCINE ROLLOUT PLAN REVEALED
All Australians aged over 50 will be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccination from June, according to detailed new plans for the rollout released by the federal government.
By that time, the 678,000 Australians in phase 1a of the rollout — including aged care residents and frontline workers — should have received the two jabs required to keep them safe.
From next Monday, phase 1b will begin for 6.1 million Australians including anyone aged over 70 and 2 million younger adults with underlying medical conditions.
More than 300,000 doses will be given to that group next week, increasing to 400,000 doses the week after that and then about 500,000 doses a week for the two months from April 12.
Read the full story here.
CBD CLEANING BLITZ TO LURE VISITORS BACK
Melbourne is being scrubbed down and sanitised as workers return to the CBD.
The six-month cleaning blitz is designed to lure COVID-cautious visitors back to the city and boost tourism and hospitality.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said cleaning crews were high-pressure cleaning and disinfecting regularly as part of the $3m campaign.
Cr Capp said 75 extra part-time workers had been hired.
“We’re high-pressure washing an additional 20,000sq m of surface area each month until June. That’s the equivalent of six MCG ovals,” she said.
Crews have washed and disinfected the entire length of Southbank Promenade and completed a deep clean of Swanston Street.
A national cleaning company that offered to sanitise city surfaces for free, told the Herald Sun it was yet to get the green light.
Smart Corporate Solutions Group said it wrote to Cr Capp’s office on February 8 with the offer.
A council spokeswoman advised health and safety requirements meant it was “more appropriate” to use paid staff than volunteers and existing cleaning contracts were in place.
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Originally published as Rolling coverage: Victoria weighs up NSW border changes after hotel quarantine case
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