Two new cases; Pfizer vaccine suspended; Southbank townhouse complex forced to isolate

Overwhelming demand for a second dose of the Pfizer jab has forced Victoria to suspend part of its vaccine rollout. Meanwhile, a large townhouse complex has been forced into isolation.

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Walk-in appointments for the Pfizer vaccine have been put on hold while bookings for the first dose have also been suspended.

Mass vaccination centres on Monday advised they would not be taking walk-ins for the vaccine, while the Herald Sun has been told operators working inside the state’s telephone booking system have been banned from booking appointments for the first dose.

Operators have been told they cannot lock in any first dose appointments for at least this week.

Sources say the Pfizer vaccine has proved more popular with Victorians because of the shorter time required between the first and second doses.

Second-dose Pfizer vaccinations can be made as early as three weeks after the first dose, while the wait time for the second AstraZeneca dose is 12 weeks.

Walk-ins and first dose bookings for the Pfizer jab have been put on hold. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

It is understood many people are opting for Pfizer because of concerns about blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

An estimated 50,000 people are already booked in for their first Pfizer dose this week.

Mr Foley said that was the maximum the state could accommodate because second doses were needed for tens of thousands of others.

“And if more doses are delivered by the commonwealth, we will be able to increase the number of bookings for first doses as well,” he said.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said he had encouraged Mr Foley to make sure Pfizer recipients could book in both doses at the same time, as he pointed out that other states had already set up systems to lock in the two appointments upfront.

Asked about the difficulties some Victorians were facing to get the Pfizer jab this week, Mr Hunt said the state government had a “significant volume of Pfizer that’s in place” and had to “work within that volume each week”.

Greg Hunt said Victoria has a “significant volume of Pfizer”. Picture: AFP

He said Victoria had received 1.134m doses of Pfizer and AstraZeneca since the start of the rollout and had administered 797,000 doses so far.

“They obviously have to manage the doses within their total inventory,” Mr Hunt said.

He said Victoria had received an extra half a million doses so far, compared to the state’s initial allocation in the rollout, with the state-run hubs to receive an additional 100,000 Pfizer doses over the next three weeks as a result of the latest Covid-19 outbreak.

Vaccine rollout coordinator Commodore Eric Young said a total of 145,000 doses would be delivered to Victoria’s state-run facilities this week, while another 350,000 AstraZeneca doses would be given to Victorian GPs.

Nationwide, 1.1 million doses were distributed by the federal government last week, with another 1.1 million to be delivered this week as well.

Mr Hunt said the medical advice was clear that Australians under 50 should receive the Pfizer vaccine, while those over 50 should be administered the AstraZeneca jab.

Australia is currently receiving about 300,000 Pfizer doses from overseas each week, with those shipments expected to increase to 600,000 a week by the middle of next month.

Since commencing the vaccine rollout in February, Victoria’s state clinics have delivered more than 772,135 doses in total. That includes 350,230 first doses and 91,640 second doses of Pfizer.

TOWNHOUSE COMPLEX FORCED INTO ISOLATION

Victorian government nurses have descended on a Melbourne townhouse complex after concerns were raised over potential transmission between the buildings.

It comes as two new cases of local transmission were announced on Monday, along with four in hotel quarantine.

The latest locally acquired cases are two children who are primary close contacts of existing cases, with no community exposure during their infectious period.

Health Minister Martin Foley said on Monday contact tracing teams had identified two positive cases that lived in the same low-rise complex of around 100 townhouses in Southbank.

Mr Foley said a case that tested positive on Saturday lived in the same complex as a aged care worker at Arcare Maidstone who also tested positive.

Cleaners on site at townhouses in Wells St Southbank which have become a potential hotspot. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“There was reason to believe, both from genomic sequencing and from the epidemiology of these cases, possible exposure sites around a smaller number of internal facilities,” he said.

“Health contacted residents of this complex to inform them of that potential transmission risk and have asked them to isolate.

“Department of Health specialist nurses were on site (on Monday) morning working with the residents and a pop-up testing facility was established near the facility to make sure that we could make it as easy as possible for people to get tested.

“Rather than wait for the community to come to the contact tracers and the testing facility, local public health took the view that they should go to them, and I think that is a good thing.”

Mr Foley said most residents would only be required to isolate until they test negative as it was a tier 2 exposure site, but a smaller number would need to quarantine for the full 14 days.

Investigations are also still underway as to the ongoing source of the Reservoir family of four that tested positive last week.

“There were as many as 10 public exposure sites within a particular pocket of Thomastown, with some broad overlap between a number of the positive case,” Mr Foley said.

Exposure sites linked to that outbreak run back a number of weeks but no clear lines of contact tracing have been established yet.

Thomastown Industrial Estate is a possible exposure site, with health authorities urging anyone who visited the area over the past few weeks to get tested if they are experiencing Covid symptoms.

Nearly 17,000 test results were received on Sunday, continuing a concerning downward trend in testing over the long weekend.

Walkers enjoying an outing at Williamstown over the long weekend. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Luis Ascui

VIC ON TRACK TO EASE RESTRICTIONS

Authorities remain confident they can ease restrictions over the next week, but Victorians are being urged to keep getting tested.

A decision on crowds at AFL games is also likely to be made later in the week.

Chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton said on Sunday that Victoria was well positioned.

“We’re on track for more easing in regional Victoria and the same for metropolitan Melbourne,” he said.

“Exactly what that will look like is to be determined.

“The closer you are to that declaration, if you like, the greater the confidence you can have that that’s an appropriate step.”

Prof Sutton it was still too early to know what the advice would be for crowds at the footy, with games scheduled in Victoria next week.

Melburnians were forced to socialise outside during the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Luis Ascui

He said daily testing numbers, which have dropped in recent days, wouldn’t be the only issue deciding restrictions but urged Victorians with symptoms to keep coming forward.

The state recorded one new positive case on Sunday, a close contact linked to the Arcare Maidstone outbreak, but not an aged care resident.

There are now 64 active cases of Covid-19 in Victoria, and more sites in Melbourne have been identified as exposure sites.

The 4 Freshwater Place building at Southbank was named a tier 2 exposure site on June 11 from 8.40am to 9.25am and again from 4.50pm to 5.40pm, June 10 from 8.40am to 9.25am and again from 4.50pm to 5.30pm, and June 9 from 8.40am to 9.25am and again from 4.35pm to 5.30pm.

Coles Express on the Melton Highway in Taylors Lakes has also been deemed a tier 2 site, with anyone who attended the service station between 10.30am and 11am on May 21 urged to get tested urgently and isolate until a negative result is received.

Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Ascui

When asked about recent mystery cases, including a couple who went to Queensland, Prof Sutton said authorities were still narrowing down the source of the infections.

“Some of them have moderately established links – not absolutely definitive, but a pretty good sign that they’re linked,” he said.

“The genomics tells us even more – that they’re the Kappa variant for some of them.

“It is not over yet and certainly we want that high level of testing to be able to give that assurance about any other cases that might be out there.”

Acting Premier James Merlino tipped a further easing of restrictions for regional Victoria towards the end of the week.

“Like every person in Victoria, I want to get back to the settings that we had a few weeks ago,’’ he said.

PUSH FOR NEW COVID INQUIRY

An Inquiry into the Victorian government’s handling of the pandemic would be reopened under a bold push by the state opposition, who claim 30 “fundamental mistakes” have led to outbreaks and lockdowns in the past six months.

The Liberal Nationals will on Monday seek the support of Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) members to reopen the Inquiry.

The last report, which was tabled in parliament in February, was set up “in recognition of the importance of providing information to the public during this unprecedented crisis”.

But since December last year, more “fundamental mistakes” have been made, the state opposition claim.

Read the full story here.

Originally published as Two new cases; Pfizer vaccine suspended; Southbank townhouse complex forced to isolate