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All of Victoria’s 6.68 million residents will remain under some form of a lockdown – despite the state’s latest outbreak causing not a single death or critical illness, and all the latest cases being linked to known clusters.
Melburnians are anxiously waiting to find out if the city’s draconian Stage Three restrictions will be lifted on Thursday after the outbreak of cases in Victoria grew to 94.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton hinted on Monday ‘nothing was off the table’ and said there would be no ‘snap back’ to previous conditions.
A localised lockdown in the most virus-hit suburbs was likely beyond Thursday, and several restrictions were expected to remain in metropolitan Melbourne.
Senior government sources said on Monday night it would take a ‘massive’ surge of mystery Covid cases for the draconian city-wide lockdown to be extended further.
But of the 11 cases announced on Monday, all of them have been traced to known clusters while eight are primary contacts of existing cases and were already self-isolating – meaning they cannot spread the virus any further.
The cluster hasn’t led to any deaths yet in the state and there are only two residents in hospital with coronavirus in the whole of Victoria – neither of whom are in intensive care.
By comparison, the state’s deadly second wave in August led to 768 deaths and more than 18,000 infections, many requiring ICU treatment.
Two of the new locally acquired cases are a 79-year-old resident at the Arcare Maidstone and a nurse who worked at the north-west Melbourne aged care facility – both of whom were asymptomatic as they had already been immunised against the virus.
Melbourne remains in lockdown despite there only being two residents in hospital as a whole in Victoria – neither of whom are in the ICU. There were 5,500 active cases by comparison during the state’s horror second wave last year
The 79-year-old had already received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine while the nurse had received the first.
Figures released by health authorities in the UK show the risk of being admitted to hospital decreases by 93 per cent after receiving both doses of the vaccine.
Despite the limited scope of the current cases in Melbourne, Professor Sutton though said he isn’t sure if Melbourne’s school children can go back into the classroom come Thursday.
‘I can’t say,’ he said simply when asked whether home-schooling would stay or go.
The state’s Labor government has now quietly extended its state of emergency 17 times since first bringing it in in March 2020 – giving the Andrews government the power to confine Victorians to their homes.
A Victorian government graph showing the level of transmission in the state since the start of the pandemic demonstrates how the recent outbreak is a small blip in terms of virus spread.
In April, there were about 500 active cases in Victoria while in September during the second wave that figure ballooned to 5,500.
A masked pedestrian walks through a Melbourne inner-city park on June 3. Of the 11 new cases on Monday, all of them have been traced to known clusters while eight are primary contacts of existing cases
Protests have ranged from groups of anti-vaxxers and anti-lockdown protesters taking to the streets of Melbourne, to a swipe from New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
Ms Berejiklian on Friday said Victoria was taking the ‘easy’ decision to go into a broad lockdown, rather than trusting their contact tracing system as NSW authorities have done without shuttering businesses and locking down citizens.
Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas meanwhile appeared on Channel Seven’s Sunrise on Friday and argued the Victorian government had to be ‘less conservative dealing with the Covid-19 virus’.
Victoria’s Health Minister Martin Foley said on Monday all the new cases were locally acquired and linked to previous clusters
Raising fears of a extended lockdown, Professor Sutton said on Monday it was too early to determine which restrictions would finally be lifted.
‘It’s frustrating,’ he said. ‘People want to know what things will look like three days from now.’
‘We see different changes every day and they can be something from left field, there can be something very short in terms of new linkages, no wastewater deductions, no new exposure sides, we need to see it play out,’ he said.
Professor Sutton admitted it would not be a total ‘snap back’ to normal when the lockdown was lifted.
Melburnians are currently waiting on edge as they prepare to come out of lockdown on Thursday after restrictions were extended as the state grapples with its latest Covid-19 outbreak – which now sits at 94 active cases
‘As I’ve always said, we’re looking at numbers every day, and we make those decisions on a day by day basis,’ he said.
‘Today brought some positive signs – nine of 11 cases are effectively in quarantine, not many new exposure sites. And we are releasing a number of primary close contacts.’
Four of the new cases were linked to the West Melbourne cluster and included three children and an adult – bringing the total to 14.
Three were linked to the Whittlesea cluster, bringing the total to 32, and three to the Arcare Maidstone aged care facility, raising the total to nine.
Health workers conduct Covid-19 tests in Melbourne. There are now four new cases were linked to the West Melbourne cluster, while the Whittlesea cluster sits at 32
The announcement came as six train services were added to the state’s growing exposure list – bringing the total to an overwhelming 354 venues.
Authorities have confirmed 24,265 tests were received and 17,719 vaccine doses were administered at state-run sites in the last 24 hours.
During a press conference on Sunday, Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said officials’ main concern is tracking down ‘upstream’ transmission.
Six train services running along the Upfield Line have also been listed as Tier Two exposure sites, joining busy supermarkets and shopping centres on the swelling list.
Victoria has recorded 11 new Covid-19 cases as it approaches decision day for whether Melbourne’s strict lockdown will be lifted as planned on Thursday (pictured, Melburnians line up outside a vaccination hub)
Health authorities made the announcement on Sunday after discovering a confirmed case had travelled on the public transport system.
A doughnut store, construction site, restaurant and BP have also been added to the growing list.
The Covid-19 positive commuter had travelled from Merlynston Station to Flinders Street Station from 6.03am to 6.34am on June 2, 3, and 4.
They then later travelled from Melbourne Central Station to Merlynston from 3.55pm to 4.19pm on the same days.
The return to double digit infections was the highest number for 11 days, and comes as six train services were added to the state’s growing exposure list – bringing the total to an overwhelming 354 venues (pictured, Covid-19 testing clinic on Bourke Street in Melbourne)
Anyone who caught the train around the same time has been urged to get tested for Covid-19 and isolate until they receive a negative result.
The train services are the latest addition to Victoria’s exposure list that now sits at 354.
That’s Alotta Donuts at 2/882 Cooper Street in Somerton, north of Melbourne, has been added to the list.
A confirmed case visited the venue between 4.10pm and 5.20pm on May 30.
Probuild Construction Site at 100 Queen Street, in Melbourne, has also been flagged as a tier 1 exposure site after a worker tested positive to Covid-19.
Anyone who was at the venue from 7am to 4pm on May 30 and 31, June 1, 2 and 3 has been told to get tested.
The same advice applies to anyone who visited the site between 7am and 12.30pm on June 4.
The new locally acquired cases were announced on Monday and include two that were reported yesterday and linked to the Arcare Maidstone aged care facility, including a 70-year-old resident (pictured, healthcare workers outside the aged care facility)
Six train services running along the Upfield Line have also been listed as Tier Two exposure sites, joining busy supermarkets and shopping centres on the swelling list (pictured, the Covid-19 positive case had caught the train to Flinders Street Station)
That’s Alotta Donuts at 2/882 Cooper Street in Somerton, north of Melbourne, has been added to the list
Chick Chick (Fried Chicken)/ Sir Duke at 97-99 Puckle Street at Moonee Ponds was also placed on the list with a confirmed case visiting from 3.10pm to 3.40pm on May 30.
BP/David Jones Food Merrifield at 470 Donnybrook Road at Mickleham was also added to the list.
Anyone who visited the venue between 5.40pm and 6.10pm on May 30 has been advised to get tested.
Chick Chick/ Sir Duke at 97-99 Puckle Street at Moonee Ponds was also placed on the list with a confirmed case visiting from 3.10pm to 3.40pm on May 30
Health officials have warned there is no ‘magic number’ of people getting vaccinated before future coronavirus lockdowns can be avoided (pictured, Melburnians queuing to get the Covid jab on Saturday)
Victorians have been warned there is no ‘magic number’ of people getting vaccinated that would guarantee the government stops using lockdowns to control future outbreaks of coronavirus.
The current lockdown – Victoria’s fourth in 14 months – was scheduled to end on Thursday but the continued emergence of new cases in the current small outbreak raised the prospect it will be extended.
Professor Cheng said it was difficult to say what proportion would need to be vaccinated to avoid future lockdowns.
Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said it was difficult to say what proportion would need to be vaccinated to avoid future lockdowns
‘There isn’t one single magic number,’ Professor Cheng said.
‘Once you get up to much higher coverage rates, then it makes a whole lot of things easier.
‘We may not need the intensity of restrictions. We may be able to only do contact tracing without having to do other things quite to the same level, and that is the benefit of vaccination.’
Victoria had administered 1.4 million doses of vaccine in a state with a population of 6.5 million.
Professor Cheng expects Melbourne will be able to ease restrictions on Friday.
‘We don’t want to be in this any longer than we need to. So if we can, we will lift it early,’ he said.
Melburnians are experiencing their fourth lockdown within 14 months. Pictured is a deserted Federation Square on Saturday
Victoria had administered 1.4 million doses of vaccine in a state with a population of 6.5 million (pictured, healthcare workers at the Arcare aged care facility at Maidstone)
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt on Sunday announced an additional 100,000 vaccines are being made available for Victoria.
The federal government has also extended its suspension of JobSeeker mutual obligation requirements until June 15.
