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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has hinted the state could be plunged into sixth lockdown, less than 24 hours after the state celebrated its first ‘doughnut day’ in more than three weeks.
Mr Andrews confirmed officials were holding crisis talks throughout the day but told reporters he had no immediate announcements to make – even as government sources admitted Melbourne is facing a snap three day lockdown.
Mr Andrews on Thursday morning said the Victorian government was waiting on test results and briefings involving Health Minister Martin Foley and Covid commander Jeroen Weimar.
‘I’ve got no announcements to make at the moment but there’ll be a series of meetings this afternoon as there was this morning,’ the Premier said.
‘The government’s priority is to avoid what’s going on in Sydney. We have got to do everything we can to avoid cases getting out of control like they are in Sydney.
‘Everybody has been very clear about the fact there’s only one real way to deal with delta outbreaks. But it’s too early to say what will happen in relation to these cases.’
Two additional cases were recorded this morning on top of six new infections recorded on Wednesday. Alarmingly, only three of Wednesday’s cases were linked to the outbreaks and were self-isolating while infectious.
Fifteen new exposure sites have been announced, including eight tier one locations in western suburbs including Caroline Springs, Altona North, Truganina and Spotswood.
Just 24 hours ago, Mr Andrews had written simply ‘zero’ in a post on his official Facebook account to celebrate the state’s first day without a local infection since July 12.
The Victorian Department of Health on Wednesday confirmed a teacher at the Al-Taqwa College in Truganina in the city’s west may have been infectious in the community for a week. The teacher was one of six new Covid-19 cases in Victoria announced overnight
Pictured: Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews speaks to the media at a press conference in Melbourne. Only a day before the state announced six new cases, Mr Andrews had celebrated Victoria’s first ‘doughnut day’ since July 12
Mr Andrews wrote simply ‘zero’ in a post on his official Facebook account to celebrate the state recording no locally-acquired cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday
One of the mystery cases is a school teacher in her 20s at a prestigious Islamic school in Melbourne – whose positive result has sent 2,100 students and 300 staff members into isolation for 14 days.
The teacher from Al-Taqwa College in Truganina in the city’s west was diagnosed on Wednesday and may have been infectious in the community for a week.
The teacher’s partner has also tested positive. He works in Caroline Springs and is a member of the Newport Football Club. He played a match on July 31 against West Footscray at Shorten Reserve. Two of his family members, who do not live with him, returned positive tests today.
A man who lives in the Maribrynong local government area and works at a Derrimut warehouse is the third case with an unknown source.
Spectacle Hub in Caroline Springs is of particular concern after being listed as a tier one site for four days – August 2 and 3, and July 29 and 30.
Anyone who attended the store during these periods is required to get tested and isolate for 14 days.
The other three cases announced on Wednesday are linked to a testing site traffic controller at Moonee Valley Racecourse whose source of infection remains unknown. The three case were isolating during their infectious period.
Al-Taqwa College said classes would be conducted online until August 18 unless the health department advised otherwise.
The Ilim College and Australian International Academy campuses as well as the Islamic College of Melbourne (ICOM) at Tarneit in Melbourne’s west were also shut on Thursday as a precaution.
In separate letters, the three schools reassured parents that none of their students or staff had tested positive so far.
‘There are many primary contacts at ICOM who may have been in contact with the Al-Taqwa positive confirmed case,’ one said.
The Al-Taqwa teacher is isolating and being interviewed by contract tracers and with urgent investigations are underway into how she contracted the virus.
Two people wearing PPE are seen at Al-Taqwa College in Truganina, Melbourne on Thursday morning
Two masked pedestrians are pictured in Melbourne’s Chinatown. Only three of Thursday’s new cases were linked to known outbreaks and self-isolating while infectious
A swab test for Covid-19 is carried out in Melbourne on July 16. The positive cases have sparked fears Victoria could be sent back into a hard lockdown only nine days after stay-at-home restrictions were eased across the state
Victoria’s Covid-19 Testing Commander Jeroen Weimar said the woman became symptomatic at the end of last week and may have been infectious in the community for a week before testing positive.
‘From July 28 to July 30 is the point in time when we’re assuming she may have been infectious,’ he told ABC Radio on Thursday.
The college has been listed as a tier one exposure site across those three days, while a Coles at Yarraville is a tier two site for specific times on July 29.
The Al-Taqwa College said it would be closed for 14 days – with classes conducted online until August 18 – unless the health department advised otherwise
Mr Weimar said some exposure sites listed in the Hobsons Bay area of Melbourne’s south-west might be a connection point for the woman’s infection.
Al-Taqwa College was a significant location for transmission in last year’s second wave.
Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of Victora recording 725 cases, the highest daily number of infections in its deadly second wave of the virus.
Source: DailyMail
