Victoria has recorded two new locally acquired COVID-19 cases since midnight, as authorities test and quarantine residents of a Southbank townhouse complex in a bid to prevent an outbreak from growing.
Key points:
- There were 15,067 test results received on Monday, and 9,997 vaccine doses administered at state-run sites
- Some shared facilities at a Southbank townhouse complex have been identified as private exposure sites
- Access to the Pfizer vaccine this week has been limited to existing bookings and those people getting their second dose
Those two additional locally acquired cases of COVID-19 were from the Southbank complex, Health Minister Martin Foley said.
The two cases were among more than 200 people tested yesterday following suspected transmission between two residents in a shared space.
The Kings Park Apartment Complex at Dodds and Wells streets is now listed as a Tier 1 exposure site from June 2 to June 14.
Mr Foley said the number of primary close contacts linked to the complex was being expanded by the public health team that was investigating.
COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar described the cases in the apartment complex as “the most active front” of the outbreak so far.
He said the two new cases were adult males in separate apartments and there were concerns about communal areas and thoroughfares in the Southbank building.
Mr Weimar said the apartments were adjacent to those occupied by people who had already tested positive to COVID-19.
As a result of the new cases, all residents in the building have been asked to lockdown for the next 14 days.
Positive cases are being encouraged to move from the Southbank complex to hotel quarantine.
There are now six positive cases associated with the building, and Mr Weimar said the first three to test positive had already moved into hotel quarantine and the freshly detected cases would potentially move as well.
Meanwhile, three new overseas-acquired cases were detected in hotel quarantine up to midnight last night.
There were 15,067 test results received on Monday, when 9,997 vaccination doses were delivered at state-run sites.
Nurses visited the complex on Monday to begin testing residents.
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Meanwhile, a pause on walk-ins has been announced for the Pfizer vaccine at state-run vaccination hubs, after authorities flagged demand was exceeding supply.
The Victorian Government says existing bookings for the first dose will go ahead but its vaccination centres are this week prioritising giving the second Pfizer jab to those who got their first dose three weeks ago.
Yesterday, Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, tweeted that a wait of up to six weeks between first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine was “fine”.
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Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said Victoria could not continue to blame the Commonwealth for any problems with the rollout.
“The federal government has said we’ve got the inventory, we are giving the state their doses so I’m not interested in that tit for tat, I want the Andrews government to fix this mess,” she said.
“Fix the booking system and get people who want to get vaccinated to be able to be vaccinated and importantly have that second dose.”
Wedding planners say confidence in bookings has been shattered
ABC News: Kyle Harley
)On Monday, Health Minister Martin Foley said the state remained on track for a planned further easing of restrictions on Friday.
Wedding and event planners today took to the steps of the Victorian Parliament to call for a faster easing of restrictions on their industry.
In metropolitan Melbourne, weddings are permitted with no more than 10 people, including the two persons being married, celebrant, two witnesses.
In regional Victoria, 20 people are allowed at a wedding, including the two persons being married, celebrant, two witnesses.
ABC News: Kyle Harley
)Event planner Racha Sleiman said consumers could not book weddings with any confidence due to sudden lockdowns.
“We have lost upwards of $60,000 to $80,000. Last year, we were unable to work for eight months,” Ms Sleiman said.
“This lockdown has absolutely crippled us to a point where we need to lift restrictions and … and be able to operate events in a safe COVID way so that our brides and grooms can celebrate and we can return to some kind of a COVID-normal.”
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