Playground closures, COVID-19 curfew and Melbourne lockdown extended

“Let’s not kid ourselves. There were violations, there were people who broke the rules; it puts us all in danger.

Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien said the tightening of restrictions was a “very dark day for Victoria”

“Extending the lockdown was still on the agenda,” Mr. O’Brien said. “Reimpose curfews, close playgrounds? My God, this is just cruel. This is unnecessary overshoot on the part of a government punishing innocent Victorians for not having a plan to deal with the culprits and because they have no plan to tackle the culprits. COVID. “

Victoria on Monday recorded 22 new local cases of COVID-19 as residents of two large apartment buildings in north Melbourne were asked to self-isolate after positive cases were detected.

Fourteen of the new locally acquired cases were isolated throughout their infectious period. Five of the new cases have not yet been linked to the current outbreaks.

More than 29,980 people were tested for COVID-19 on Sunday and 19,880 Victorians were vaccinated at state-run clinics.

The strongest measures come as NSW recorded 478 new local cases of COVID-19 on Monday, the highest number on record in the state in a 24-hour period. Meanwhile, the Greater Darwin and Katherine entered a three-day lockdown as Canberra extended its lockdown.

Eight worrying clusters: Weimar

Victorian COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said there were eight significant clusters in Melbourne that did not have a clear source.

These include outbreaks in Newport, West Footscray, Middle Park, Wyndham Vale, Melbourne City, Glenroy, Lygon Street in Carlton and St Kilda East.

Mr Weimar said that with new primary close contacts, health authorities have a lot of work ahead of them. The epidemics in St Kilda East, Middle Park and Glenroy have raised serious concerns.

“One of our main concerns that we have been talking about over the last few days is with the eight clusters at the moment,” he said.

“We have potential links between some of them, but until we can find and be sure that we are completely on top of all of these cases, or understand all the links, there will be some risk.”

The list of exhibition sites exceeds 500

A public housing tower at 480 Lygon Street, Carlton has been listed as a Level 2 exhibition site for more than a week, after potential COVID-19 exposure from August 8 to 15.

Anyone who lives or has visited the tower between these dates should get tested immediately and self-isolate until they test negative. Some residents will be considered primary close contacts and will need to self-isolate for 14 days.

Residents of a building in Blackwood Street, North Melbourne, are also required to self-isolate and get tested after a confirmed case visited the scene for three days last week.

Level Five of the “South Building” at 23 Blackwood Street is now a Level 2 exhibit site from August 11 to midnight August 13 at 1:00 pm.

Another apartment building, in Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, was on lockdown for two weeks from Sunday after being visited by a COVID-positive cleaner in the middle of last week.

There are now over 530 connected exhibition sites to the current epidemic.

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Melbourne curfew to tackle illegal gatherings

The toughest measures come after Victoria Police identified those loitering outside reception areas and undertaking ‘pub crawls’ on Sunday.

A large engagement party that took place in the southeastern suburbs last week against COVID-19 instructions has also been referred to police.

Victorians cannot currently receive visitors to their homes, except for care visits.

Prime Minister Daniel Andrews said a transmission had already been detected following the party in the southeastern suburbs last week.

“What really angers me about this event is that each of these 69 people will need to be interviewed,” Andrews said. “Their close contacts will have to be spoken and tested, their close contacts will have to be spoken and tested.

“That’s what events like this cost us all. Because while our dedicated contact tracers do this job, they’re not chasing other cases, they’re not chasing other cases. “

However, Jodie McVernon, director of epidemiology at the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, said she did not believe that imposing a curfew on Melbourne to stop social mixing would reduce the spread.

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“Personally, I am not aware of any evidence proving that curfews per se are particularly effective,” she told ABC Radio National on Monday morning.

“It is clear that we need the public to cooperate with these measures in order for them to be effective. “

Meanwhile, the Victoria Police Union said the curfew was not requested by police and would strain already “paper thin” resources.

“To the best of my knowledge, I am still of the opinion that the Victoria police have not argued for a curfew to help enforce the law. [Chief Health Officer] directions, ”said Wayne Gatt, secretary of the Police Association.