New restrictions for Greater Melbourne as the COVID-19 cluster grows

New restrictions for Greater Melbourne as the COVID-19 cluster grows

Victoria has recorded one new local case of coronavirus that could be the “missing link” by possibly connecting the fresh outbreak with a previous case.

The new case is a man in his 60s and was been identified as a close contact of one of the previous cases.

It comes after Victorian officials announced on Monday that four people in Whittlesea had tested positive to coronavirus, including a man in his 30s, a man in his 70s, a woman in her 70s and a preschool-aged child.

Fears are also growing over a superspreader event after a man who tested positive to the virus in Melbourne’s north had a “high viral load”.

Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton confirmed the detected strain was the B1617 "double mutant variant" currently wreaking havoc across India.

 

"It’s by no means one to be complacent about," Professor Sutton told media on Tuesday morning, urging anyone who was present at the state's recent list of exposure sites to get tested.

As a result a raft of new restrictions will be introduced across Melbourne from 6pm tonight, including:

• Limiting private household gatherings to five people per day

• Limiting public gatherings to 30 people

• Masks will be required indoors for everyone aged 12 and over unless an exemption applies

Authorities expect the restrictions to be in place until at least June 4 but they will be reviewed throughout this period.

Victoria’s Acting Premier James Merlino said Victorians who live in Greater Melbourne will still be able to travel to regional parts of the state but must continue to follow the restrictions wherever they visit.

“Victorians visiting regional Victoria from Melbourne will also need to wear a face mask when indoors, even when outside metropolitan Melbourne, unless an exemption applies.”

Mr Merlino said the restrictions are being brought in based on public health advice and will allow contact tracers time to “get on top” of the outbreak.

Genomic testing has found the new infections are “closely linked” to a case from a few weeks ago that originated in South Australia.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said that new case might be the “missing link” but his movements still did not overlap with any of the exposure sites from the Wollert case.

“His initial recollections do not overlap with any of the Wollert exposure sites, so there is no definitive link to the Wollert sites even though we know there is a genomic link,” he said.

Professor Sutton said the new case had an appointment with the first case, the man in his 30s, and the transmission probably occurred on May 18.

He said it was also possible there was another missing link

Professor Sutton said one of the new cases was likely “quite infectious” and Victorians needed to prepare themselves for more positive cases.

“The viral load was likely high and with close contacts becoming positive he’s likely to be quite infectious,” he said.

“We have to ready ourselves for any other positives and when there are close contacts that become positive it raises the possibility that even casual contacts could become positive.”

The following locations are considered Tier 1 exposure sites, meaning anyone who visited the venue at the time listed must immediately get tested and quarantine for 14 days from the date of exposure.

 

• Jump! Swim School, Bundoora on May 21 from 8.55am-10.15am.

• Nando’s, Epping on May 19 from 8.30pm-9.20pm

• Woolworths, Epping North on May 22 from 4.45pm-5.45pm

• Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribyrnong on May 20 from 5pm-8pm

The following locations are considered Tier 2 exposure sites, meaning anyone who visited the site at the time listed should urgently get tested for COVID-19 and isolate until they receive a negative result.

 

• Futsal Brunswick, Brunswick on May 23 from 9am-10am

• Epping North Shopping Centre, Epping on May 22 from 4.45pm-5.50pm

• House and Party, Epping on May 22 from 5.15pm-5.50pm

• Urban Diner Food Court, Pacific Epping Shopping Centre, Epping on May 23 from 1.15pm-2.30pm

• Shell Coles Express, Reservoir on May 18 from 3.15pm-4.15pm

• B.T. Connor Reserve, Reservoir on May 21 from 8pm-11.30pm