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Update: Rules for travellers from Victoria into South Australia and Queensland have now changed, but borders will remain open.
A number of COVID-19 restrictions have been reimposed in Victoria after a resident support officer for the Australian Open tested positive to the coronavirus.
VIC Premier Daniel Andrews announced the new restrictions during a press conference last night, with mandatory mask wearing and gathering restrictions now back in force.
The following new state-wide restrictions came into effect overnight:
- The limit on the number of people gathering in a household have been reduced from 30 to 15, meaning the household members plus 15 visitors (excluding children under 12 months of age).
- Masks are mandatory in public indoor spaces.
- The 75 per cent 'return to work' cap in both public and private sectors scheduled for Monday 8 February has been paused and the current cap of 50 per cent will remain in place.
According to Premier Andrews the 26-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday.
The man worked at the Grand Hyatt quarantine hotel on 29 January and undertook a COVID test at the end of his shift and returned a negative result.
Subsequently, he developed symptoms and was tested again on 2 February, receiving a positive result this time. There were six positive infections in the hotel when the man was working there.
As such, public health officials have contacted all Australian Open players, officials and support staff who were staying at the Grand Hyatt during the entire period between 29 January and 2 February. All 520 of these people are considered casual contacts and must immediately isolate and get tested.
Additionally, all hotel staff working at the Grand Hyatt are considered primary close contacts and must immediately isolate, get tested and remain isolated for 14 days.
None of the man's close family contacts have tested positive for COVID-19 so far.
Premier Andrews says the man has been a "model employee".
"We have reviewed literally days worth of CCTV footage, and it's fair to say that this person has been a model employee and has done everything that he should do," says Andrews.
"Whether its donning PPE, all the other protocols, all the other rules that are followed. And of course he's also provided us with very detailed accounts of where he's been."
Victoria Department of Health has issued a number of possible exposure sites where the man has visited. Anyone who visited these sites during these times must immediately isolate, get a COVID-19 test, and remain isolated for 14 days.
Update (9.49am AEDT): Victoria's Department of Health has updated the list of exposure sites:
States introduces new rules for arrivals from Melbourne
In response to the new COVID-19 case in Melbourne, South Australia has introduced rules for arrivals from Metropolitan Melbourne.
Arrivals from Melbourne will be required to isolate on arrival in South Australia and get tested on the same day.
If the test is negative on day one they will be free to leave isolation, but will still be required to get tested on days five and 12.
However, any traveller who has been to Melbourne's Grand Hyatt quarantine hotel from the 28th must immediately isolate in a quarantine hotel in Adelaide.
In Queensland arrivals from Melbourne exposure sites must isolate for 14 days on arrival and get tested for COVID-19.
Updated at 9.23am AEDT on 4 February 2021.
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