Covid-19 News Updates

26 new cases for Victoria as alerts issued for Prahran Market

The percentage of daily Victorian COVID-19 cases who were completely in isolation while infectious continues to rise, but so too does the number of new infections.

Victoria's Minister for Health Martin Foley has reported today that there were 26 new cases detected yesterday, of whom only two were in the community whilst infectious.

"One of the exposures was limited to a single transaction at a petrol station in regional Victoria, as they made their way back to Metropolitan Melbourne to isolate, and that person did an outstanding job in following all the required measures to minimise transmission," Foley says.

The other case relates to the AAMI Park cohort and was in the community for one day in the infectious period, visiting the Prahran Market and its Market Lane Coffee location last Saturday morning between 9:40am and 11:15am.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reports the customer visited a number of traders including Pete n Rosie's Deli, Q le Baker, Prahran Seafoods, John Cester's Poultry and Game, Gary's Quality Meats, Reliable Fruit and Veg and Market Lane Coffee.

"These two locations have now been listed as tier one sites this morning, and we use this opportunity to reach out to the over 900 people who checked into those venues under the QR code system," the minister says, noting how this case shows how important it is for contacts linked to exposure sites to stick to the 14-day isolation period.

"There is every chance that many of those 19,000 people who we are monitoring as primary close contacts can turn positive."

There has been no change on yesterday regarding the number of people in hospital (5) or in intensive care (1), and the total cases reported over the past 10 days has now reached 133 in relation to this outbreak as a result of what Foley described as "the Sydney incursion of COVID-19".

Foley highlights a positive development in terms of the successful isolation of positive cases.

"Three days ago, some 6 per cent of the daily cases were isolating for the entirety of their infectious period. Yesterday that was 73 per cent and today it's 92 per cent," he says.

"This shows that our combination of measures that have [been] put together in our public health toolkit are starting to work in the direction that we want, giving our contact tracers the time and the resources and the opportunity they need to get ahead of this virus."

Updated at 12:07pm AEST on 22 July 2021.

QLD to close border to all of NSW, mask rules extended by a week

Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles has announced the state will be closing its borders to all of NSW from 1am tomorrow to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread, although a border bubble for essential travel will be established.

The border bubble will extend south to the Clarence Valley and west to the South Australian border, while Miles noted Coffs Harbour had not been included due to Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young's concerns for that region.

"There will be a border zone in place for people who live and need to travel within the community around the border," Miles said.

"It will allow people to move around those communities for essential reasons; all of the things that you would expect like to go to school, to go to work, for healthcare or to care for others."

The announcement coincides with confirmation that various restrictions will be eased within Queensland from 6am tomorrow, with the number of visitors allowed to visit the home rising from 30 to 100, a lifting of gathering limits in outdoor public spaces, and a relaxing of the density rule in indoor premises from 4 square metres to 2 square metres.

Wedding and funeral limits will also rise to 200 people.

As it's been less than 14 days since Queensland had someone infectious while in the community, the Chief Health Officer has asked people to continue wearing masks for another seven days.

"Masks have proven effective at allowing us to mitigate the risk of those infectious cases, so continue to wear masks at all times when you're around others, except for when you're seated and eating or drinking, or strenuous exercise," Miles said.

He said lockdowns currently in place in Victoria, South Australia and Greater Sydney, which have been reciprocated by Queensland, have meant the state's border is effectively closed to travellers from those areas already.

"But in order to be able to ease these restrictions I've outlined, we need to close the border to the rest of NSW. That will mirror the arrangements currently in place in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

"We really want to be able to ease these restrictions safely but we can't ease here without greater assurance, greater protection from the risk of people travelling from other states with the virus into our state."

However, while some restrictions will be eased in Queensland, authorities have learned from recent experiences in Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and AAMI Park about how easily the Delta strain can be spread at sporting events.

In light of this, stadiums with greater than 20,000 seats will only be allowed to operate at 75 per cent seating capacity and there will also be more stringent requirements around mask-wearing even while seating, except for when patrons are eating or drinking.

Updated at 11:15am AEST on 22 July 2021.

SA cases jump to 12 as winery cluster detected

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall called an unusual second press conference this afternoon following an uptick in COVID-19 cases in relation to a Yattalunga winery and The Greek on Halifax restaurant that was listed earlier as an exposure site.

"It was only a few hours ago that we reported to you that there were just six cases linked to this cluster. Unfortunately we have new cases to report and concerning new exposure sites in addition to that. In fact, we go from six cases in South Australia to 12," the SA Premier said.

Five of the new cases are linked to Tenafeate Creek Wines in Yattalunga which is believed to have been an exposure site on Sunday afternoon from 1:45-4:30pm, and one additional case linked to the Greek restaurant in the Adelaide CBD.

However, of most concern to health authorities is one of the new exposure sites - the Gawler and District College B-12 school.

"We know that one of the people who is now infected was at this site yesterday, so we will be getting in contact with every person that we can who was at these exposure sites," Marshall said.

"This is exactly and precisely why we needed to move South Australia into a lockdown situation.

"This Delta variant is extraordinarily transmissible and this disease thrives on indecision. We've gone hard, we've gone early, we've gone with the cooperation of the people of South Australia, and we need that cooperation to continue into the future."

Click here for a list of exposure sites.

Updated at 4:51pm ACDT on 21 July 2021.

SA announces $100 million business support package as state enters day one of lockdown

With South Australian residents today waking up to their first day of a snap lockdown, the state's treasurer has unveiled a $100 million business support package that will see eligible small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) receive an emergency cash grant.

It comes as SA records just one new locally acquired case of COVID-19 today which is linked to The Greek on Halifax restaurant and follows a record day of vaccinations in state clinics.

Tens of thousands of SMEs are expected to benefit from the $3,000 emergency cash grant to help businesses survive the seven-day lockdown and pay for operating costs like rent, power bills and raw material costs.

The package also includes a new $1,000 cash grant for eligible small businesses who don't employ staff, for example non-employing sole traders.

"This is an immediate lifeline for small and medium businesses that are the lifeblood of our community and underpin our economy," SA Treasurer Rob Lucas said.

"We know this is an incredibly difficult time for many employers and their staff, which is why we are doing everything in our power to help as many businesses as possible get through to the other side of this short lockdown.

"The $3,000 grants will provide an immediate cash injection to eligible businesses affected by the restrictions, by improving cash flow and helping cover costs such as commercial rent and utility bills or supplier fees for raw materials."

The scheme is modelled on similar support packages available interstate, with the grants to apply to businesses with a payroll of less than $10 million, with an annual turnover of $75,0000 or more (in 2020-21 or 2019-20) and whose turnover is reduced by at least 30 per cent over the duration of the lockdown.

Lucas said the State Government would consider the potential for further support if the lockdown is extended beyond 27 July.

"While we have no information to suggest that will be the case, we will consider what further assistance might be provided to businesses if the lockdown is extended beyond the current seven days," Lucas said.

In addition, the state government is going to provide income support payments of up to $600 to eligible workers in regional SA who live or work outside of the Commonwealth-declared 'hotspot' local government areas (LGAs) and therefore are not entitled to Federal Government's COVID disaster payments.

The Commonwealth's COVID-19 disaster payment scheme provides $375 per week for those workers who have lost between 8 and less than 20 hours' work, or have lost a full day of work, and $600 per week if a person has lost over 20 hours' work.

Lucas said the State Government will match the income support payments for workers outside the declared Commonwealth 'Hotspots' of Adelaide metro, Hills and Gawler areas.

"Our commitment will ensure South Australian workers whose hours are affected by the current lockdown will be supported, regardless of whether they work in Mitcham or Mount Gambier, Norwood or Nuriootpa, West Beach or Whyalla," Lucas said.

Information about the support package will be available on the SA Treasury website today and to register interest in business support cash grants businesses are encouraged to email [email protected].

Updated at 12.12pm AEST on 21 July 2021.

Victoria unveils $283m business support boost as daily cases rise to 22

The Victorian Government has announced a $282.5 million injection for its business support package, taking the total stimulus to $484.3 million in response to the current lockdown for the entire state.

Eligible Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund recipients will receive $4,200, taking the total payment to $7,200, while Business Costs Assistance Program recipients will receive $2,800, increasing the total grant to $4,800.

As flagged last week, businesses that registered for these schemes in the previous lockdown will receive automatic payments with $180 million already paid out over the past two days to more than 86,000 Victorian businesses.

Minister for Industry, Support and Recovery, Martin Pakula also welcomes new applications from businesses that either didn't register for support payments last time or were ineligible.

There has also been a lot of discussion about microbusinesses that are not registered for GST and turn over under $75,000 annually.

"I should make the point that at any level if you're registered for GST, whether you turn over $75,000 or not, you're eligible to apply for the business support payments," Pakula says.

"But discussions between our officials and Commonwealth officials over the last couple of days have made it clear that the vast majority of those microbusinesses who've lost income or lost hours will be eligible for the COVID-19 disaster payment of either $600 per seven-day period if they've lost over 20 hours of work, or $375 if it's between eight and 20, just as they were for JobKeeper."

"I'd make the point that those outside the Commonwealth-declared hotspots, those funds will be funded by the State Government."

Business Victoria will be setting up a 'concierge service' to help businesses apply for funds, with new rounds of funding as well for public events and event suppliers, sports clubs and Alpine operators.

Eligible public events and public events suppliers affected by the lockdown will receive support of up to $25,000 and $10,000 respectively through an extension of the Impacted Public Events Support Program.

A new round of the Live Performance Support programs, with funding of up to $7,000 for presenters and up to $2,000 for suppliers, has also been confirmed.

Alpine hospitality, retail, accommodation and experience operators that were eligible for grants of up to $15,000 will receive an extra $3,000 through a fresh $1.2 million injection, on top of any entitlements under the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund or Business Costs Assistance Program.

"We recognise that the snow season is a relatively short period of time, and so any impact during that season has a proportionately greater impact on businesses in the alpine regions because their earning capacity is not year-long," he says.

Combined with supports given during the May-June lockdown, today's injection takes the total Victorian Government stimulus up to just under $1 billion over the past three months, and $7 billion since the pandemic began.

Victorian COVID update

The state reported 22 new COVID-19 cases overnight, representing an increase on the 13 reported yesterday, but as was the case in NSW today this was partly due to record testing numbers of almost 60,000.

"Yesterday almost 60,000 people right across the state braved some pretty inclement weather to return the highest single day's worth of tests that we have seen in the 18 months of this pandemic," says Victoria's Minister for Health Martin Foley.

"And 98.8 per cent of those results are being turned around by the next day."

Foley reports 73 per cent of the new daily cases have been fully isolated during their period of infectivity.

"What this means is that our contact tracers and our restrictions are working in tandem as part of the public health team's toolkit to beat this virus back and to beat this outbreak back step by step, and that should give us confidence that this is a process that is working," he says.

"And it is working because millions of Victorians are backing it in and doing the right thing."

Of the new cases, five are connected to Trinity Grammar, five are linked to the restaurant Ms. Frankie, three are connected the pub Young & Jacksons, three are related to St Patricks Primary School Murrumbeena, two are linked to AAMI Park (both patrons seated within two or three rows of the index case), two are linked to Bacchus Marsh Grammar, one is a worker from the West Gate Tunnel, and one is a family member of an unlinked case from the northern suburbs.

"Half of the new cases today were household contacts of primary close contacts," he says.

There are now more than 18,000 primary close contacts in Victoria, and combined with secondary close contacts the number rises to 28,000.

Click here for a list of exposure sites in Victoria.

Updated at 12:44pm AEST on 21 July 2021.

NSW reports 110 new cases after record testing day

"Had we not gone into lockdown a few weeks ago, the 110 number today would undoubtedly have been thousands and thousands," says NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Daily COVID-19 cases in NSW rose to 110 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, which Premier Gladys Berejiklian admits is a high number but one that reflects a record 84,000 daily tests.

"That is the highest number New South Wales has ever had in a single day, and I especially want to thank the community of Fairfield for coming out in large numbers, but also to everybody who put themselves forward for testing," she says.

"This is a great result and one that we need to keep up during the next few weeks to make sure we capture all the cases that are out in the community.

"What is concerning, however, is that 43 people in that in those number of cases were infectious in the community."

She emphasises those 43 people haven't necessarily done the wrong thing, but what the figure shows is how infectious and contagious the virus is.

"It means that every time you have contact with another human being, you risk either getting the virus or passing the virus on," Berejiklian adds.

"Our vaccination rates are so low and yet we've done really well in stemming the growth of the virus. What we need to do now is quash it," she says, noting safety is key at the moment to give the state "economic freedom down the track".

Of the latest locally acquired cases, 54 are linked to a known case or cluster, 40 are household contacts and 14 are close contacts,  and the source of infection for 56 cases is under investigation.

Dr Jeremy McAnulty from the NSW Ministry of Health says there are 106 people with COVID admitted to hospital in the state, of whom 23 are in intensive care with 11 requiring ventilators.

While the focus of cases has been in Southwestern Sydney, McAnulty observes an increase in Western Sydney and elsewhere such as Belrose, Haymarket and Wollongong.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro has given further details in relation to the seven-day lockdown announced last night for the Central West NSW towns of Orange, Blayney and Cabonne.

"On the advice of course of NSW Health, the NSW Government made a decision for the first time to act fast, hard and local, and lock down three local government areas in regional and rural New South Wales," Barilaro says.

"Those stay home orders are that you can't leave home unless for work or education, for medical care, of course for shopping for groceries or for goods and services, and for exercise.

"We also accept that hospitality will now close unless offering takeaway, and this decision was made to make sure we protect those communities."

McAnulty explains a truck driver who unknowingly had COVID-19 travelled from Sydney to Blayney for authorised work, completing four overnight trips from Western Sydney and the regional town between 13-17 July while potentially infectious.

A close contact from the Nestle Purina petcare factory has since tested positive to COVID and as a result all other staff at the factory are being tested and are in isolation. Other drivers who have transported goods to and from the factory are also being tested.

Click here for a list of NSW exposure sites.

Updated at 11:38am AEST on 21 July 2021.

NSW towns Orange, Blayney and Cabonne sent into lockdown overnight

The Central West NSW towns of Orange, Blayney and Cabonne were placed into a seven-day lockdown overnight after a COVID-19 infected truck driver reportedly visited the area last week.

Residents of the three shire council areas must now stay at home until 12.01am Wednesday 28 July unless it is for one of five essential reasons:

• Shopping for food or other essential goods and services
• Medical care or compassionate needs (including receiving a COVID-19 vaccine)
• Exercise outdoors in groups of two or fewer
• Work or tertiary education (where you cannot work or study from home)
• To attend a wedding or a funeral (but only during a grace period, which ends at 12.01am on Friday 23 July. After this date funerals will be limited to 10 people).

Schools will remain open under these restrictions and all staff and students are expected to still attend school.

In addition, masks must be worn in all indoor settings and outdoors where it is not possible to socially distance from others.

"The government and health experts will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updated information and advice," says NSW Health.

"We understand this is a difficult time for the community and appreciate their ongoing patience.

"It is vital people continue to come forward for testing to help us find any COVID-19 cases in the community."

Updated at 9.00am AEST on 21 July 2021.

Tasmania locks out South Australians over COVID outbreak concerns

With South Australia recording two new cases of COVID-19 today Tasmania will close its borders to the state which will plunge into lockdown tonight, with returning residents exempt from the new rules.

Since 4pm today South Australia has been declared 'High Risk Level 2', meaning South Australians are not be permitted to travel to the Apple Isle.

In addition, Tasmania's Premier Peter Gutwein has asked anyone in his state who has been in SA from 8 July to immediately check the list of high-risk premises in Adelaide.

"Anyone who has been in one of those premises at the date and time specified should immediately self-isolate and contact the public health hotline on 1800 671 738 for further advice," Gutwein said.

Gutwein also announced today the state's borders would be shut to Victoria for at least another seven days.

This extension of border controls coincides with Victoria's plans to exit lockdown next week on Tuesday, 27 July.

Updated at 4pm AEST on 20 July 2021.

Victorian lockdown prolonged a further seven days as 13 new cases reported

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed the state will start the process of opening up from its current lockdown at midnight on Tuesday, 27 July, emphasising contact tracers need more time to get on top of the outbreak that rose by 13 new cases overnight.

Four of these new cases were already reported yesterday, and nine of them were in isolation for 100 per cent of their infectious periods - a fact the Premier describes as "very promising" and that he hopes will develop as a trend.

"That's really how we will know that we bought this under control when we don't have that residual risk of it running again - of it flaring up once we open up," the Premier says.

The latest numbers take the state's total number of active cases to 85 with 18,000 primary close contacts identified, a third of whom are in regional Victoria.

"It's too early today to lift restrictions. We've seen significant and standalone outbreaks in regional areas in Phillip Island, Bacchus Marsh, Barwon Heads and as far away as Mildura," says Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.

"Around a third of all our primary close contacts are in regional Victoria, right across regional Victoria. This outbreak has touched the whole state, and that was in a way that the Delta and Kappa outbreaks didn't do back in May and June," he says.

"Much of that is due to the super spreading events early on in this outbreak that took place in the MCC members' reserve for the Geelong-Carlton game; something that brings Victorians from far and wide and back home far and wide across Victoria."

Travel to Victoria using Red Zone Permits will be temporarily paused in a bid to run the Delta variant to the ground.

"For four weeks we've been saying to people from Victoria who are in Sydney and now in broader NSW - not the bubble but beyond that border bubble - we've been saying come home because the rules may change. Well, the rules are changing today," he says.

"The only people that will get a permit to travel from a red zone into Victoria are those who are authorised workers, and those who apply for and get a compassionate exemption to the new rules I'm announcing today.

"There will be no further as-of-right red zone travel for the next two weeks. What I cannot have happen is is hundreds and hundreds of people who were warned weeks ago to get back here who have not done that, while the situation further deteriorates and we see more and more cases...we get this outbreak under control and then we finish up with another incursion brewing," he says, clarifying there will be compassionate exemptions.

More than 49,000 people came forward for testing yesterday, and the Premier has confirmed 90,000 businesses have received support payments.

Updated at 11:49am AEST on 20 July 2021.

SA in seven-day lockdown from 6pm today as cluster grows to five cases

With South Australia this morning recording two new cases of COVID-19, bringing the cluster to five infections in total, and confirmation that the outbreak is the Delta strain, the state will go into lockdown from 6pm today.

The restrictions will last for seven days, and South Australians will only have five reasons to leave the house:

• Care and compassionate reasons like taking care of a loved one
• Essential work
• Purchase of essential goods like food and medication
• Medical reasons including vaccination and COVID-19 testing
• For exercise, with the limitation that only people from the same household can exercise together.

Schools will be closed from tomorrow, with teachers granted 24 hours to transition to online learning and elective surgeries will be paused.

Restaurants will be forced to operate as takeaway only, and exercise from home must be limtied to 90 minutes per day and within 2.5km of the home.

"We hate putting these restrictions in place, but we have just one chance to get this right," SA Premier Steven Marshall said.

"This is moving very quickly. We first got a positive confirmation at 2.30am yesterday, and we're moving as quickly as we can to stop the spread of this particular cluster.

"This is highly transmissable, we've seen this in Victoria. It's been moving extraordinarily quickly that we don't want this moving right across this state."

One of the cases is linked to a close contact from yesterday's Modbury case, with the fifth case dining at The Greek on Halifax Street in the CBD.

As such, anyone who attended the restaurant on Saturday 17 July from 6-10pm, including everyone in their household, must quarantine for 14 days.

In terms of support for businesses impacted by the seven-day lockdown, Marshall says he expects the same levels of assistance from the Commonwealth Government as what has been extended to New South Wales and Victoria.

However, because the support payments to affected workers are not activated until the second week of a lockdown, the SA Treasurer is looking at more immediate support for businesses and will have an announcement within the next 24 hours as to what that might entail.

"I spoke to the Prime Minister today, he's assured me we'll get the same deal as other states," Marshall said.

"I'm hopeful we can actually stop this dead in the water."

Updated at 11.23am AEST on 20 July 2021.