If you’re in Victoria this morning, chances are you’re feeling a little uneasy – after the government and authorities decided it was too risky to move ahead with the planned easing of restrictions.
As AAP reports:
Victoria confirmed another 19 cases on Sunday, taking to 160 the number of new cases in the state over the past week.
The only other cases reported on Sunday were five in NSW and one in Western Australia.
The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee says outbreaks have been identified in the local government areas of Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Moreland, Cardinia and Darebin.
“The AHPPC strongly discourages travel to and from those areas until control of community transmission has been confirmed,” the committee said on Sunday.
The deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth said the Victorian situation had been discussed at Sunday’s meeting of the AHPPC.
He said after the update from Victoria’s chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, the panel had “every confidence” the outbreak would be brought under control.
“This is a good example of how things are going to work into the future,” Coatsworth said.
“[It is] an important example because it will show how a state can get on top of outbreaks of this nature in Victoria and then move forward.”
Family-to-family transmission seems to be the main issue, which has meant households will again be limited to just five visitors at a time and outside gatherings are limited to 10.
The rest of the states and territories, which are moving ahead with the easing of restrictions, are watching to see what happens – Queensland has already declared all of greater Melbourne a Covid-hotspot.
We’ll have all of the nation’s coronavirus news, and more covered off today. You have Amy Remeikis with you until mid-afternoon.
