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Coronavirus Australia live update: Daniel Andrews holds press conference as Victoria reports 13 new cases and four deaths
Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria reports four deaths and 13 new Covid cases as NSW records four
(32 minutes later)
NSW records no new locally acquired cases for fifth day as pressure mounts over border closures and budget speculation intensifies. Follow all today’s updates
NSW records no new locally acquired cases for fifth day as pressure mounts over border closures and budget speculation intensifies. Follow all today’s updates
First of all, everyone is on TikTok now. Secondly - what
I just checked in with Michael McCormack, and well, it is going as well as you would expect
My feed has dropped out, but the press conference was coming to its end. I’ll let you know if there was anything else.
Daniel Andrews then moves onto staying the course, even though there is a lot of hurt in the community at the moment, which has been caused by the restrictions:
Asked about the letter from the federal government asking for more students to return to school (Years seven to 10) Daniel Andrews says he understands it is difficult, but he is trying to look at the bigger picture:
Outdoor gatherings in Melbourne are limited to five.
Outdoor gatherings in Melbourne are limited to five.
So if you have three kids, you can not take your kids out to meet another parent with three kids.
So if you have three kids, you can not take your kids out to meet another parent with three kids.
But if your household is more than five, you can go outside together. The difference is the ‘gathering’ - a household going outside is not considered a gathering, but a meet up with people from another household, is.
But if your household is more than five, you can go outside together. The difference is the ‘gathering’ – a household going outside is not considered a gathering, but a meet up with people from another household, is.
The rapid testing kits you may heard a little about - are being tested against the gold standard in Victoria at the moment - but they want to make sure they reasonably catch as many infections.
The rapid testing kits you may heard a little about – are being tested against the gold standard in Victoria at the moment – but they want to make sure they reasonably catch as many infections.
What about their mental health? Has Brett Sutton heard reports of an increase in mental health issues in school students?
What about their mental health? Has Brett Sutton heard reports of an increase in mental health issues in school students?
Yes.
Yes.
Sutton:
Sutton:
Why aren’t more students back at school?
Why aren’t more students back at school?
Brett Sutton:
Brett Sutton:
Brett Sutton says Jenny Mikakos was “extraordinarily hard-working” in his first comments since her resignation as health minister.
Brett Sutton says Jenny Mikakos was “extraordinarily hard-working” in his first comments since her resignation as health minister.
But he says he and new health minister Martin Foley are also “on the same page” and he doesn’t believe the change will cause much disruption to the department.
But he says he and new health minister Martin Foley are also “on the same page” and he doesn’t believe the change will cause much disruption to the department.
Former Victorian health minister, Jenny Mikakos tweeted the other day that Victoria was “well on its way to eradication” which is not something Victoria has been pursuing.
Prof Brett Sutton is asked about that comment:
Prof Brett Sutton gives a little more detail on the numbers authorities are looking for, in terms of opening up:
Victoria Health is going to break down the active cases by LGA again, now that numbers are more manageable.
“The criticality of protecting regional Victoria is very high,” Prof Brett Sutton says, which is why there probably won’t be too much more movement in easing restrictions in regional Victoria very soon, despite the low case numbers.
Victorian CHO Brett Sutton says he thinks the spike in testing on Tuesdays is a bit of human nature in play – it is more convenient for people to get tested on a Monday or Tuesday, which tends to mean higher numbers on Wednesdays.
At the moment, there will be about 95 different businesses which will have to step up its testing regime, but that number could grow.
Victoria Health has just put out this statement, after viral fragments of Covid were found in the Anglesea sewer network – despite there being no confirmed cases:
While the preliminary result may not mean there are currently active cases of Covid-19 in the Anglesea community, the Department of Health and Human Services has increased testing in the area with local health services and taken further wastewater samples.
Residents of Anglesea and recent visitors who have even the mildest of symptoms are urged to get tested and isolate as they await their result.
A pop-up testing site has been established at Anglesea Memorial Hall, 1B McMillan Street. It will be open from 11am to 6pm on Wednesday 30 September and from 10am to 6pm every day until Sunday.
The department is analysing wastewater for fragments of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, at sites across Victoria as part of the national collaboration for sewage surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 (ColoSSoS).
The positive trace of coronavirus was detected in a preliminary test result and then confirmed on Tuesday 29 September in a sample collected from the entry to wastewater treatment plant on Tuesday 22 September.
The test result may be a result of someone with coronavirus infection who hasn’t been detected through testing. It could also be because someone who has previously been infected is continuing to “shed” the virus.
It can take several weeks for someone to stop shedding the virus. The fragments themselves are not infectious.
Victoria’s chief health officer Prof Brett Sutton said that while positive samples have been expected at sewage testing sites because of the prevalence of Covid-19 cases in Victoria, the Anglesea result is of interest because there have been no known cases in the local community in recent weeks.
While the result may not signify any current cases and could represent virus shed from people who had visited the town, it has provided an opportunity to increase testing and minimise potential transmission.
In early September, testing was stepped up in the Apollo Bay area after virus fragments were detected in wastewater. With more than three weeks having passed since detection, it is unlikely that there is an active undiagnosed case in the area.
Why is this step being taken? Why step up testing at the high risk worksites, given the plans which are already in place?
Daniel Andrews:
Asked if businesses will follow the new Covid-safe plans, Daniel Andrews says:
There is an update on testing – there have been 160,000 tests over the last 2 weeks, which is about 3,300 tests for every positive found, which is very good news.
