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Coronavirus crisis: Victoria in deadly day as South Australia reels from truckie infections

AAP and staff writersThe West Australian
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A lone person is seen crossing Flinders Street in Melbourne, Monday, October 4, 2021.
Camera IconA lone person is seen crossing Flinders Street in Melbourne, Monday, October 4, 2021. Credit: DANIEL POCKETT/AAPIMAGE

Another truckie has tested positive for COVID in South Australia, with officials identifying five potential exposure sites.

SA Health said that the man in his 60s, who lives in Adelaide, tested positive at a checkpoint at Yamba last night as he crossed into SA from NSW.

It is believed he was in the early infectious period as he tested negative in NSW earlier the same day.

The man has been transferred to hotel quarantine in Adelaide while a handful of close contacts, who live in the same share house, have also gone into isolation and will be tested.

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Officials have identified four tier-three exposure sites including two country petrol stations as well as a laundromat and a supermarket in Adelaide’s north.

A petrol station at suburban Elizabeth has also been identified as a tier-four site, with people who went there at two different times on Friday asked to monitor for symptoms.

Close to a dozen virus infections in South Australia in recent weeks have involved truck drivers.

However, Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said the movement of freight in and out of the State remained an important service.

FORTY CASES IN ACT

Canberra has recorded 40 new coronavirus cases as the ACT begins its final week in lockdown.

Of the new cases reported on Friday, 21 have been linked to known cases while 19 are still under investigation.

There were 10 cases that were infectious while in the community, with nine being in quarantine during their contagious period.

Health authorities confirmed the number of cases associated with a cluster at the Centenary Hospital special care nursery remains at five, with no new infections diagnosed.

The nursery outbreak also includes two babies,with both being transferred to a pediatric ward.

There are also five babies who have been identified as close contacts and are in quarantine.

Investigations are continuing into the source of the outbreak, but a hospital worker who has tested positive was directly caring for one of the babies who later developed symptoms.

The hospital worker was fully vaccinated.

There are now 16 COVID cases in ACT hospitals, with six of them in intensive care and five on a ventilator.

NSW HAS 646 & 11 DEATHS

NSW has reported 646 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and 11 more deaths, as doctors voice concerns about the accelerated NSW roadmap out of COVID-19 lockdown.

In the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday there were 103,388 tests and Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant says it’s critical that high testing rates continue.

“It’s an exciting time but I caution everyone to do everything safely,” she said on Friday.

There have now been 414 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the outbreak in June, including nine men and two women in the last 24 hours.

Some 856 people are in NSW hospitals with COVID-19 with 170 of them in intensive care and 75 on ventilators.

There was also concern about the increase of COVID-19 infections in the Hunter New England area with 97 cases reported there.

The Australian Medical Association of NSW said changes to the state’s plan to emerge from lockdown could overwhelm the hospital system and burn out healthcare workers.

“Relaxing restrictions too soon will not be a ’popular’ decision if it means the number of people contracting the virus and ending up in hospital skyrockets,“ AMA NSW President Danielle McMullen said.

The NSW Doctors Reform Society questioned whether newly minted Premier Dominic Perrottet was listening to Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant’s advice.

But Katherine Gibney from the Doherty Institute says while COVID case numbers will go up as restrictions loosen, easing out of lockdown is inevitable.

“Hopefully with high vaccination rates we’ll be protected against the more severe disease and those requiring hospitalisation and ICU but we are expecting these to increase in the coming weeks and couple of months,” Dr Gibney told ABC TV on Friday.

“It has to be done. We can’t live in lockdown indefinitely.”

Mr Perrottet on Thursday announced a revised strategy to reopen NSW after the state reached its 70 per cent double-dose vaccination milestone.

Ten adult visitors will be allowed in homes, 30 people can gather outdoors and 100 guests can attend weddings and funerals.

Indoor swimming pools will be able to open and all school students will be back in the classroom by October 25. All teachers will have to be fully vaccinated by the same date.

From Monday people will be able to travel between Sydney, Shellharbour, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast but not into the regions.

The United Workers Union, which represents many frontline and public-facing workers, is concerned members checking vaccination status could be put in unsafe situations.

The union wants the government to issue clear guidelines to protect public facing workers, and penalties for non-compliance, as well as to implement a simple way to verify vaccination status.

The integrated Service NSW vaccine certificate or passport app is still not ready to be rolled out state-wide. It is currently being trialled with 500 people in regional NSW.

Restrictions will ease further when 80 per cent of the adult population is fully jabbed, expected around October 25, when 3000 people will be allowed at ticketed outdoor events and nightclubs can reopen, though dancing would not be permitted.

Masks will not be required in office buildings in an attempt to encourage workers back to Sydney’s CBD.

VICTORIA HITS 1838 INFECTIONS & FIVE DEATHS

Victoria has recorded 1838 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and five deaths, as the state stays the course with its lockdown exit strategy.

The health department on Friday confirmed the latest cases - the highest daily tally of any state or territory since the pandemic began. The deaths take the toll from the current outbreak to 75.

It is the ninth straight day the state has reported more than 1000 cases, with active infections soaring to 16,823.

More than 77,554 Victorians were tested for the virus in the 24 hours to Friday morning, while 36,600 vaccinations were administered at state-run sites.

Some 55 per cent of Victorians aged above 16 are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 84 per cent have received their first dose.

Once 70 per cent of the state’s population above 16 is fully vaccinated, expected around October 26, Melbourne’s curfew will ease, the travel limit will be expanded and venues can open outdoors to the fully vaccinated.

But Victorians will have to wait until the 80 per cent double-dose target for significant changes, forecast for November 5, including Melbourne hospitality reopening for seated service and visitors to be allowed in homes.

In NSW, fully vaccinated adults will receive a swathe of new freedoms from Monday, with up to 10 adults allowed to visit homes, and people allowed to eat at restaurants and go to the gym.

Premier Daniel Andrews Andrews on Thursday said he had no plans to alter Victoria’s roadmap out of lockdown given the high daily case numbers.

The opposition is calling for a return of customer density limits at the 70 per cent target, paving the way for hospitality venues to open indoors.

Dr Katherine Gibney from the Doherty Institute said the state should expect more cases in the coming weeks, putting strain on the health system.

“The modelling does show the numbers will go up in the next couple of weeks before they start to plateau and turn around,” she told Nine’s Today Show on Friday.

“There is no doubt there is a strain on the hospital system already and that is going to get worse but it is being managed in terms of spreading cases around amongst Victorian hospitals.”

Meanwhile, a Victoria Police officer has been admitted to hospital with COVID-19 after working at recent anti-vaccine protests in Melbourne CBD.

At least two officers from an inner-city police station are infected with the virus, while 25 police have been stood down due to potential exposure, the police union said.

STATE-BY-STATE CASE BREAKDOWN

VIC - 1838 new local cases, five deaths

NSW - 646 new local cases, 11 deaths

ACT - 40 new local cases

QLD - TBA

WA - No new local cases

SA - One new case

TAS - TBA

NT - TBA

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