New Victoria Covid cluster linked to Thai restaurant, NSW traveller
Victoria has recorded three new Covid-19 cases, just one day after three locally acquired cases ended a long virus-free streak int he state.
All three of the cases reported yesterday are linked to the Smile Buffalo Thai Restaurant at Black Rock, Acting Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan said.
“On December 21, one case and two close contacts of cases attended this restaurant, as did a returned traveller from New South Wales,” she said.
“That traveller has been tested as a matter of urgency today, and working with NSW Health to investigate their movements in NSW.
“The traveller returned to NSW prior to the border permit system being put in place.”
The three new cases reported today are close contacts of the cases reported on Wednesday, which were identified through contact tracing and Ms Allan said more details on them would be available later today.
Anyone who visited the Smile Buffalo Thai Restaurant at Black Rock on December 21 is urged to get tested as soon as possible and contact the Department health for the situation.
Urgent warning to congregation and shoppers
Health officials also said any parishioners and congregation who attended the Holy Family Parish Church on December 26, and the Fountain Gate shopping centre on December 28 should also isolate and monitor for symptoms.
The new cases prompted Ms Allan to reduce the number of people allowed to gather inside from 30 to 15 just in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
She also announced that from 5pm on Thursday it will be mandatory to wear a mask in any indoor space when not at home.
State Health Minister Martin Foley said the Covid outbreak is “a very serious situation that Victorians are facing, having sacrificed so much over the course of this year.”
He said Victorians who are in the Wollongong or Blue Mountains local government area, have until midnight tonight to get back to the state.
“If you are in that category, once you are back in Victoria, you need to get tested and you need to self isolate for 14 days, regardless of outcome of that test.
“And you also need to apply for a permit to get back into Victoria before midnight.”
He urged all Victorians who are in NSW to return home as soon as possible.
“We need to stay ahead of it. If that means the public health advice is to move further on border restrictions, that is what we will do,” he said.
“My message to any Victorian in New South Wales, including in the current Green Zone, is come back.
“This is a rapidly evolving situation.”
Victoria’s Covid-free streak ends
On Wednesday, a two-month long streak with no locally acquired coronavirus cases in Victoria came to an end with three women diagnosed in Melbourne.
Two women in their 40s and a woman in her 70s from Mitcham, Hallam and Mentone were revealed on Wednesday as having tested positive.
It's believed their infections may be linked to a Sydney outbreak.
NSW authorities have been trying to get on top of clusters in the city's northern beaches and the inner west, with mystery cases in Wollongong on the state's south coast.
On Thursday the state recorded 10 new cases, prompting South Australia to close its border with NSW from Friday.
Contact tracing has identified more than 40 primary close contacts of the women, who are isolating at home.
Victoria's testing chief Jeroen Weimar expects more close contacts to emerge.
"We have been in this position before and we are deploying our full outbreak approach around these cases," Mr Weimar said.
"We always knew this virus had us in a precarious position and we need to make sure we do everything we can to stamp out any further transmissions."
Victoria's health department late on Wednesday released a list of high-risk locations linked to the new cases and urged anyone who had visited the sites to watch for symptoms.
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The sites include Katlialo restaurant in Eaton Mall in Oakleigh; Mentone/Parkdale Beach; Century City Walk and Mocha Jo's in Glen Waverley and several others. See below for a full list.
Victoria has also announced tighter border restrictions with NSW, adding to bans on the northern beaches, Greater Sydney and central coast.
From Friday, anyone travelling from Wollongong and the Blue Mountains in NSW will not be allowed to enter Victoria.
Anyone already in Victoria who travelled to those regions since December 27 should get tested and stay at home until their results come back.
Until Wednesday Victoria had been on a 60-day streak of no locally acquired coronavirus cases.
Despite the run, celebrations for the new year in Victoria were already going to be muted on Thursday night.
"It has been a very hard year and we have done an incredible thing as Victorians - let's not risk it as we celebrate the end of 2020," Police Minister Lisa Neville said.
Meanwhile, a NSW woman, 57, has been arrested after speeding through a checkpoint in East Gippsland on Wednesday.
The woman was from Bateau Bay on the NSW central coast, a designated red zone.
Police had to use a tyre deflation device to stop her car.
Victoria’s Covid high risk locations
Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant in Black Rock on December 21
National Gold Club in Cape Schank on December 30 from 11.40pm to 1.30pm
Holy family Parish Doveton Catholic on December 26 from 4pm to 6pm
Kmart, Big W, Target, Millers, King of Gifts, Lo Costa at Fountain Gate Shopping Centre on December 26 from 9am to 11am
Century City Walk and Mocha Jo’s in Glen Waverley on December 28 from 1:30pm to 5pm
Mentone/Parkdale Beach on December 27 from 10am to 4:30pm
Katialo restaurant, Eaton Mall in Oakleigh on December 28 from 7pm to 8:15pm
South Australia to implement hard border with NSW
South Australia will impose a hard border closure with all of NSW in response to the spread of Covid-19 cases in Sydney.
Premier Steven Marshall says the closure will apply from Friday with only returning SA residents, people permanently relocating to SA and essential travellers exempt from the new rules.
Returning residents or people relocating will still need to quarantine for 14 days.
A 100-kilometre buffer zone will also be put in place on each side of the SA-NSW border to allow cross-border residents free movements across the state line.
with AAP
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