Victoria records more community transmission of Covid
Victoria has recorded five new Covid-19 cases within the community in the last 24-hour period, as the state wakes up to day three of the anticipated seven-day lockdown.
The five positive cases came from 45,301 people across Victoria who came forward for testing on Saturday, the state government's Department of Health said.
One person in hotel quarantine has also tested positive. On Sunday, there were 49 active cases in the state.
More information about the new locally acquired cases is expected later on Sunday.
In addition to the positive cases, over 17,000 Covid-19 vaccines shots were administered in Victoria yesterday.
Scores of Melburnians queuing for the COVID-19 jab on Saturday faced long waits after technical issues crippled booking systems.
It comes after the state's coronavirus hotline was flooded with more than 77,000 calls in 15 minutes when it was announced on Thursday that eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine would be expanded to people aged 40-49.
On Saturday, the state also recorded five new locally acquired Covid-19 cases, all linked to a known case and added several new exposure sites taking the list to over 170 as concerns grow about the number of close and secondary contacts who have potentially come into contact with the virus.
Despite the steady increase of cases, on Saturday, health minister, Martin Foley, nevertheless said authorities were "getting close on the heels" of the virus outbreak ad would not be drawn on whether the lockdown would need to be extended.
Most infections in the state are linked to Melbourne's City of Whittlesea cluster, with cases testing positive for the B1617 strain first identified in India.
Shopping centre, supermarkets added to exposure site list
Victorian authorities have added several new exposure sites on Sunday, including several stores at Chadstone Shopping Centre.
On May 26, one of the positive cases was at the shopping centre between 11.30am and 2pm.
The shopping centre itself, along with the Woolworths, Baker's Delight and Optus stores have all been deemed as 'Tier Two' exposure sites.
However, Yokozuna at Chadstone Shopping Centre is considered to be a 'Tier One' site.
If a place is listed as 'Tier One' it means people who visited that site within the corresponding timeframes have to get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days after exposure.
People who have been to a 'Tier Two' exposure site must get tested and quarantine until they receive a negative result.
A full list of exposure sites can be found here.
with AAP
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
