Victoria COVID LIVE updates: Melbourne COVID lockdown into second week, Melbourne COVID cases grow, exposure sites increased, regional Victoria restrictions eased - The Age

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The COVID-19 strain at the centre of the outbreak that has forced Melbourne into a second week of lockdown is not moving faster than other variants of the virus or spreading in new, unexpected ways, Australia’s peak pandemic advisory group has found.

The government justified yesterday’s extension of the lockdown by claiming what is now being called the “Kappa” variant of the virus is more contagious than previous outbreaks and infections are occurring more readily between people who only briefly came into contact.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton toned down his language yesterday.Credit:Eddie Jim

University of Melbourne Professor James McCaw, an infectious disease expert and member of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, which advises the national cabinet, said this was not supported by the data he had seen.

“There is no epidemiological evidence that this virus spreads faster,” he said. “There is no clear reason to think this virus is spreading in different ways.

“We need to be very cautious. We are on an absolute knife-edge in Victoria about whether we bring this under control rapidly or it develops further. But I don’t think it is helpful to seed alarmist or doomsday-type thoughts into the community.”

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, who has described the virus strain at large in Melbourne as an “absolute beast” that was spreading “in settings and circumstances we’ve never seen before”, toned down his language yesterday, as acting Premier James Merlino detailed the state’s next stage of COVID-19 restrictions.

While Melbourne’s lockdown will continue for another week, restrictions are expected to be eased in regional Victoria from tomorrow. In Greater Melbourne, the five-kilometre movement radius will be extended to 10 kilometres and supermarket shoppers will need to check in with a QR code.

Professor Sutton’s advice to the government about the highly infectious nature of the virus and novel forms of transmission being detected by contact tracers was critical to the changes announced yesterday.

Read more here.

Avalon is in the box seat to be the site of Victoria’s dedicated quarantine facility for returning travellers after Treasurer Josh Frydenberg signalled it was the federal government’s preferred site.

“Avalon does have some very positive characteristics to it, obliviously being near an airport and that’s relevant in this case,” Mr Frydenberg told Neil Mitchell on 3AW radio a short time ago.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Canberra today.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

He did not confirm the selection outright but said a decision was “imminent”, as is one on federal financial assistance to Victorians in lockdown. On that latter decision, Mr Frydenberg said, he would have more to say later today.

But even as relations between Victoria and Canberra have warmed since their low point a few days ago when state leaders slammed the Commonwealth over a lack of financial support, Mr Frydenberg criticised the number of days Victorian schools have been closed and the fact that areas of regional Victoria without coronavirus cases have been locked down.

“I still find it baffling that kids can’t go to school,” Mr Frydenberg said.

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It’s been a grim week for Victorians going through the state’s fourth lockdown. This time around, it feels like there’s less of a push to try new things, such as baking sourdough or having drinks over Zoom.

However we want to hear the good stories from people who started a new habit during the lockdowns of 2020 and maintained it. Maybe it’s going sober, or taking up a new exercise regime. Perhaps you’re almost fluent in a new language.

Whatever it is, let us know via the form below to be part of a story we’re putting together.

Racing Victoria says Victorian thoroughbred racing will continue to be spectator-free until at least the night of Sunday, June 6.

Race meetings will proceed with only competing participants, essential staff and officials permitted to attend.

Victorian races will be spectator-free until at least Sunday night.Credit:Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

A further update on whether a limited number of regional spectators, with owners being an initial priority, will be able to attend regional race meetings from Monday, June 7, will be provided over coming days.

Nicola Spurrier, South Australia’s popular Chief Health Officer, issued an unusual warning yesterday to fans attending Saturday’s clash between the Crows and the Magpies: avoid the footy!

“We’re looking at the ball, because sometimes the ball, as well – not that I’ve been to many football games – I have noticed occasionally it does get kicked into the crowd,” she said.

“If you are at Adelaide Oval and the ball comes towards you, my advice to you is to duck and just do not touch their ball.”

Collingwood players, coaches and match day staff were forced into 60 hours of lockdown ahead of their arrival in Adelaide at the order of South Australian health authorities.

Under the restrictions brought in to ensure Saturday’s Adelaide-Collingwood match will go ahead as scheduled in South Australia, Collingwood players and staff were scrambling to be inside their homes by 5 o’clock on Wednesday afternoon, when their hard quarantine begins.

Between 5pm on Wednesday until they fly out on Saturday morning, Pies staff and players will only be able to leave their house for three reasons: to train, get a COVID-19 test or for an emergency.

Last Wednesday, the AFL began contacting Victorian clubs and ordering them into a seven-day football lockdown. Several AFL teams fled the state as the AFL scrambled to respond to the outbreak.

Read more here.

If there is one thing we know how to do in Victoria, it’s take a COVID-19 test.

That single black squiggly line below shows the ups and downs of our coronavirus test numbers since October last year. Over the past week, it has shot up higher than ever.

Last Saturday, Victorians turned out in record numbers, with 56,624 test results processed. Yesterday’s number was even higher: 57, 519 tests. Now to get those vaccination numbers at the same levels...

Victoria has recorded three new locally acquired cases of COVID-19.

There were also an enormous 57,519 test results processed – a new record I believe – and 23,921 vaccines administered.

There are currently 69 active cases across the state.

The Victorian government has imposed a 10-kilometre travel limit on Melburnians for recreation and shopping. You can use our tool below to find the extent of your bubble.

Melburnians will also be barred from regional Victoria.

Please note the tool can struggle to locate your place on long roads so sometimes picking the nearest cross-street might give a more accurate guide.

Also please remember that regional Victoria is not subject to the 10km limit. It applies only to the councils of Metropolitan Melbourne. The affected council areas are shaded grey on our map.

International student Marco Castaneda has thought about leaving Melbourne and going home to the Philippines every day since COVID-19 broke out.

He was among hundreds of people who queued along La Trobe Street on Wednesday to stock up on bok choy, long-life milk and cereal as the city’s coronavirus lockdown was extended for another week.

Hundreds of international students queued for help from Foodbank on Wednesday.Credit:Chris Hopkins

The Victorian government, federal Labor, charities and unions ramped up pressure on the Morrison government yesterday to help people — including many casual workers stood down during the lockdown — struggling to pay rent and buy food.

Mr Castaneda is saddened that international students have not been supported, despite adding billions to the economy. “We’re really struggling,” he said.

Many like him have to pay rent, electricity bills and university fees without any income now COVID-19 restrictions have taken away their ability to work.

Mr Castaneda, Louie Jaramillo and Angelica Tinaya have all lost shifts in hospitality this week, and were queuing up at Foodbank’s pop-up grocery store for international students for the first time yesterday.

“We don’t have any source of income, that’s why we’re here to get some food,” Mr Castaneda said.

Demand for help among international students has shot up 50 per cent at Foodbank since the lockdown took effect last Friday, leaving hundreds of thousands of casual workers without shifts for two weeks.