Source: ABCnews
Victoria has recorded 76 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, as health officials consider the restrictions that will remain when lockdown is extended on Thursday.
Contact tracers have linked 45 of the new cases to existing outbreaks.
Health authorities say the number of cases who were in quarantine while infectious will be revealed later.
The state processed 50,848 test results on Monday, when 32,162 vaccine doses were delivered at state-run sites.
There are more than 1,000 exposure sites across Victoria, with a construction site at Fishermans Bend and several apartment buildings in Melbourne among recent additions.
A 7-Eleven store and legal firm at Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula have also been recently added as exposure sites.
On Monday, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the state’s outbreak was showing signs of stability, but Victoria remained in a “very challenging” position.
He said the state would continue to follow an aggressive suppression strategy to try to drive the outbreak down to zero, “but now with some absurd hope if numbers continue to increase despite everything that you’re doing”.
Professor Sutton hinted that some easing of restrictions could be possible in regional Victoria, as the Shepparton outbreak came under control and there were promising signs an outbreak in Traralgon may not eventuate.
Around 76 per cent of the state’s 805 active cases are under 40, which Professor Sutton said was evidence that vaccination of older cohorts was making a difference.
Everyone aged 16 to 59 is now eligible to receive a Pfizer vaccine through both state-run centres and participating GPs.
Health Minister Martin Foley announced yesterday pharmacies were also joining the Pfizer rollout.
But the government clarified on Monday evening pharmacies were not offering Pfizer and were instead likely to begin receiving Moderna supplies by mid-September.
Professor Sutton stressed there was plenty of AstraZeneca available at state hubs for all Victorians aged 18 and older.
Authorities remain concerned about wastewater detections across Sunshine West, Tottenham, West Footscray, South Kingsville and Spotswood.
The detections in recent days have been in areas without recent positive cases, raising concern an infected person has not presented for testing.
Authorities have raised the same alert for Aspendale, Aspendale Gardens, Bonbeach, Carrum, Chelsea, Chelsea Heights, Edithvale, Mordialloc, Patterson Lakes and Seaford in Melbourne’s south-east.
