Source: ABCnews
Victoria recorded six new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 yesterday, including the mystery case reported in the afternoon.
The source of infection for three of the cases, including the school teacher from Melbourne’s west reported yesterday, is still under investigation.
The other three are linked to known cases and were isolating during their infectious period.
The new cases were detected from 27,279 test results processed on Wednesday.
The first mystery infection was reported just hours after the state confirmed a zero-case day on Tuesday, its first in almost a month.
The teacher, a woman in her 20s, lives in the Hobsons Bay local government area and works at the Al-Taqwa College in Truganina.
She is believed to have been infectious in the community for three days last week.
One of the other mystery cases is a senior player from the Newport Football Club.
The club confirmed the player tested positive yesterday. He played a match against West Footscray at Shorten Reserve on July 31, and started feeling unwell during the week so did not attend training on Tuesday.
All Newport players and officials are being tested and isolating until further notice.LIVE UPDATES: Read our blog for the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
New exposure sites will be listed on the health department’s website as contact tracing interviews are conducted.
It is believed one of the new cases visited the Elm Road Clinic in Altona North.
It has been closed and all appointments have been cancelled while the clinic undergoes a deep clean.
Schools close as a precaution after competing in football competition
Al-Taqwa College will be locked down for 14 days and students and staff will quarantine for the fortnight unless the health department advises otherwise.
Today is a pupil-free day to allow the 300 staff members and 2,100 students to be tested.
Anyone who lives with those staff members and students must also quarantine for 14 days.
At least three other schools have closed as a precaution, despite not having any confirmed cases, after competing in the Bachar Houli Cup against Victorian Islamic schools earlier in the week.
Ilim College closed two campuses in Dallas and others in Glenroy and Doveton, while the Australian International Academy of Education has closed its campuses in North Coburg, Coburg and Caroline Springs.
East Preston Islamic College confirmed it had closed as a precaution for Thursday and Friday.
The Al-Taqwa College was at the centre of one of Victoria’s largest outbreaks during the second wave last year.
“Al-Taqwa College has done everything in its power and more to comply with government instructions and directions since this pandemic started,” spokesman Terry Barnes said.
“It did it through the long lockdown last year, through the major outbreak last year, it’s doing it again now.”
The health department recently expanded its eligibility for Pfizer vaccines at its state-run centres to include school staff working directly with students.
There were 17,229 doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered in state-run centres yesterday, with a similar number usually delivered through the Commonwealth rollout.
Authorities confirmed yesterday there would be about 60,000 more slots available, on top of the 200,000 already on offer, from August 9 to September 5.Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
