Source: abcnews
Victorian contact tracers are racing to identify the source of five new coronavirus cases.
All are close family members, spread across three households in the City of Whittlesea in Melbourne’s outer north.
Recapping the restrictions
Things have been moving pretty quickly this morning, but I can see your questions coming in, so hopefully this will cover off a few of them. From 6:00pm tonight, the following rules apply across metropolitan Melbourne
- Masks must be worn by indoors unless there is an exemption. This applies to everyone 12 years and older and includes workplaces
- Private gatherings in the home are limited to five visitors per day
- Public gatherings are limited to 30 people
The rules also “follow” people leaving metropolitan Melbourne to wherever they’re visiting.
For example, if you’re from Melbourne and you’re visiting a friend in Bendigo, you must wear your mask indoors.
What do the restrictions mean for bars/events/weddings/funerals?
Acting Premier James Merlino is addressing this one now.
He says there will be no changes to the arrangements with bars and restaurants.
A public health panel will weigh up whether more changes are needed for large public events including football games and cultural events, but they remain unchanged for now.
There will be no changes to the existing density quote for weddings and funerals held at venues, but if they are being held at a private residence, they will be subject to the new restrictions.
Authorities to undertake daily monitoring of wastewater
Mr Foley said wastewater surveillance played a big part in alerting authorities to the Whittlesea cluster, and as a result, they would be undertaking daily monitoring.
Highpoint Shopping Centre likely to be broken down as an exposure site
Mr Foley says authorities are working hard to “test, trace and isolate” all contacts associated with the outbreak.
He says exposure sites will be updated later today after the interview with the latest case is completed.
Mr Foley added authorities are asking people to continue to isolate until they can pinpoint exactly where in the Highpoint Shopping Centre the positive case visited, using CCTV footage.
Close contacts being tested as a ‘matter of urgency’
Health Minister Martin Foley says there are a number of other “small or private or closed exposure sites which we are managing”, that have not been published online.
They include the workplace of the first case, but all contacts have been tested.
