Authorities fear students at a high school in Kew are at a “high risk” of getting the virus, while a technical glitch temporarily brought down Victoria’s exposure site website.
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Contact-tracers are racing to track down sport fans, with authorities holding fears for two sporting events that were attended by infected patrons.
Victoria recorded 17 new infections in the past 24 hours.
It came as a technical glitch resulted in the Health Department’s exposure being taken offline on Sunday afternoon.
The list – which numbered more than 220 sites – incorrectly said there had been no known exposure sites in Victoria in the last two weeks.
The list was back online by 5.10pm.
A Health Department spokesperson said it briefly came offline while it was being updated on Sunday afternoon.
More AAMI Park exposure sites were named overnight after a Covid-infected fan attended the Australia-France rugby union test match on Tuesday night.
Anyone who entered gate seven between 7.56pm and 8.13pm must get tested and isolate for 14 days after it was listed as a Tier 1 site.
A men’s bathroom between aisles 21 and 23 from 8.45pm to 9.15pm was listed as a Tier 2 site.
Anyone who used the bathroom at this time must get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.
Meanwhile, another case attended a Euros 2020 final viewing event at The Crafty Squire pub in Melbourne CBD.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton pleaded with sport fans on Sunday, urging rugby and soccer fans to “pay attention”.
He said no new cases were linked to the Crafty Squire but urged anyone who attended to get tested and quarantine.
Health authorities are scouring through CCTV footage after a positive infection was among 400 spectators at the Russell St pub between 3am and 8.15am on Monday, July 12.
The venue has now been deemed a Tier 1 exposure site, with 400 revellers attending the event.
A letter sent to all ticketholders for the event, and seen by the Herald Sun, confirmed anyone who attended the venue at that time must get tested and immediately quarantine.
Covid commander Jeroen Weimar said some attendees bought tickets for their friends, which would cause difficulties if they did not check-in with a QR code.
“We are concerned about the Crafty Squire event,” Prof Sutton said. “There will have been people there for a prolonged period of time.
“If they were eating and drinking, then masks will have been off. I’m sure that there will have been shouting — or for the English, crying — so (there is) risk of transmission by virtue of that.
“There were more than 400 people present. We are going through the ticketholders. We’re going through the QR codes.
“There were a number of people who bought tickets in bulk and gave them to their friends, so it’s really a shout out to anyone who has been there from 3am to 8am to contact us and to make sure that you’re testing and quarantining.”
MORE CASES EXPECTED AT TRINITY GRAMMAR
Trinity Grammar has been upgraded by health officials to “an outbreak setting at high risk of transmission” with more cases expected at the Kew boys’ school in coming days. Four staff and three students have been diagnosed with covid, and all attended the school while infectious but not symptomatic. The outbreak is creating waves at nearby schools, community groups and sporting clubs attended by potentially positive Trinity student cases.
Of particular concern are students from Ruyton girls who mixed with Trinity students on campus and in the school musical Strictly Ballroom. A number of Trinity year 11 students also attended preliminary events linked to the Methodist Ladies’ College year 11 formal. The formal was not cancelled until around 5.30pm, which meant a number of students still partied together during the evening.
Trinity principal Adrian Farrer said all positive cases were physically well and are being supported by the school.
DETAILS OF LATEST COVID CASES
All the new infections announced on Sunday are linked to other cases but some “were in the community” for some of their infectious period, Premier Daniel Andrews said.
All cases were linked to the existing outbreak, with a whopping 53,283 tests were received on Saturday.
The infections announced on Sunday include a patron and four workers linked to the Ms Frankie restaurant in Cremorne; four new household contacts in the City of Hume exposure; a student, worker and household contact linked to Trinity Grammar; two cases at the Wallabies-France rugby match at AAMI Park; an existing close contact of the group of friends who went to Phillip Island; and a Bacchus Marsh Grammar teacher.
A 17th case was announced at Sunday’s press conference — a Mildura man in his 30s who attended the Carlton-Geelong game in the MCC section and tested positive on Sunday morning.
Prof Sutton said the Mildura case, more than 540km from Melbourne, “was concerning”, with health authorities scrambling to contact-trace.
Victoria currently has 70 active cases, including those in hotel quarantine.
Authorities are most concerned about four exposure sites: the MCG, which has six cases linked to it; AAMI Park, three cases; Ms Frankie, eight cases; and the Young and Jackson hotel, which has recorded no recent cases.
Mr Andrews said there were now more than 210 exposure sites — up from 160 on Saturday.
The Premier said it was still too early to reveal any changes to the statewide lockdown.
“I can’t make announcements of what will be relevant and what will be done safely and what will be possible from midnight on Tuesday,” he said.
“The next 24 and 48 hours are critical in terms of that. As soon as we can provide people with greater clarity … then, of course, we will.
But it is too early — frustratingly, I know — for us to make those announcements today.”
The Premier defended the move to lock the entire state down, saying: “If we’d been open, we wouldn’t be talking about 40, 50, 60 cases — we’d be talking about an altogether bigger number and an altogether longer lockdown.”
RICHMOND TRAMS ADDED TO HOT SPOT LIST
Six trams have been identified as Tier 1 exposure sites, while another three have been identified as Tier 2 exposure sites.
These are the first sites to be published on the DHHS website since Saturday night.
The Herald Sun understands the positive case from Isola Apartments in Richmond travelled on at least three of these trams, boarding at the Burnley St and Bridge St stop.
The listed tram routes include 48, 75, 109, 72 and 11.
Anyone aboard a Tier 1 tram between the specified times must get tested and isolate for 14 days.
It comes as residents of the Richmond apartment block woke to their second morning in hard lockdown.
A blue chartered bus was parked in front of the building on Sunday morning, with residents believing it to be stocking supplies and providing shelter for health officials working on-site.
Residents in the 23 apartments were tested late on Saturday afternoon and into the evening.
Sixth-story resident Gavin Jeffs said at 10am he was yet to receive his result.
NSW announced 105 new cases on Sunday, with 27 of those in the community while infectious. Another death was recorded — the fourth fatality since the beginning of Sydney’s outbreak.
INFECTION AT ANOTHER RICHMOND TOWER
A resident of another Richmond apartment complex has tested positive, according to a post in Facebook group Richmond 3121.
Residents of Embassy Richmond on 39 Appleton St have been told normal lockdown rules apply to them until further notice.
The building manager of the complex emailed residents with a message from DHHS, which was included in the Facebook post.
“A confirmed case of Covid has been detected within the apartment complex,” the email read.
Health officials are assessing the risk of the site and will be in touch with further instruction”.
The Appleton St complex is situated right next to Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre, a Tier 2 exposure site.
INFECTED FOOTY PLAYER ATTENDED TRAINING
The Werribee Centrals football club faces an anxious wait after an infected player attended a training session.
It was confirmed on Saturday that the Geelong & District Football League player, who lives in Werribee, received a positive result.
He was at training on Tuesday night with about 40 teammates and 10 support staff but Galvin Park is yet to be added to Victoria’s long list of exposure sites.
The Centurions squad and support staff have each been tested and are nervously waiting if anyone else has been infected.
Read the full story here.
MILDURA RECORDS FIRST CASE IN 465 DAYS
A Mildura man in his 30s has tested positive to Covid, ending the municipality’s 465-day run without a confirmed case.
Health officials said he presented to Mildura Base Public Hospital on Saturday night and later returned a positive result.
Mr Weimar said the man went to the Carlton-Geelong MCG football game.
The state's Covid commander said it was understood the man was in the MCC reserve on level 2 and was one of three household members who went to the game.
He said interviews with the man were continuing, with exposure sites still being determined.
Mr Andrews said he understood the man was a Mildura local and not somebody from Melbourne who travelled to Mildura.
“That just confirms for all of us, if we need any, that this thing moves quick, and if it’s a problem anywhere, it’s a problem everywhere,” the Premier said.
Read the full story here.
COUNTRY TOWN BEG MELBURNIANS TO STAY AWAY
A small country town is pleading for Melburnians to stay away as Victoria’s rising cases spark concern lockdown could be extended.
The town of Maldon, 30 minutes from Bendigo, is home to about 1153 people, but many locals suspect that number increased this weekend.
Maldon resident and Mt Alexander Shire councillor Stephen Gardner said people from Melbourne had fled to their holiday houses, risking the town’s elderly population.
“We need to shut Melbourne out,” he said.
“In the little supermarket there was 30-odd people I didn’t know.
“It’s a worry, particularly for people in the supermarket who are our lowest paid workers, and they’re our most exposed.”
Mr Gardner said Maldon had only one Covid case since the start of the pandemic.
“I would hope, though, going forward regional Victoria isn’t kept in lockdown,” he said.
But local dog groomer Andrea Lee said the town never should have been subject to stay-at-home restrictions and pleaded for Premier Daniel Andrews to set them free.
“We haven’t had any cases up here for a long time,” she said. “Country towns are really struggling.
“I think everyone is feeling like it’s groundhog day; we’re very flat and deflated.
“The government needs to be releasing regional Victoria, not putting us into the same stringent lockdown they’re putting Melbourne into.”
The Maldon local said she had lost most of her business, but didn’t qualify for assistance.
“Financially it’s a huge loss,” Ms Lee said.
She said people “had a right” to come to their holiday houses pre-lockdown, but urged them not to travel for “incorrect reasons”.
“It’s not fair to jeopardise country towns and regional Victoria just so you’re more comfortable,” Ms Lee said.
Mum of five Louise Layne said she was “glad” the town was locked down as there were a number of regional exposure sites, but she hoped it would be over soon.
“It is really frustrating that we’re in this situation because people didn’t follow the rules,” she said.
“If people die because of this outbreak … because they were selfish, that’s a really sad thing.”
Ms Layne said she was avoiding town, wary of people who may have travelled.
“It is at the back of my mind, you just hope that people think sensibly,” she said.
It comes as the number of regional exposure sites – concentrated in Philip Island with more than 14 Tier 1 sites – has country Victorians worried any lockdown extension will be statewide.
VAX NO-SHOWS WASTING HUNDREDS OF JABS PER DAY
Hundreds of Victorians booked for coronavirus vaccinations are not turning up to appointments each day, sparking calls for a new back-up system to dish out unused doses.
The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal that on consecutive days last week there were more than 100 “no shows” at one of Melbourne’s state-run facilities.
Read the full story here.
ONLINE LEARNING SPARKS ANXIETY
Stressed parents are desperate to know when students can return to school as fears of a longer lockdown loom.
Children across the state will log back into Zoom and Google Classroom on Monday as Melbourne parents worry what a fifth lockdown means for their kids’ learning.
The Parenthood executive director Georgie Dent said parents were under an incredible amount of “mental and emotional pressure” juggling paid work, running a household and home schooling. “We know 2020 really severely stretched the wellbeing of parents and children and nowhere more than Victoria,” she said.
“I think the sense of despair is greater because it’s the cumulative picture of uncertainty and stress.”
Concern their children would fall behind could add to their anxiety, she said.
“Most parents are fully aware that even with the very best of intentions they cannot replicate the full school classroom experience. Parents, unless they’re trained educators, don’t have the skills that teachers have.
“Because this has been such a lengthy experience … does exacerbate concerns for parents about what their children are missing out on from a learning perspective.”
An Independent Education Union spokesman said schools had done a great job to support their students but the situation was “exhausting”.
Dad Jonathon Pannuzzo said he worried about the lost learning opportunities for his kids Milla, 10 and Christian, 9.
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