By David Estcourt
Victoria has recorded 26 new local cases of COVID-19 as health authorities declared a large market in Melbourne’s inner south-east a tier-1 exposure site after a positive case visited several stalls during a trading day last week.
All of Thursday’s community cases are linked to the current outbreaks, and 24 of the 26 cases were in quarantine throughout their entire infectious period.
Health Minister Martin Foley said the two cases out in public while infectious had limited exposure.
One person only stopped at a regional petrol station, he said, while the other case, linked to the AAMI Park rugby union match outbreak, was in the community for a single day.
Mr Foley said the latter case visited the Prahran Market on Saturday, July 17, between 9.40am and 11.15am. The person was not breaking isolation rules as they had been released from their tier-2 isolation requirements when they initially tested negative to the virus after attending the Wallabies v France match on July 13.
“When we revised our tier-1 definition a few days ago on the grounds of evidence of some mingling outside of the ground, and this case was incorporated, [the person then] became a tier-1 contact, went back into isolation tested again and [returned] positive,” COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said.
People in hazmat suits give Prahran Market a deep clean on Thursday.Credit:Jason South
The entire market has since been listed as a tier-1 exposure site after contact tracers found the shopper had visited a number of traders, including Pete and Rosie’s Deli, Q le Baker, Prahran Seafoods, John Cester’s Poultry and Game, Gary’s Quality Meats, Reliable Fruit and Veg and Market Lane Coffee.
More than 900 people checked in to the various stalls during the timeframe listed on July 17. “If you were there during these times, you must immediately isolate, you must get tested, and you have to quarantine for 14 days following exposure,” Mr Foley said.
There are now 19,000 people in Victoria isolating as primary close contacts throughout the state.
On Thursday, five people in the state were in hospital with COVID-19, including one person in intensive care.
There are now 146 active cases of coronavirus in Victoria, 133 of which are linked to the two outbreaks seeded from NSW.
Two new cases were also recorded in hotel quarantine. Health authorities received 43,674 tests on Wednesday and state authorities delivered 14,230 jabs.
The figures come as NSW recorded a record 124 new COVID-19 cases, with at least 48 of those cases active in the community while infectious.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned the state needed to brace itself “for cases to go up even higher”.
92% of Victorians in quarantine for entire infectious period: Foley
The percentage of Victorians in quarantine for their entire infectious period has jumped from 6 per cent to 92 per cent in three days, Mr Foley said during Thursday’s COVID-19 update.
Acting Chief Health Officer Ben Cowie said one woman who was infectious while in the community went to great lengths to ensure she wouldn’t spread the disease while filling up petrol.
When she was contacted by health officials and told she was a close contact, she immediately travelled back home from regional Victoria into isolation, Professor Cowie said.
She then “only made that one stop for petrol had limited contact with staff, and even disinfected the credit card that they were using before handing it over”.
Regional cases climb to six with new Bendigo infection
A case in the Greater Bendigo area in regional Victoria was among the new cases of COVID-19 reported on Thursday, the first positive case in the local government area in almost six months.
Bendigo Health confirmed the case was not in the community while infectious after details of the infection were added to the Health Department’s website.
The last time central Victoria had a positive case was in September 2020.
There are now at least six active cases in regional Victoria linked to the new outbreak. Mildura, in Victoria’s north-west, recorded two new cases on Thursday, taking its total to four active cases, and another case was reported in the Wellington local government area this week.
‘I’m sorry’: PM expresses regret over vaccine rollout
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he is “certainly sorry” over the slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout, accepting full responsibility.
Mr Morrison made the remarks during a press conference on Thursday afternoon after he had come under pressure for not apologising for missteps and delays in the vaccine rollout.
Mr Morrison said he took responsibility for the vaccination program and for the challenges.
“I’m certainly sorry that we haven’t been able to achieve the marks that we hoped for at the beginning of this year. Of course I am,” he said.
However, he insisted things have turned around over the past month, with the rate of those fully vaccinated almost tripling.
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David Estcourt is a court and general news reporter at The Age.
Victoria records 26 new local cases as Prahran Market listed as COVID-19 exposure site - The Age
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