Victoria has recorded 55 new local cases of coronavirus on Friday, as authorities added a vaccination clinic in Melbourne’s outer south-east among the state’s new exposure sites.
Of Friday’s new local cases, 49 have been linked to the current outbreaks. Health authorities are investigating the source of the remaining six cases.
Victorian health authorities have identified several new exposure sites after COVID testing returned a record number of cases for this outbreak on Thursday. Credit:Wayne Taylor
Only 25 of the new cases were in isolation for their entire infectious period. Two cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the state’s hotel quarantine.
Victoria recorded 57 local cases of coronavirus on Thursday, the highest daily toll for this COVID-19 outbreak.
The figures come after authorities detected several new tier 2 COVID-19 exposure sites late on Thursday evening, including Altona Gate Shopping Centre and the first-floor car park and food court of Pacific Werribee Shopping Centre.
Frankston Community Vaccination Hub at Bayside Centre did not appear on the official list, but public health provider Peninsula Health confirmed a person visited there to receive a COVID-19 vaccination on Monday, and later tested positive for the virus.
“While they had no symptoms while at the vaccination hub, they subsequently developed symptoms and tested positive to the virus [on Thursday],” Peninsula Health said in a statement.
“Due to the positive case attending the venue earlier this week, the Frankston Community Vaccination Hub has been deemed a [tier 2] exposure site.”
The clinic has been declared a tier 2 site on Monday between 11.30am and 12.45pm, meaning anyone who attended it during that timeframe has to get tested for COVID-19, and isolate until they receive a negative test result.
“The Frankston Community Vaccination Hub remains open and is safe for you to visit if you have a booking for your COVID-19 vaccination,” Peninsula Health said.
Meantime, Google movement data from last weekend shows Melburnians engaging in what experts have called “thousands of smalls transgressions”, as the effect of 200 days in lockdown takes an emotional toll.
Google mobility data compiled by The Age revealed that across the state last Friday and Saturday, people were moving more than at any time since mid-July last year when complacency prompted Premier Daniel Andrews to plunge the state into stage-four lockdown and mandatory mask-wearing.
Last weekend saw a spate of breaches including an organised takeaway pub crawl in Richmond and an engagement party in Caulfield North attended by 69 guests. The couple involved in the illegal party has been hit with $5400 in fines.
Lifeline Australia chairman John Brogden said on Friday morning that the service had its biggest day on record on Thursday, with staff fielding 3500 calls.
“I know that number of calls reflects enormous distress and anxiety in the community, but the good news is people are calling, and we can’t underestimate the importance of that,” Mr Brogden told Radio National’s breakfast program.
“That means people aren’t suffering in silence, they’re not staying at home and thinking nobody cares, and they are reaching out, so there is a significant silver lining.”
He said that, two years ago, Lifeline was fielding an average of 2500 calls a day, so Thursday’s call numbers reflected a “massive” 40 per cent increase.
Cassandra Morgan is a breaking news reporter at The Age.
COVID-19 scare at Melbourne vaccination clinic as Victoria records 55 new local cases - The Age
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