The Argus Report Read about it!
Largest single day of cases in Australia to date
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd has confirmed that in the past 24 hours, 502 new cases have been confirmed – well ahead of the previous single-day record of 469 back in March.
“We reported only two cases on June 9th, less than six weeks ago and this shows how quickly outbreaks can occur and spread,” he said.
Over the past 24 hours of the 502 new cases, 484 are in Victoria, 16 have been reported in New South Wales.
There’s been one new case in Queensland who is in hotel quarantine, and a report of one new case in South Australia which is under investigation.
In the past week, 98.8 per cent of all new cases of COVID-19 in Australia have been locally acquired.
Latest updates
Three teachers working at Victorian youth justice facility test positive
By Simone Fox Koob
Three teachers who work at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre in Victoria have tested positive for coronavirus.
Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre.Credit:Stefan Postles
The youth justice facility located north-west of Melbourne has been in lockdown since Saturday night after an education coordinator tested positive.
A spokesperson from the Department of Justice and Community Safety confirmed a total of four Department of Education employees working at the centre have now returned positive tests.
“All young people tested have returned a negative result for coronavirus (COVID-19),” he said. “We will continue to support and monitor the health and wellbeing of all young people and staff at the facility.”
Movement of youths within the facility has been restricted in line with health advice. It is mandatory for visitors to wear PPE at all times while on-site.
It comes as six Victorian prisons went into lockdown after a prison officer tested positive to coronavirus on Tuesday.
Situation worsens in Melbourne aged care facilities
By Rachael Dexter
We’ve just had the daily release from Victoria’s Chief Health Officer arrive with some more detail around the current outbreaks in the state, and the numbers show a considerable worsening of the COVID-19 crisis in aged care facilities around Melbourne.
External photo of St. Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner.Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
Today the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced there were 383 positive cases in connection with aged care facilities.
Included in that number are:
69 cases linked to St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner in Melbourne’s north, which is 18 more than yesterday. Federal Health authorities intervened at St Basil’s last night and have stepped in to help manage the facility, with all staff members considered close contacts and sent into self-isolation.
There are now 30 cases linked to Arcare Aged Care in Craigieburn, also in Melbourne’s north, where at least one man has died. Today is the first day the facility has been included in the Health Department’s round-up of outbreak numbers.
As of today there are 26 cases linked to Estia Health in Heidelberg, north-east of Melbourne, which is a jump of 13 since Saturday – the last date this facility was included in DHHS data.
In Melbourne’s west, 20 cases have now been linked to Baptcare Wyndham Lodge in Werribee. The department first flagged an infectious staff member worked at this facility on Saturday.
54 cases have been linked to Estia Health in Ardeer west of Melbourne, which is 12 more than yesterday.
37 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care facility in Werribee west of Melbourne, six more than yesterday.
18 cases have been linked to Embracia Aged Care Moonee Valley in Avondale Heights, north-west of Melbourne which is one more than yesterday.
ACT records no new cases
The ACT has recorded no new cases of COVID-19, while only three cases remain active.
ACT Health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said residents did not need to come forward for testing unless they had been advised to or had symptoms.
“It is really important that we ensure that our testing resources are targeted to those people that do have symptoms,” she said. “Please don’t turn up if you don’t have any symptoms at all.”
Melbourne-based Ingham’s processing plant closes over COVID-19 cases
By Rachael Dexter
An Ingham’s processing plant for chicken products in Thomastown in Melbourne’s north has closed today after five employees tested positive to COVID-19.
In an ASX release to shareholders, CEO and Managing Director Jim Leighton said all employees at the site have been requested to self-isolate at home.
“It is imperative that we continue [to] do everything possible to ensure the health and safety of our people, communities and to assist in controlling the spread of the Coronavirus,” he said.
Mr Leighton said Ingham’s had been working with the Victorian Health Department to “ensure all appropriate protocols are in place”.
Risk largely ‘passed’ as Queensland police look for almost 200 missing from self-quarantine
By Matt Dennien
Queensland police have assured there has been no failure in its mandatory hotel quarantine scheme after revelations almost 200 people were still missing after routine checks.
Queensland Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski.Credit:Jono Searle/Getty Images
Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told reporters on Wednesday that only a small number of such cases had occurred since the new regime forced all those required to quarantine into hotels, rather than another nominated site.
“We’ve had some since the third of July but only a few because very few are going into it,” he said. “It was running at about two per day before that and has more than halved since then.”
Police would “absolutely” try and find the 185 people still unable to be tracked down, out of about 13,000 directed into self-quarantine since April.
“But as I said, a number of them are already at a period where any risk they posed to the community has passed because of the time that’s gone by,” Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said.
“We have had no failure in our quarantine processes in either our domestic or international mandatory quarantine approaches.”
We must not let our guard down: DCMO
By Rachael Dexter
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd has pleaded with Australians to stay home and get tested if they have any symptoms at all, as Australia witnesses its highest single day of cases so far.
“Please, if you have symptoms of fever or flu or cold, no matter how mild, please get tested. If you have symptoms, you must stay at home. You must not go to work. You must not go to school, you must not go shopping,” he said.
“This is essential for everyone and especially for those working in settings with people who are most at risk of COVID-19, which includes people working in residential aged care and people providing home care services to elderly people.
“Clearly the figures released today are very significant and they provide a stark reminder that we must all be playing our part in stopping the spread of COVID-19.”
Professor Kidd reiterated the importance of hygiene and social distancing.
“Each of us will make a difference by strict adherence to physical distancing and avoiding crowds, by washing or sanitising our hands every time we touch a surface or an object which may have been touched by somebody else.
“By coughing or sneezing into our sleeve or handkerchief. By wearing a mask covering our nose and mouth whenever we leave our homes in the lockdown areas or other areas where there is high community transmission.
“And by staying at home whenever we have symptoms, no matter how mild, which may indicate COVID-19 and arranging to be tested. This virus is highly contagious and as we have seen from the continuing rise in infections and the rising number of people being hospitalised and dying, we must all remain vigilant, we must not let our guard down.”
The Deputy Chief Medical Officer also appealed to the public to reach out to family or friends who are currently in lockdown in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire.
“To the people of Victoria, we stand by you at this very challenging time,” he said.
“To those in other parts of Australia, please reach out to your family members and your friends in Melbourne and in the lockdown areas in Victoria to show your love and support.”
Kidd dismisses ‘endemic’ definition
When asked about the BBC in Britain referring to COVID-19 as an endemic, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd rejected the assertion.
The term endemic means that we are living with the virus as we do with many other infections which circulate through the community at all times – such as chickenpox.
“At the moment we are in the midst of the pandemic and we are in the midst of a first wave of a pandemic at a global level with many countries continue to experience the very first round of infections in response,” he said.
“So at the moment what we are dealing with is a pandemic.”
Another 31 people hospitalised since yesterday
By Rachael Dexter
Nationwide there are 214 people with COVID-19 in hospital, which is an additional 31 people hospitalised since yesterday, according to Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd.
There are 205 people in hospital in Victoria. Among those in hospital there are 42 people in intensive care units, four more than yesterday.
25 people are reported to be on ventilators, which is three more than yesterday, he said.
“The rise in the hospital numbers and the rise in the number of people in intensive care is a reminder to us all about the serious impact that COVID-19 can have on the health of many people who are infected,” Professor Kidd said.
Largest single day of cases in Australia to date
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd has confirmed that in the past 24 hours, 502 new cases have been confirmed – well ahead of the previous single-day record of 469 back in March.
“We reported only two cases on June 9th, less than six weeks ago and this shows how quickly outbreaks can occur and spread,” he said.
Over the past 24 hours of the 502 new cases, 484 are in Victoria, 16 have been reported in New South Wales.
There’s been one new case in Queensland who is in hotel quarantine, and a report of one new case in South Australia which is under investigation.
In the past week, 98.8 per cent of all new cases of COVID-19 in Australia have been locally acquired.
Watch: Deputy CMO gives COVID-19 update
Watch as Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd addresses the media.
