Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has stopped short of defining the ease in lockdown restriction as the state records 76 new COVID19 cases. Of the 76 locally acquired cases, 45 have been linked to known cases and outbreaks.
Mr Andrews says health experts are still in process of establishing thresholds for modest changes which can be made. That’s why these changes will be announced tomorrow on 1st of September Premier Press conference.
Premier Andrews explained that the thresholds won’t be much higher than zero, because that’s not safe. But if zero isn’t achievable, “we are better off for trying.”
“I want to make it very clear this will not be freedom day it will be very modest changes,”
Said Mr Andrews.
“I appreciate the response to needing some sort of road map, but I really truly hope they’ve got the full measure of this strain in consideration in terms of what goalposts are set – if it gets loose we WILL end up like NSW,” said Mr Andrews.
52 Victorians are now in hospital with COVID-19. Of the 15 of 16 people in ICU are on a ventilator. They’re aged between 38-72 and very few people in the hospital have been vaccinated.
Victoria’s active cases: 182 are children between 0-9, 125 between 10-19, 177 in their 20s and 158 in their 30s.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says there is a “big spread” of COVID cases across metropolitan Melbourne, stretching from Melton to the Mornington Peninsula.
“There is a story behind each and every one of these cases, either of very significant illness, hospitalisation, ICU admission,”
said Mr Sutton.
Mr Sutton says health officials continue to see mystery cases popping up, particularly in Hobsons Bay, Wyndham and surrounds.
Of today’s 45 linked cases: – 17 to MyCentre – 9 to Shepparton – 3 to Millers Junction – 1 to Learning Sanctuary, Spotswood – 1 to St Kilda East – 1 to legal office in Melbourne’s outer east – 1 to Al-Taqwa – 1 to Fisherman’s Bend warehouse – 11 to existing cases
