Victoria has recorded 20 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, as regional areas enjoy the first day out of lockdown.
Key points:
- Victorian health officials are weighing up an extension of Melbourne's lockdown beyond Thursday
- The General Achievement Test for year 12 students has been rescheduled due to the risk of a test becoming a superspreading event
- The impact of the pandemic will once again be assessed for every student completing VCE 3-4 units
All of the new cases are linked to the existing outbreak, but only five were in quarantine during their infectious period.
Health Minister Martin Foley said it was too early to say what effect the new cases would have on the likelihood of Melbourne's lockdown restrictions being eased on Thursday.
"I don't know what the future brings. The crystal ball hasn't fired up lately," he said.
"Obviously we want to have the most up-to-date information before the public health team make their decision, and as soon as that decision is made we will of course be sharing it with all Victorians."
There were 34,892 test results processed on Monday.
There are two people in hospital, but neither of those are in intensive care.
The statewide lockdown that began last Thursday night eased overnight for regional Victorians, allowing hospitality venues and schools to reopen.
Health Minister Martin Foley said the 22,670 doses of vaccine administered at state-run sites yesterday was the biggest number in more than two months.
The state government is expanding school pop-up vaccination sites, with more schools in the Wyndham area to be involved.
"This is as part of that expansion of trials to make sure that, because of this particular outbreak having such a strong focus on school communities, we want to dedicate the response where the need is the greatest," Mr Foley said.
ABC News: Peter Healy
)The health minister also congratulated the Al-Taqwa College school community, after confirming 1,252 people had received vaccine doses at the school's pop-up site.
"Can I give Al-Taqwa school a big shout out for the impressive way in which the school leadership, the school community and their families have all come together in an extraordinary way to have amongst the highest levels of testing and amongst the highest levels of vaccination of any school community that we've seen over the course of this outbreak," he said.
Health authorities remain concerned about the number of cases emerging from exposure sites in Caroline Springs, in Melbourne's west.
Victoria's COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said 25 cases had now been linked to the CS Square shopping centre, which had been listed in its entirety as an exposure site along with individual stores between July 27 and August 5.
Three positive cases and their families linked to an exposure site in Flemington have been moved into hotel quarantine, but Mr Weimar stressed that no positive case had been detected in public housing towers in Flemington.
Authorities are concerned there are a number of undetected positive cases in Melbourne's north-west, after repeated detections of virus fragments in the wastewater catchment across suburbs including Broadmeadows and Pascoe Vale.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has urged anyone with the slightest symptoms to get tested and quarantine immediately, highlighting the support payments on offer for casual workers.
There are now more than 240 exposure sites listed in Victoria, including several more stores at CS Square shopping centre in Caroline Springs.
The government has made efforts to ramp up vaccinations this week, with nine mass vaccination hubs now offering AstraZeneca to those aged 18-39.
Mr Andrews said more hubs would begin to offer AstraZeneca to the younger cohort in coming weeks as informed consent processes were established.
Year 12 GAT rescheduled in light of Delta outbreak
The outbreak has forced the state government to reschedule the General Achievement Test (GAT) for senior VCE students.
The test, which is used to help provide an additional marker of a VCE student's general academic performance, was due to be held on Thursday.
"With ongoing community transmission still occurring in metropolitan Melbourne, the Department of Health's public health team has recommended the GAT be rescheduled, reducing the risk of a further outbreak with large cohorts of students taking the test together," the government said in a statement.
Students who are in quarantine as positive cases, primary close contacts, and members of schools deemed exposure sites will be exempt from taking the rescheduled test.
ABC News: Peter Healy
)Every student completing VCE Unit 3-4 sequences will have the pandemic's impact on them assessed by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, the government said.
"Consistent with the approach in 2020, the process considers a range of data alongside exam results to calculate final VCE results — like the GAT, comparisons of performance across all assessments and schools and other learning data," the statement continued.
"The process will also include assessments of the individual impact of coronavirus on each student including school closures, direct impacts on student health, ongoing issues with remote learning and mental health challenges."
Mornington Peninsula Mayor disappointed over lockdown ruling
Regional Victorians are enjoying their first day under eased restrictions, with schools open again, and hospitality venues able to seat patrons.
However, some areas are disappointed they are not included in the easing of restrictions.
Mornington Peninsula Mayor Despi O'Connor said people in her region would remain in lockdown because the area was considered part of Metropolitan Melbourne.
"Our residents here are really disappointed with that change coming through and them not being included," she said.
Supplied: Eileen Mills
)"Our small businesses are really suffering down here. They're really feeling the pinch from lockdown number six and and, you know, looking across the bay and seeing Geelong opening up doesn't help them any."
The Premier on Monday ruled out a more localised approach to lockdowns, arguing partial lockdowns of just some local government areas "wouldn't work".
Ms O'Connor said she understood the government's job in safely navigating the outbreak was difficult.
"But I think that perhaps it's time to start looking at it from a different perspective, since we are a long way away," she said.
Ms O'Connor said over the past few months, council officers had been investigating options for breaking away from metropolitan Melbourne, to offer a more nuanced classification for the interface region.
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2021-08-09 22:25:26Z
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