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Coronavirus Australia: Victoria records 628 new COVID-19 cases, three deaths

Staff writers with AAPThe West Australian
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Healthcare workers are seen at a COVID-19 testing facility in .
Camera IconHealthcare workers are seen at a COVID-19 testing facility in . Credit: JAMES ROSS/AAPIMAGE

Another three people have died and 628 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in Victoria — its highest daily tally in the current outbreak and since August 2020.

The news comes just after the State was rocked by a massive magnitude six earthquake, also felt across Canberra and New South Wales.

The embattled State is still reeling after “violent thugs” who wreaked havoc in Melbourne’s CBD and shutting down of the West Gate Bridge during yesterday’s freedom protests have been given a final warning to stay out of the city.

NSW has reported 1035 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and five deaths as double-dose vaccination coverage approaches 55 per cent.

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Most of NSW is locked down and police are cracking down on compliance measures as authorities battle to contain the spread of the virulent Delta strain.

Of the five deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, two people were in their 50s, one was in their 60s, one was in their 70s and one was in their 80s.

It takes the toll for the current outbreak to 260.

Meanwhile, Queensland has reported one new locally acquired case of COVID-19 with the person in home quarantine and linked to the Sunnybank cluster.

Victoria hits new record as 628 cases recorded

Another three people have died and 628 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in Victoria.

It comes as the “violent thugs” who caused havoc in Melbourne’s CBD and shutting down of the West Gate Bridge have been given a final warning to stay out of the city.

Victoria Police have been given permission to use crowd control force against anyone trying to mimic the seven-hour cat and mouse game seen in Melbourne on Tuesday when up to 2000 protesters led police across the city.

Premier Daniel Andrews, flanked by Police Minister Lisa Neville and Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, issued the warning on Wednesday morning.

“Protesters are probably not the right word, it was something very different to a protest. It was ugly,” Mr Andrews told reporters.

“Victoria Police are not tolerating this, not yesterday and not today.”

Protests started last week when construction workers were told they could not have breaks in tea rooms because of the risk of spreading coronavirus.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine was made mandatory for the industry, prompting another protest in front of the CFMEU office on Monday, which turned violent.

By Tuesday, a crowd of mostly men, clad in hi-visibility clothing, took to Melbourne’s street against the State Government, CFMEU and police.

Authorities say while there are construction workers in the crowds, there have been other groups including anti-lockdown activists as well encouraged to dress in the hi-visibility clothing.

Ms Neville called them “thugs”.

“If you’re thinking about coming into the city today to cause violence and harm, just know that Victoria Police will deploy whatever tactics they need to in order to ensure that you are held accountable,” she said.

“They have my full support in deploying whatever tactics they need to ensure that these thugs, these violent thugs, are unable to cause further harm to our city and to our community.”

There were 500 Victoria Police used on Tuesday, arresting 62 people, some for assaulting police, but most for breaching public health orders.

The State Government has shut down the construction industry for two weeks in metropolitan Melbourne, City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire.

Victoria on Tuesday reported said there are 337 cases directly linked to 154 construction sites.

Of that number 239 cases are linked to sites in metropolitan Melbourne, including nine people who live in regional Victoria.

Mr Andrews defended shutting down an industry of more than 300,000 workers across the State, for the several hundred cases.

He also said the vast majority in the industry were turning up to vaccination centres to get their shot.

NSW records 1035 new local COVID-19 cases

NSW has reported 1035 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and five deaths as double-dose vaccination coverage approaches 55 per cent.

Most of NSW is locked down and police are cracking down on compliance measures as authorities battle to contain the spread of the virulent Delta strain.

Of the five deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, two people were in their 50s, one was in their 60s, one was in their 70s and one was in their 80s.

It takes the toll for the current outbreak to 260.

There are 1232 COVID-19 patients in hospital in NSW, with 242 in intensive care units and 122 on ventilators.

“When we hit 70 per cent double dose, irrespective of when it is, (we’ll be) ready to roll out that vaccine passport,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

But a NSW Liberal backbencher says the state government failed to adequately protect the regions from the risk of COVID-19 after the the Byron, Tweed and Kempsey council areas in the state’s north were forced into lockdown.

The seven-day lockdown was mandated on Tuesday after a coronavirus-infected authorised worker with a valid permit flew from Sydney to Ballina on Saturday and was active in the community.

The lockdown prompted the Queensland government to exclude Tweed and Byron Shire residents from the border bubble, except for limited essential purposes.

The fully vaccinated authorised worker was working for the company filming the TV series “I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!” - which Liberal MP Catherine Cusack says was an unnecessary risk in a vulnerable region.

The Tweed Council had asked the NSW government not to approve it, Ms Cusack said.

Vaccination in the Tweed is below the state average with 71.7 per cent of people getting a first dose, while 45 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the NSW construction industry will return to full capacity from next week as the state’s vaccination coverage continues to grow, with hope community sport will soon follow.

From Monday, NSW will ease all capacity limits on construction sites while retaining the “four square metre” density rule.

The industry has been working at 50 per cent capacity, with vaccination requirements for workers from the 12 western and southwest Sydney local government areas of concern.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard also said cabinet was working on a plan to get community sport back.

One in 10 community sports clubs in Australia fear they will not survive beyond the pandemic, new research from the Australian Sports Foundation found, with lockdown and restrictions decimating their financial bottom lines and volunteer numbers.

QLD records one new local case

Queensland reported one new locally acquired case of COVID-19 on Wednesday, with the person in home quarantine and linked to the Sunnybank cluster.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk this morning said there were no new cases in hotel quarantine in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, with no cases yet linked to Friday’s airport exposure incident.

This morning’s update comes after the Tweed and Byron areas of NSW were last night ejected from the border bubble, after an infected reality TV crew member travelled through the regions over the weekend.

STATE-BY-STATE CASE BREAKDOWN

  • VIC — 628 new cases, three deaths
  • NSW — 1035 new cases, five deaths
  • QLD — 1 new case
  • ACT — 17 new cases
  • WA — TBA
  • NT — TBA
  • SA — TBA
  • TAS — TBA

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