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On this dreary autumn day, Melburnians steer clear of the CBD
By Craig Butt
Our resident data journo and guest blogger Craig Butt has been crunching the numbers again. On this dreary Melbourne day, he says foot traffic is, not surprisingly, down by more than half.
Winter is coming: Foot traffic has dived in the CBD today. Instead, there are lines outside testing sites.Credit:Justin McManus
Pedestrian monitoring data from the City of Melbourne shows that morning peak foot traffic around Southern Cross Station is down 61 per cent compared with the past month’s average, while at Flinders Street Station underpass the numbers are down 45 per cent.
These two stations are typically the busiest sensor locations for foot traffic in the city each morning, although it’s worth noting that the drop may be partly due to more Melburnians opting to drive to work today rather than taking public transport.
At Southern Cross Station, there were 739 pedestrians logged between 8am and 9am today. On a typical morning over the past month, about 1800 people have passed through the area at this time of day.
These graphs show how today’s foot traffic volumes at these locations compare. The orange line is today’s data (and I will be updating these graphs throughout the day).
As you can see, today’s foot traffic is well down on the average weekday foot traffic over the past month (shown by the green line).
It’s hewing closer to the red line, which shows the average weekday foot traffic over the past year – a figure that has been driven down considerably by lockdowns over that time.
Close contacts of Victorian cases test negative in NSW
By Sarah McPhee
Two close contacts of positive cases from the COVID-19 outbreak in Melbourne’s north who had since travelled to NSW have tested negative to the virus.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said these people had immediately contacted NSW Health and were tested last night, after receiving a call telling them they were linked to the cluster which grew today to 15 cases.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.Credit:James Alcock
She said a number of other people had attended Highpoint Shopping Centre, however Victorian health officials have since identified the specific stores considered tier one exposure sites.
Dr Chant said anyone identified as a contact of the Victorian outbreak should contact NSW Health as staff could assist with rapid testing, the ability to quarantine at home if required and any further assistance.
“We are dealing with an evolving situation,” she said.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said they are seeking clarity from the Victorian government “as to what’s going on” and has cautioned against travel to Greater Melbourne and Victoria generally.
“Obviously there are some challenges in Victoria at the present time,” he said.
Mr Hazzard said “it might be wise, it might be precautionary” not to travel to Melbourne at present.
Ms Berejiklian said she expects an announcement from Victorian officials later this week about their specific approach for the impacted community but that NSW would “respond accordingly”.
“Unless you absolutely have to go down there, just consider your options,” she said.
There were no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and two overseas acquired cases recorded in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday.
A record daily total of 13,200 vaccine doses were administered by NSW Health during that time.
Poll: Has the latest COVID-19 outbreak changed your attitude to vaccination?
We love a poll here at The Age. And given the events of the past few days, we’re wondering whether your attitude to getting vaccinated has changed? Let us know.
Waits of up to four hours at COVID-19 testing sites
By David Estcourt and Hanna Mills Turbet
Wait times at COVID-19 testing centres have blown out to four hours at some Melbourne sites for the second day in a row.
The Age photographer Joe Armao saw this queue of people waiting outside a testing facility on Hoddle Street in Collingwood.
VIctorians are waiting up to four hours to get a COVID-19 test today. Credit:Joe Armao
The government’s coronavirus website, which lists where you can get tested for COVID-19, is warning that Victorians should avoid high demand test sites altogether.
Testing sites at Alfred Health, Monash Health, IPC Health at Wootten Road Reserve and Montague Street at South Melbourne are already over capacity and are no longer accepting walk-ins.
IPC Health facilities in Wyndham Vale and the West Sunshine Community Centre drive-through are also listed with wait times of 240 minutes.
Authorities say Victorians should expect to wait up to 190 minutes at Aughtie Walk in Albert Park and more than two hours at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne’s Fever Clinic, the Melbourne Showgrounds drive through, Monash Health’s Casey Fields in Cranbourne, Banyule Community Health in Greensborough, Victoria University’s St Albans Campus and Wantirna Health’s Wantirna Trash and Treasure Market.
A full list of the testing sites and wait times is available here.
Watch live: NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian gives a COVID-19 update
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is about to give a COVID-19 vaccine update. But those of us planning to travel to NSW from Victoria in the not-too-distant future (cough, cough) should also tune in as there are sure to be questions about borders and travel. You can watch it live here:
‘Critical 24 hours’ as more COVID-19 cases emerge, exposure site list swells
By Hanna Mills Turbet, David Estcourt and Melissa Cunningham
Well, that was a highly anticipated press conference to hear, well, not very much (which I’m not complaining about, honest!). Here’s the latest from our breaking news team:
No lockdowns, yet: Acting Premier James Merlino with Health Mnister Martin Foley and Chief Medical Officer Brett Sutton today.Credit:Simon Schluter
The next 24 hours will be critical in determining whether Victorians are to face greater coronavirus restrictions. A cluster has grown to 15 cases and exposure sites are now spread across Melbourne and the Bendigo area.
Acting Premier James Merlino said on Wednesday morning he could not yet rule out tougher measures, beyond the rules introduced yesterday evening on household gatherings and mandatory masks indoors.
“I cannot rule out taking some further action, but we will update people as soon as we know,” he said. “It’s fair to say that the next 24 hours are going to be particularly critical.
“We are concerned about the number, and also about the kind of exposure sites, and the next 24 hours are going to be critical if we’re going to make, if we’re going to have to make any further changes beyond the changes that we announced yesterday.”
Health Minister Martin Foley said health authorities had identified more than 300 close contacts, with dozens already returning negative tests.
“We’ve identified 301 primary close contacts and with negative tests available so far for 80 of those,” he said.
A pub and a hair salon in country Victoria have been added to a growing list of exposure sites that now include the MCG, a university campus and two Prahran bars, as six more coronavirus cases emerged overnight.
The RISING festival goes on; MCG finally added to list of exposure sites
By Hanna Mills Turbet
The Victorian press conference has finished. No lockdowns announced (woohoo!) but we’re still going through the question and answer session and will bring you more shortly. In the meantime, here’s a couple of notes on earlier posts:
- The Age Arts editor Nick Miller says that a decision to cancel the RISING festival show Buŋgul was for the health of their performers, who wanted to return home to another state. There are no further cancellations at this stage.
- And the MCG has finally been added to the Victorian government’s list of exposure sites. Graphics designer Jamie Brown has updated our list too.
Victoria exploring expanding vaccine eligibility, says Merlino
By David Estcourt and Hanna Mills Turbet
Acting Premier James Merlino said the Victorian government was hoping to expand vaccine eligibility for Victorians.
“We are looking at what more we can do in terms of eligibility, we want as many people to get vaccinated as possible,” Mr Merlino said.
Acting Premier James Merlino and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton at today’s press conference.Credit:Justin McManus
“We’re just working through other details of what that looks like and getting advice from public health, but we are keen to explore what we can do about increasing eligibility.”
More people rolled up their sleeves to get the jab in Victoria yesterday than on any previous day, with 15,858 people getting the jab. In contrast, 26,180 people got coronavirus tests.
Mr Merlino said it was important for people who are currently eligible to contact authorities and line up to receive their inoculation.
“There are millions of people eligible already right now. And as I said yesterday, don’t wait for tomorrow. Don’t wait for next week. If you are eligible, call the hotline and get vaccinated,” he said.
Mr Merlino also said Victoria had no problem with vaccine availability.
“Right now, we do not have a problem with vaccine supply,” he said. “At our state sites, we have got the capacity to do two, three times what we have been doing, and we saw that yesterday. We can replicate yesterday’s number every day and do more.
“We’ve got the supply that we need right now.”
NSW government tightens rules for Victorian travellers
By Mathew Dunckley
The NSW government has tightened travel rules in the wake of the latest Melbourne outbreak, closing its border to non-residents who have visited the most concerning exposure sites.
People who have visited “Places of high concern – close contact place” – a list which features the exposure sites on Victoria’s tier one list – are not permitted to travel into NSW.
Travelling to NSW to see Hamilton? Make sure you check the NSW government site for the latest travel rules.
People who have visited “Places of high concern – casual contact places” – which features sites on Victoria’s tier two list – must get a negative COVID test in order to travel to NSW.
The Berejiklian government has also asked people who are already in NSW that have visited those locations to isolate.
You can read the full announcement here.
Health authorities still searching for one mystery case: Sutton
By David Estcourt
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says that while more cases are likely to emerge, health authorities have so far linked all the existing cases to the northern suburbs outbreak – except for one.
“The only missing link is the link to the Wollert case from the South Australian hotel quarantine,” Professor Sutton said. “All other cases – all of our 15 cases in this cluster – are linked.”
Brett Sutton, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer.Credit:Simon Schluter
“The fact that there have been exposures over a number of days that go back in time is a concern.
“It is clear that we have run down multiple generations of transmission just in the last 48 hours.”
He said there was some concern given the amount of time positive cases have been out in the community.
“There’s been a lot of chasing to be done effectively because we have had those individuals out in the community for some days in the past so there are potential exposures there that relate to some days ago that are yet to potentially play out in new cases,” he said.