NSW in Australia has recorded 97 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases - a new record for the state.
People walk past a sign for a Covid-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney 27 June, 2021. Photo: AFP / Steven Saphore
More than 77,000 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours to 8pm last night.
NSW recorded 97 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/FxVPjCCKee
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 16, 2021
Meanwhile in Queensland, there is one new local case in home quarantine as the state declares Victoria a hotspot, meaning anyone from that state will need a travel exemption and have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival.
Victoria has recorded 10 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases, including four that were announced in a press conferences yesterday.
All 10 are linked to the current outbreaks, Victorian health authorities said. It takes the state's current outbreak to 24.
The results were detected among 33,129 tests received on Thursday, and there were 17,188 vaccine doses administered at state-run sites.
Victoria is today waking to its fifth lockdown and there are more than 120 exposure sites now listed.
A shopper crosses the street in the central business district in Melbourne on July 7, 2021 Photo: AFP
More areas of the MCG have been listed as Tier 1 sites, and a positive case also attended the rugby international between Australia and France at AAMI Park on 13 July.
The Department of Defence has confirmed a member has tested positive to Covid-19 at a Royal Australian Navy base on the Mornington Peninsula.
The member at HMAS Cerberus tested positive for the Delta variant, and has been in isolation since yesterday.
He was identified as visiting an exposure site over the weekend and was notified by the Department of Health.
All training activities and leave at the base has been suspended, and personnel have been confined to their live-in accommodation.
Reported yesterday: 10 new local cases and 1 new case acquired overseas (currently in HQ).
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) July 15, 2021
- 17,188 vaccine doses were administered
- 33,129 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData [1/2] pic.twitter.com/UgjjA8fAzV
Locking down Victoria 'the right call' says expert
An infectious diseases expert has backed the decision by Victorian authorities to put the state into lockdown to address the latest outbreak.
Michell Ananda-Rajah from Alfred Health said Premier Daniel Andrews was justified in ordering the five-day lockdown.
"I think it was the right call, he's going in hard and fast in order for us to get out of this as quickly as possible," she said.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp is urging state and federal governments to deliver financial support to businesses sooner rather than later.
An agreement has been reached for support payments to individuals affected by lockdown, but payments to businesses don't kick in until the second week of a lockdown.
"It's not a matter of waiting for lockdown to have gone through a gate of one week, it's a matter of providing support as swiftly as possible," Capp said.
"And I'm really pleased to see there's been some agreement between the state government and the federal government to bring that support to Victorians as soon as possible."
Cremorne restaurateur Wani Sakellaropoulos said she got a call last night from health officials informing her that her restaurant, Frankie, had been declared a Tier 1 exposure site.
A positive case attended the restaurant on 13 July between 6pm and 7.45pm.
She said they immediately went into "meltdown mode", telling staff to quarantine, closing the venue for two weeks, and arranging a deep clean.
"We're doing all the right things then in comes somebody who also doesn't know they have Covid-19, dining with us and it throws things into disarray. You just don't know," she said.
"You always say it won't be our place just keep going. We'll go into these lockdowns, we'll do the right thing, then bang you get a phone call."
- ABC
