Victoria cops 7 more days of lockdowns as snap restrictions hit more NSW country towns

Melbourne’s week-long lockdown will continue for another 7 days until midnight on August 19 as infection numbers from the Delta strain remain at the levels NSW saw before its 9-week lockdown began.

While regional Victoria has begun to reopen, the capital reported 20 new local cases and there are 116 active locally acquired cases, with nearly 300 exposure sites and more than 12,000 active primary close contacts around Greater Melbourne.

Reported yesterday: 20 new local cases and no new cases acquired overseas.
– 23,811 vaccine doses were administered
– 41,571 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData [1/2] pic.twitter.com/yKBkbFxvRB

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) August 10, 2021

The existing restrictions will continue for another week, meaning Melburnians can still only leave home for five reasons: to get the food and the supplies you need, for exercise for up to two hours, for care or caregiving, permitted work or education if you can’t do it from home or to get vaccinated at the nearest possible location.

Shopping and exercise must be done within 5km of your home or the nearest location.

Face masks will remain mandatory indoors (not at home) unless an exception applies – this includes all workplaces, and secondary schools.

Victorian Minister for Health Martin Foley said: “We want Victoria back to CovidSafe settings as soon as possible – and this our best option to get us there safely and quickly. Victorians can also help us achieve this, by getting themselves vaccinated as soon as they’re eligible.”

For people in cross-border communities permits to cross between Victoria and NSW will be required from 6pm, this Friday, August 13.

The reasons cross -border residents can cross the Victorian-NSW border still include:

• Necessary goods and services, including medical care
• Care or other compassionate reasons
• Work (whether paid or voluntary, including for charitable or religious purposes)
• Education (including childcare or early childhood services)
• Receiving a COVID-19 vaccination
• Organised/community sport and exercise connected to or organised by a club or facility.

Residents will be able to apply for a permit from Thursday afternoon at the Service Victoria website, service.vic.gov.au and via the Service Victoria app.

NSW infections remain high

Meanwhile, in week 7 of the Greater Sydney lockdown, infection rates show no sign of abating, with 344 new cases to 8pm Tuesday, 24 hours after the state posted a record 356 cases on Monday. The virus has also spread further into regional NSW, forcing health authorities to introduce additional lockdown measures.

NSW recorded 344 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Of these locally acquired cases, 115 are linked to a known case or cluster – 97 household contacts & 18 are close contacts – & the source of infection for 229 cases is under investigation pic.twitter.com/OQC5fstf5Q

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 11, 2021

A snap lockdown for the western NSW city of Dubbo was announced from 1pm today.

There are two confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Western NSW Local Health District. Both are members of the same household, and will be included in tomorrow’s numbers.

The stay-at-home orders apply to all people who live in the Dubbo LGA or have been there on or after August 1, and include the towns of Wellington, Wongarbon, Geurie, Brocklehurst, Stuart Town, Mumbil and Eumungerie. The lockdown will continue until August 19.

The restrictions for the Dubbo area are the same as those already in place across Greater Sydney, as well as Tamworth, Northern Rivers, Armidale, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Singleton, Dungog, Muswellbrook and Cessnock.

The Northern Rivers – the Ballina, Byron and Lismore council areas went into lockdown this week after a man with Covid-19 and his two sons, who also have the Delta strain, traveled to the region from Sydney.

Among the cases announced today 112 are from South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD), 110 from Western Sydney LHD, 43 from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, 29 from Sydney LHD, 23 from South Eastern Sydney LHD, 14 from Hunter New England LHD, seven from Northern Sydney LHD, two from Central Coast LHD, one from Northern NSW LHD, and one from Illawarra Shoalhaven.