Two new COVID-19 cases recorded, no new restrictions yet

TWO more Victorians have contracted coronavirus after an infected man attended an AFL match at the weekend, but no further COVID-19 restrictions have been introduced as of early this afternoon.

COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar confirmed the two new cases are linked to a Maribyrnong man, who attended the match between Carlton and Geelong at the MCG on Saturday and sat in the MCC member’s reserve on level 2.

He said the two cases, an adult and a child, are not known contacts of the infected man.

“They were sitting in very different parts of the ground. There’s no obvious relationship between them. The interviews and discussions are ongoing,” Mr Weimar told reporters at a press conference today, Thursday, 14 July.

He said it appeared to be a case of “stranger-to-stranger transmission”.

The infected man, aged in his 60s, attended the match with a man in his 50s from Barwon Heads, who has subsequently tested positive.

The Barwon Heads man is understood to be a teacher at Bacchus Marsh Grammar and has infected his household contacts, a man in his 60s and a nine-year-old child.

Both Bacchus Marsh Grammar and Barwon Heads Primary School have been closed and more than 3500 students and staff are self-isolating.

The child who tested positive on Thursday is understood to have attended St Patrick’s Primary School in Murrumbeena, which has also closed.

The Maribyrnong man lives at the Ariele Apartments complex, where removalists from NSW, who have since tested positive to COVID-19, were working on 8 July.

Some 200 residents of the complex have been told they will need to restart their 14-day quarantine after the cases emerged.

Another case of community transmission occurred at Craigieburn Coles on Saturday, when a man contracted the virus from a member of a family that recently returned from NSW.

The family of four have all progressively tested positive since Sunday. They live in the local government area of Hume and were granted a red zone permit to return from NSW.

Mr Weimar said the State Government was reviewing the evidence and epidemiological data before it made any decisions about restrictions, including a potential fifth lockdown in Victoria.

“The team is reviewing all the data and all the epidemiology. This situation is moving not so much hour by hour, by half hour by half hour. If we have more information to share, we’ll share it.”

Late yesterday, Wednesday, 14 July it was announced anyone aged over 12 will be required to wear a mask in all indoor settings, including schools and workplaces, unless an exception applies.

Masks must also be worn outdoors when social distancing isn’t possible.

AAP understands Victorian ministers and public health officials are holding meetings today to discuss reimposing restrictions such as caps on crowd limits and visitors permitted in homes.

There are now more than 70 exposure sites listed in Victoria.

– BY AAP