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As it happened: Victoria records seven new cases for Sunday; premier delays announcing lockdown changes for several days

Roy Ward and Ashleigh McMillan
Updated ,first published

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Pinned post from 10.28am on Oct 25, 2020
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Watch: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews gives the daily COVID-19 update

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews presented the daily COVID-19 update on Sunday asking Victorians for 'cautious pause' over the next 48 hours before announcing significant easings of lockdown restrictions.

Mr Andrews wants to see the results for over 1000 tests connected to the northern suburbs outbreak at East Preston Islamic College and Croxton Special School.

He still hopes to be able to make significant announcements early this week about re-openings for retail stores among other announcements.

A number of things will re-open in regional Victoria from Tuesday at 11.59pm including gyms.

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"The results may well tell us that there are a handful of extra cases, they are all linked and we have the thing wrapped up. If that is the case then we can make detailed announcements about the next steps and we will be able to take those steps.

"It would have been irresponsible today to stand up and say, well, there are so many tests that we do not have results for but I reckon we should wing it.

"Put it another way, waiting to get results instead of pretending we know what the results are would not be responsible nor a safe thing to do. And if we are criticised for that, so be it."

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Thanks for joining us!

By Ashleigh McMillan

That's all we have for today, thanks for joining us once again on our COVID-19 live blog.

Before we go, here is a quick look back at some of the major developments today:

'No changes': Melbourne's restrictions remain in place as state records seven new COVID-19 cases

New rules for sports, food courts, funerals as restrictions in regions eased

'Inhumane': Retailers fume as re-opening wait continues

'Shattering blow': Peak business body lashes decision to pause easing restrictions

By Ashleigh McMillan

Victoria’s peak body for business says the decision by the state government not to scale back Melbourne’s restrictions came as a "shattering blow" to businesses.

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) said in a statement on Sunday afternoon there had been some "good news" for regional Victoria, with new allowances around gyms, pools, under-18 sport, funerals and religious services.

But VCCI chief executive Paul Guerra said while Victorians had done "everything asked of them to reduce infections", Sunday’s decision not to ease restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne meant that "the goalposts move once again".

"Today’s announcement is a shattering blow to businesses, who have again been told to wait,” he said in a statement.

"It’s like Groundhog Day, and has left businesses in limbo even though average case numbers are now below the Government’s target for reopening.

"The delay announced today can only point to a lack of confidence in the efficacy of the contact tracing system and the ability of health officials to manage the COVID-19 crisis."

Opinion: Traditionally a day for the faithful, on this Sunday Daniel Andrews prays for time

By Tony Wright

Timing is everything for a politician with a critical announcement to make

But the novel coronavirus doesn’t care a fig about timing, consigning a clearly exasperated Daniel Andrews and millions of citizens of Melbourne to an extended period of pain, fear and loathing.

No changes: Daniel Andrews was unable to announce an easing of restrictions on Sunday.Getty Images

The new uncertainty caused by the sudden outbreak in infections in Melbourne’s northern suburbs over recent days comes at the most consequential moment imaginable.

Melbourne’s thousands of businesses and vast numbers of workers rely on end-of-year, pre-Christmas trade.

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Intellectually disabled prisoners punished without oversight

By Zach Hope

Victorian prisoners with known intellectual disabilities are facing internal disciplinary hearings, and receiving punishments, without specialist support services to ensure they understand what is happening and what they have done wrong

The coronavirus pandemic has shut down almost all of prisoners' face-to-face access to the outside world and advocates, largely left in the dark about what is happening within prison walls, have noted a sharp decline in call-outs from Corrections Victoria staff.

Victorian Public Advocate Colleen Pearce.

The Office of the Public Advocate said it had received only 50 calls from Victorian prisons this year for volunteer Corrections Independent Support Officers to accompany intellectually disabled prisoners – either in person or via video-link – during disciplinary hearings.

This is despite prisons convening 433 such hearings from January 1 to October 13 for people with diagnosed intellectual disabilities, according to Justice Department figures.

Click here to read the story.

'Riding every bump and tackle': Pubs, reduced in capacity, still heaved in Geelong

By Zach Hope

In few cities or towns in Australia could a pub crowd heave as one in their straining seats – roar, gasp and shriek in collective joy and indignation – quite like they can in Geelong

Even with restricted crowd numbers, 10 people per indoor space and 70 in the beer gardens, every Geelong mark, goal and tackle recalled something like a long-forgotten place behind the goals at the MCG.

Caitlin Mikinlay enjoys the grand final at the Sporting Globe in Geelong on Saturday night.Darrian Traynor

At the Elephant and Castle Hotel, part-owner Mario Gregorio moved from the kitchen and through the dining rooms pumping his fists, clapping and bellowing "C'mon Cats" to the ceiling.

Wired punters marched like soldiers, stony-faced and focused, to the toilets in the quarter breaks and back to seats for deep-breathing and beers.

Click here to read the story.

'Now we are crushed': Neil Mitchell's take on Melbourne restrictions

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Let's run through some emotions, because this is Victoria today: angry, frustrated, confused, disappointed and suspicious. That's just a start. We feel dudded.

For weeks we clung to the hope that if we did the right thing, if we kept the doors to business closed and stayed locked in our houses, then today the pain would begin to ease and the reopening would begin.

3AW's Neil Mitchell.Joe Armao

We worked hard at beating this virus down to figures that once looked unachievable. But we did it. The 14-day average for new cases is 4.6. The target was five. We did it and we were proud of ourselves.

Until now.

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'Encouraging sign': Victoria's testing chief on negative tests from Melbourne's north

By Ashleigh McMillan

The head of Victoria's testing team says the lack of new cases emerging from tests processed in Melbourne's northern suburbs today was a "good development".

All of the 1135 tests analysed from the area around the city's current major outbreak had come back negative, Victoria's health department confirmed on Sunday evening.

DHHS' Jeroen Weimer.Wayne Taylor

Commander of testing and community engagement Jeroen Weimar said it was an "encouraging sign" that zero positive cases had turned up in tests analysed on Sunday.

Another 1400 tests completed on Sunday by residents in and around the outbreak zone are now in the lab.

No new positive cases from 1135 tests processed in Melbourne's north today

By Ashleigh McMillan

No new cases of COVID-19 have been discovered in the more than 1100 tests processed on Sunday from Melbourne's northern suburbs.

All of the 1135 tests analysed from the area with the outbreak had come back negative, the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed on Sunday evening.

Earlier today, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton asked for 24 to 48 hours to wait for the results of more than 1000 tests drawn from Melbourne's northern suburbs, before he would announce his plans for reopening retail and hospitality.

"I am confident [we will contain the outbreak]. I am not confident about the cases whose test results are yet to come back ... We cannot contain what we are yet to identify," he told reporters.

There are a total of 39 cases linked to the outbreak in Melbourne's north.

'A living hell': the serious and persistent symptoms of 'long COVID'

By Melissa Cunningham

It has been more than 100 days since Garry Keeping caught coronavirus and still his hands shake uncontrollably

Walking less than 100 metres to the end of his street leaves the Derrimut father of two breathless and bedridden for days. But it is the constant “brain fog” that frustrates him the most.

Garry Keeping, with his wife Kamal, was diagnosed with COVID on July 18. Three months later he is still experiencing lingering effects, including hand tremors, forgetfulness and fatigue. Eddie Jim

"I can't even dial a number into the phone," said the 57-year-old, who developed a tremor in both his hands after being infected with the virus in July.

"I'll see the numbers right in front me, but they get all up muddled in my head. I am too terrified to get behind the wheel because I am worried sick I'll black out while driving. It's been a living hell."

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CHO reveals where Victoria's new cases were found

By Ashleigh McMillan

Victoria's Chief Health Officer has shed some light on which local government areas recorded a new case of COVID-19 today.

Of the seven cases announced in Victoria on Sunday, three are officially linked to East Preston Islamic College, while two are also preliminarily linked to the college as investigations continue.

Another case announced on Sunday morning has been linked to Regis Macleod aged care facility and one remains under investigation.

When it comes to where those seven new cases were found, there were three cases each in the local government areas (LGAs) of Banyule and Darebin. A single new case was found in Glen Eira, which is the only active case in the area.

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