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As it happened: Delta variant detected in Melbourne as state records four new local cases; Deal reached on quarantine facility

Kate Rose and Ashleigh McMillan
Updated ,first published

That’s all for today

By Ashleigh McMillan

That’s all we have for you this evening, thank you for joining us.

We’ll be back tomorrow morning with the Victoria COVID-19 blog, keeping you up to date on the all the coronavirus news as it happens.

Let’s look back at some of the major stories today:

How many vaccines can Victoria access right now?

By Ashleigh McMillan

There’s been a bit of back and forth today about what Victoria’s COVID-19 vaccine allocation should be, considering the high demand for jabs within the state right now.

On Thursday, almost 25,000 doses of the vaccine were administered across Victoria.

Acting Premier James Merlino said on Friday the state government had now asked for an additional 100,000 Pfizer vaccines from mid-June, as well as double the vaccine allocation for Victoria GPs.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Friday after seeing the high vaccination rates within Victoria, another 71,000 doses of Pfizer would be sent to the state today, as well as another 71,000 doses next Friday.

The Victorian government also received 71,000 Pfizer doses from the federal government last Friday.

Why one of Victoria’s biggest vaccination hubs is moving

By Ashleigh McMillan

One of Victoria’s largest vaccination hubs in Jeff’s Shed with be forced to relocate within its current building to make way for a number of events, including Sexpo, a design fair and a food service expo.

The current vaccination space in the main hall at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in South Wharf was licensed to the Victorian Health Department only until the end of June.

People queue up for COVID-19 vaccination at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre this week. Eddie Jim

But following an agreement this week, the extension of the hub at the centre means vaccinations will be moved to a different part of the building, with direct access to Clarendon Street.

Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre CEO Peter King said his organisation was proud to continue partnering with the state government “for the foreseeable future and to be leading the way in supporting our community on its way to recovery”.

The Department of Health said it was “pleased that COVID-19 vaccinations will be continuing” at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, which is one of the state’s largest vaccination centres.

“The current site will relocate to another location within the centre – which is an equivalent sized space and will have the same capacity,” a department spokesman said.

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More than 32,000 Vic businesses apply for government financial help

By Ashleigh McMillan

Victorian businesses have made more than 32,000 applications for business support from the state government in less than 24 hours.

By 2pm on Friday, more than than 30,000 applications to the Business Costs Assistance Program had been lodged to the Victorian government, with potential grants available of $2000 or $5000.

Applications for the new business support grants opened on Thursday.

More than 330,000 people visited the page for the program in less than 24 hours, the state government said late on Friday.

A fund for licensed hospitality venues - which will provide single grants of $3500 and $7000 - had received more than 2400 applications.

Businesses can apply at business.vic.gov.au

Aged care workers may face mandatory vaccinations to stop deaths

By Katina Curtis

Health authorities are prepared to force aged care workers to get vaccinated in a bid to stop coronavirus outbreaks causing another deadly wave like the one that claimed more than 600 lives in Victoria.

National cabinet has asked medical experts for further advice about whether it should be mandatory for aged care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 while strongly urging everyone in the sector to protect themselves voluntarily.

BlueCross Western Gardens Aged Care residence in Sunshine, where it was confirmed a staff member has tested positive to COVID-19 at the end of May. Eddie Jim

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee had previously flagged issues that would need to be addressed, including ensuring vaccines were easily accessible and enough staff were available if some suffered side-effects. He also noted there was a lack of data about staff vaccinations.

“Is this really an issue? Are people actually coming forward?” Professor Kelly said. “If that extra [mandate] is needed, then we will definitely go to that point.”

‘We’re like sacrificial lambs’: Unvaccinated teachers fear classroom return

By Anna Prytz

VCE English teacher Michelle Parker will feel unsafe and undervalued when she returns to work in person on Friday morning.

Being under 40 with no underlying health issues, Ms Parker is not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination, like many of her colleagues, but she is required to be back in her Melbourne classroom.

Teacher Michelle Parker is concerned about being made to return to the classroom.Justin McManus

“I’ll be in close contact with hundreds of people a day and virtually unable to socially distance in small, poorly ventilated classrooms with up to 26 students,” she said.

“We’re in this completely un-COVID-safe environment. It doesn’t make sense.”

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CBD diamond dealer, Brunswick shopping centre and Point Cook Kmart added as exposure sites

By Paul Pennay and Craig Butt

The Health Department’s official list of sites visited by people with COVID-19 has been bouncing around for much of the day.

It originally dropped to below 360 sites this morning after sites visited by the “false positives” announced yesterday were removed from the list, but has now jumped back up to 364 locations following the addition of six new sites this afternoon.

The new additions include a diamond dealer in the CBD that has been added as a Tier 1 location, meaning anyone who visited the store between 9am and 4.30pm on Monday needs to isolate for 14 days and get tested.

The Kmart store and an Indian restaurant at Sanctuary Lakes Shopping Centre in Point Cook have also been added as Tier 1 sites.

A shopper at Barkly Square in Brunswick during the pandemic. The shopping centre and a Coles within it have now been listed as exposure sites. Eamon Gallagher

Lockdown community spirit

By Rachael Dexter

As we begin our second week in lockdown in Melbourne, we’re keen to hear about how we’re doing as a community out there.

What lockdown camaraderie have you seen out and about in your community this week?

Know of someone doing good who deserves a shout-out? Or groups looking for volunteers? Let us know about it:

Boy with COVID-19 flies from Australia to Taiwan

By Rachel Clun

A boy under the age of 10 was diagnosed with COVID-19 after travelling from Australia to Taiwan late last month, amid a growing outbreak in Victoria which now involves two variants of concern.

The boy, a Taiwanese national, left Australia on May 25 and arrived in Taiwan the next day.

A 747 at the Taoyuan International Airport, which receives flights for travellers to Taipei and Taiwan. iStock

Taiwan’s Centres for Disease Control reported late last month that the boy had a runny nose in Australia on May 18, before flying to Taiwan just over a week later.

“Upon arrival, he voluntarily notified airport quarantine officers that he had experienced symptoms,” the CDC said in a statement.

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Good afternoon

By

Hi all, it’s Ashleigh McMillan here, I’ll be looking after the COVID-19 blog now that the excellent Kate Rose has finished for the day.

There will be plenty of news and developments to come this afternoon ahead of Melbourne’s second weekend in lockdown, so please stay with us and keep those comments and questions coming.

But for now, here’s a little recap of our main stories of the day so far:

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