While Victoria was giving its daily COVID-19 update, anti-lockdown protesters prepared to launch a surprise protest in Melbourne at around midday today, following a similar protest yesterday.
Sixteen people were arrested and 21 fines were issued to protesters who gathered at Elsternwick Park in the city’s south-east after their plans to rally in the city failed on Saturday morning.
Police chased about 100 anti-lockdown protesters in the suburban park as the crowd fled towards Elwood.
According to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, there are 14 new cases of COVID-19 in the state today, nine of which linked to known outbreaks and five still under investigation.
In the past 24 hours, five more Covid-19 related deaths were recorded in aged care.
Today brings Victoria to 743 active cases, down from 834 yesterday.
Of those active cases 117 are healthcare workers and only 26 are in regional Victoria.
A sizeable cluster in Melbourne’s south-east – in the Hallam/Casey area has grown again today to 40 cases, up from 34 yesterday.
“So it just gives you a sense of one person, just a single person, can infect many, many other people. And the contact tracing work that has gone on there has seen us pull that up,” Mr Andrews said.
“There is still, I’m sure, close contacts and others will be very much monitored to make sure that if they exhibit symptoms, that we can further isolate them. But they’re all isolated there. We believe that we can pull it up at that number, but again, it’s always subject to and events as they unfold.”
In the meantime, NSW has recorded its first death from COVID-19 since August 16, while reporting two new cases of the disease on Sunday.
A man in his 70s who was linked to the Sydney CBD cluster.died on Saturday.
One of the new cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night was locally acquired and the other is a returned traveller in hotel quarantine.
Also read: Ballarat businesses welcome easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Regional Victoria