Victoria has recorded 76 new local COVID-19 cases overnight, of which 45 are linked to known cases, whereas there are 31 mystery infections.

Exposure sites have mushroomed to 1,030 after 40 new places were added to the list overnight and 150 new sites pinpointed just hours earlier. These new sites include public transport to and from Coburg to Southern Cross Station and Southern Cross Station to North Melbourne, as well as Oakleigh South McDonalds on Warrigal Road, the Drummond Rise Apartment Complex, Coles in Oakleigh and Hunky Dory at Eaton Mall.

Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said he is unsure if the  state would achieve zero COVID-19 cases in the short term.

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“We have to do what is feasible,” Mr Sutton said.

“We are not going to achieve the impossible if it becomes impossible.”

Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews said on the weekend that Victoria was still aiming for “very low numbers” as state-run vaccine clinics exhausted appointments for the Pfizer jab after allowing for eligibility for those under 40.

More appointments are set to be released when stocks catch up.

Doctors of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) have called for mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for all health workers. This would include cleaners, receptionists and contractors.

AMA President Omar Khorshid said that frontline workers had an alarming rate of infections, and pointed to several clusters linked to hospitals.

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“This is about health care worker safety and the safety of patients, and not about vaccines by force,” he said.

“We’ve said plans to reopen Australia will be a disaster unless our health sector is ready and that will mean having a fully protected medical workforce.”

On 17 September, aged care workers will be required to have had at least one vaccine dose.

Airlines, such as Qantas and Virgin, as well as SPC food manufacturers have also moved to make jabs mandatory for employees.