Victoria’s new COVID-19 cases for Tuesday are at 439 with 11 deaths.
Among those who have died are one man in his 70s, a man and three women in their 80s, two men and three women in their 90s and a woman in her hundreds. All tragedies are connected to the 1,186 active cases in aged care with many facilities affected, and St Basil’s at Fawkner among those hit hardest.
Premier Andrews confirmed that of the 3,000 door knocks conducted of people who should have been self-isolating at home, 800 could not be found.
“That is completely unacceptable,” Premier Andrews said.
“But I’m making some announcements today around some changes so that we can put that beyond any doubt and make the enforcement task, which is a Victoria Police function, but the task of ADF and authorised officers from the Department of Human Services can be made even more simple and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.
“So from now, there will be no exercise, if you supposed to be isolating at home. You will need to stay in your home or on your property. Fresh air at the front door. Fresh air in your front yard or backyard or opening a window. That’s what you’re going to have to do.”
Door-knocking will increase with random selections and repeated visits.
READ MORE: Fronditha Care resident succumbs to COVID-19, but no new cases in second round of testing
Increased fines
There are currently $1,652 on-the-spot fines for those in breach of directions, and $200 penalties for not wearing masks in public. However, a new on-the-spot fine was announced, “the larges on-the-spot fine on the statue books in Victoria: $4,659, but ultimately a $5,000” for those in breach of isolation orders.
“If you are supposed to be at home and you are not, then you face the prospect of a fine of up to $5,000,” he said, and for repeated breaches the maximum penalty could be $20,000.
Permits from tomorrow
From tomorrow anyone travelling to and from work will be required to show a permit. “It’s a piece of paper. Your employer fills it out. They sign it. You sign it. You carry it with you and then you’re able to demonstrate so there’s not a sense of anxiety or a sense of having to tell your story 17 times,” Premier Andrews said, adding that the special permit would be on the government website later today and will require a signature by both the employer and employee.
READ MORE: Melbourne, a ghost town, as new Stage Four lockdown rules implemented
Lives saved
Research from the Burnet Institute, published in the Medical Journal of Australia today, found the Stage Three restrictions in melbourne potentially averted 9,000 to 37,000 cases from 2-30 July. According to the World Health Organisation’s mortality rate of 3.4 per cent, it is possible that 1,258 lives were saved.
Researchers say that more work needs to be done.
“Importantly, however, there remains small but significant ongoing growth with further work needed to bring the Victorian epidemic under control,” the researchers said, with a further 14 per cent reduction in transmission for a genuine “flattening of the curve”.
“A broader and sustainable effort involving community and government together is needed to optimise the uptake of all of the non-pharmaceutical interventions available to us.”
The state began a six-week Stage Four lockdown on Sunday, which will run at least until 13 September.
