Coronavirus Australia: Melbourne enjoys the weekend despite being in lockdown

Melburnians have swarmed to parks and cafes to enjoy the unseasonably sunny weather despite the city being thrusted into its sixth lockdown as it battles a new Covid outbreak. 

Crowds in Sydney had been criticised for seemingly ignoring stay-at-home orders to head to the city’s beaches and parks, but it seems things are not much different over the border. 

Victoria recorded 11 new Covid cases on Sunday, with all linked to previously reported cases although they were not in quarantine while infectious. 

There are now more than 100 active exposure sites in the state as its situation begins to resemble the early days of Sydney’s still uncontrolled outbreak, which exploded from 11 daily cases on June 24 to 116 just over two weeks later on July 11. 

Despite the public health crisis, hundreds of unperturbed residents packed into public spaces on Sunday to soak up the sunshine, with some appearing to disregard Covid-safety regulations. 

Only two hours of exercise are permitted per day in Victoria, with masks mandatory both indoors and outdoors unless eating or drinking.

Luckily for the heavily mask-less crowds, there is little evidence of coronavirus being transmitted in large numbers when outside, with indoor venues remaining the most at-risk place. 

Melburnians packed into cafes and restaurants around the Tan in Melbourne on Sunday during day three of the city’s sixth lockdown

Large crowds piled into public spaces despite the residents only being permitted to leave home for essential reasons (pictured, Melburnians exercise around the Tan on Sunday)

Melbournians were spotted sitting around in parks eating food and chatting with friends (pictured on Sunday) despite Covid rules stipulating residents are only permitted outside for essential activities

Under the latest restrictions, Victorians are only permitted to leave home for five reasons –  essential shopping, medical care, work or school, to get vaccinated, or exercise.

Scores of residents packed outside cafes waiting for takeaway orders on Sunday, with some mask-less while others had their face coverings pulled down around their chins. 

Others flocked to parks to laze around on the grass in groups, while dozens strolled shoulder to shoulder down streets with beverages in hand. 

Meanwhile, Queen Victoria Market was bustling with shoppers eager to pick up supplies despite the area overflowing with people. 

People mingle outside restaurants and cafes on Sunday (pictured) as Melbourne endured its sixth lockdown since the pandemic began

A woman wearing active wear rests her head on a man’s lap as they sat with coffees in the Tan, in Melbourne, on Sunday 

Large queues snaked out the front of food vendor stalls at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market on Sunday 

The bustling scenes come just days after thousands of Sydneysiders photographed gathering at the beach despite pleas from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to stay at home.

Despite the blatant rule breaking, the crowds will be very unlikely to cause a spike in cases as there is little evidence of Covid spreading outdoors, as NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant has repeatedly said.   

Although Victoria’s latest cases are a cause for concern, a localised outbreak in a Melbourne public housing tower appears to have already been contained, with residents tested overnight returning negative results.

Premier Daniel Andrews said families isolating on the 17th floor of the tower at 130 Racecourse Road in Flemington have all been tested.

Shoppers flocked to the Queen Victoria Market to  pick up supplies, with the area quickly overflowing with people 

A woman looked happy as she ate with a friend in Melbourne on Sunday as the state recorded 11 new cases of Covid-19 

A group of men and women gather in a park to sit around talking, with Melbourne now in its sixth lockdown since the pandemic began

Despite the bustling scenes, health authorities have previously said outdoor gatherings are not as high risk as indoor settings (pictured, Melbourne on Sunday)

Two women exercise at the Tan Track in Melbourne on Sunday after picking up coffees (pictured on Sunday) with people allowed out to exercise for two hours per day

‘All returned a negative test result so that’s very pleasing,’ he told reporters on Sunday.

‘It doesn’t mean we are out of the woods there, doesn’t mean we can change the settings, but better to have negative results than positive.’

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said 17 immediate family members had been cleared as well as an additional 200 residents throughout the complex.

The tower was identified as a tier two location between August 3 and 6 and was previously placed under strict lockdown in early July.

Eight cases were found in a single family within the building on Friday and immediately placed in quarantine.

Meanwhile, Australia’s first drive-through Covid-19 vaccination hub will open at a former Bunnings warehouse in Melbourne, while Victorians under 40 will be offered AstraZeneca jabs at state-run clinics.  

The vaccination site, operated by Western Health, will open in suburban Melton on Monday.

It is expected batches of 10 cars will be processed at a time and the site will initially have capacity to administer 10,000 jabs a week.

In addition, nine of Victoria’s 50 state vaccination clinics will offer AstraZeneca to 18- to 39-year-olds while children aged 12-15 with underlying health conditions or of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander decent will also be allowed to receive Pfizer doses.

Two women and a couple of men enjoy beverages as they exercise at the Tan Track in Melbourne’s inner southeast 

Crowds gathered outside hospitality venues to pick up food on Sunday as Melbourne enjoyed unseasonably warm weather

A woman and man laze about in the grass in their active wear on Sunday. It comes as fears grow Victoria’s outbreak could soon escalated into the spiralling health crisis afflicting Sydney  

‘There are many appointments available, go online,’ Mr Andrews urged of anyone considering the AstraZeneca offer.

With the best part of 200,000 vaccinations on hand, anyone within the age group willing to provide informed consent would be able to receive a first AZ dose and a second 12 weeks later, he said.

Echoing the premier encouragement, Professor Sutton said: ‘I’m a 52-year-old bloke. If I were 25 and AstraZeneca was the only vaccine available to me today, I would get it.’

Victoria administered 17,360 vaccine doses in the 24 hours to Saturday evening and conducted 38,179 tests.

The state will be delivered the first of an additional 150,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine promised by the federal government as soon as Thursday. 

With 29 cases recorded on Saturday, there was concern Victoria would be forced to extend its current week-long lockdown beyond Thursday. 

Hordes of Melbourne residents gather by the curb outside cafes and restaurants as the city battles a highly infectious Delta outbreak

A man is seen skateboarding down steps in Melbourne as his friend films with the pair seemingly enjoying their lockdown weekend

A woman wearing a selects fruit and vegetables at  a stall at the busy Queen Victoria Markets on Sunday 

Mounted police patrol the Tan in Melbourne as the city’s seven-day lockdown is due to end Thursday – but could yet be extended

However Mr Andrews said on Sunday no decision had been made and he would immediately announce it when one was.

Before then, he said he remained concerned by the two mystery cases behind the latest outbreaks.

‘We’ve just got to monitor this every single day,’ he said.

‘We’ll be in lockdown no longer than we need to be and we just have to take this one day at a time.’

Prof Sutton said Victoria’s latest cases were all linked to Melbourne’s Hobsons Bay cluster seeded by a teacher at the Al-Taqwa College.

He said cases at Flemington’s Mount Alexander College and the Kiewa Secondary Boys Campus of Ilim College in Dallas were undergoing the same successful testing program conducted at Al-Taqwa College. 

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VICTORIA’S NEW LOCKDOWN

 – The lockdown is scheduled to run from Thursday August 5 at 8pm for seven days 

– There will be only five lawful reasons to leave home

1. Essential shopping

2. Two hours of daily exercise within a 5km radius

3. To seek or provide medical care 

4. Work or study that cannot be done from home.

5. To go and get vaccinated. 

– Face masks will be mandatory indoors and outdoors

– Schools will return to online learning 

– 5km travel limit for essential tasks, including shopping and exercise

– If your business was closed during the last lockdown, they must close this lockdown

– Hospitality open for takeaway only

– General retail is closed, as well as all non-essential businesses 

– Visitors to the home are banned

– Funerals capped at ten people, while weddings are banned

– Professional sport can proceed but with no crowds 

– Outdoor parks and play areas are open, but those indoors must close 

 

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