Queues outside Aldi in locked down Melbourne as mums rush to buy a bargain children’s table

Shoppers desperate to get their hands on an Aldi special buy kids table have formed huge lines outside one of the chain’s supermarkets in Melbourne – on the day Victoria hit a record 484 new coronavirus cases.  

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews berated residents for not staying home on Wednesday, with new figures showing 90 per cent of new coronavirus sufferers didn’t isolate between falling sick and getting tested. 

In addition, 53 per cent failed to self-isolate while waiting for the result after taking the test.

But despite the dramatic surge in numbers, bargain hunters keen to catch the latest round of Aldi ‘special buys’ were prepared to risk their health to get the popular  children’s table and chair set at Aurora Village in Epping on Wednesday.

The shopping centre in the city’s north is in a lockdown zone, meaning shoppers should only go there for essential items.

The crowd pictured outside Aldi in Aurora Village in Epping 45 minutes before it opened on Wednesday morning (pictured)

Shoppers desperate to get their hands on a children’s table breached lockdown rules and flocked to Aldi in Melbourne’s north on Wednesday morning (pictured, left and right)

Aldi customers risked their health to purchase the cheap children's furniture (pictured) at the store at Aurora Village in Epping on Wednesday

Aldi customers risked their health to purchase the cheap children’s furniture (pictured) at the store at Aurora Village in Epping on Wednesday

Images posted on social media showed a long line of people queuing on Wednesday morning up to an hour before Aldi’s doors even opened.

‘The lines this morning were ridiculous but was worth the wait. Bought my little man the kids table and stool set and he loves it!’ one mum wrote.

She purchased a Children’s Table and Stool Set for $69.99, one of Wednesday’s special buys, with baby and children’s clothing and essentials such as wipes, prams and car seats and learning tools also on offer.

While the mother managed to quickly get into the store and purchase the table, she admitted others were not adhering to social distancing rules.

A huge sale at Bonds at the same shopping centre also attracted crowds, despite the strict lockdown. 

The shopping centre, in the city's north, is in a lockdown zone, meaning shoppers should only be visiting for essential items

The shopping centre, in the city’s north, is in a lockdown zone, meaning shoppers should only be visiting for essential items

The woman was slammed for going out and standing in line during lockdown to get a non-essential item such as a table, with many mums upset by the queues (pictured)

The woman was slammed for going out and standing in line during lockdown to get a non-essential item such as a table, with many mums upset by the queues (pictured)

‘You should have seen people going through the Bonds stuff, they were literally on top of each other. I didn’t bother looking, coronavirus right there!’ she wrote.

The woman was slammed for going out and standing in line during lockdown to get a non-essential item such as a table.

‘I won’t bother reading your comments. I’m just happy I got my hands on the table and chairs,’ she replied. 

While other mothers shared their similar experiences, some were not impressed with how relaxed they were despite the looming pandemic.

‘Yes, ridiculous lines for an area in stage 3 lockdown!’ one woman wrote.

‘That’s ridiculous line. No wonder why we are in this situation now,’ another mother said.

Other mothers showed pictured of their Special Buys hauls on Wednesday from Aldi (pictured)

Another mother's haul after visiting a Melbourne Aldi on Wednesday (pictured)

Other mothers showed pictured of their Special Buys hauls on Wednesday from Aldi (pictured), including kids toys and clothes

She purchased a Children's Table and Stool Set for $69.99 (pictured), while other special buys on Wednesday included baby and children's clothing

She purchased a Children’s Table and Stool Set for $69.99 (pictured), while other special buys on Wednesday included baby and children’s clothing

‘Ignorant people who can grab a bargain at Aldi put their life and the life of others in danger continue to do so!’ one commented. 

Another woman told the mother that she seems to ‘not care about yourself or your family’ while others questioned how the table was an ‘essential’.

‘Disgusting! Aldi should not be running special buys in Victoria at the moment. It’s so irresponsible as people clearly cannot be trusted,’ another user wrote. 

‘Woo you got your kid a table! Pit you won’t get to watch him enjoy it when you’re dying in a hospital bed,’ another mother said. 

On Wednesday Melbourne entered the third week of a six-week lockdown, with no sign that case numbers are decreasing. 

The outbreak began again in June after the virus escaped from hotel quarantine, amid allegations private security guards interacted with isolating travellers. 

A woman is seen wearing a facemask on Wednesday (pictured, in Melbourne) Face masks or coverings will be mandatory from Thursday 23 July in the city

A woman is seen wearing a facemask on Wednesday (pictured, in Melbourne) Face masks or coverings will be mandatory from Thursday 23 July in the city

‘Unless we have people who get tested, staying at home and isolating until they get their results, then we will not see these numbers go down,’ Mr Andrews said on Wednesday.

The premier said that casual workers were still doing shifts despite falling ill because they do not get sick leave.

But he urged workers to apply for a $1,500 one-off payment from the government if they cannot work because they are isolating.

The state has suffered outbreaks at abattoirs, aged care homes, logistics businesses and law firms.

Chief Health Officer Professor Brendan Sutton said: ‘We are at a really, really challenging stage of the pandemic.’

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) is considering harsher restrictions for locked-down Melbourne

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) is considering harsher restrictions for locked-down Melbourne 

He said he suspects the virus reproduction rate is above one, meaning the outbreak will continue to grow.

Earlier Sky News reported that the state government is considering a New Zealand-style lockdown for Melbourne.

That would mean narrowing the definition of ‘essential’ workers to keep more people from being allowed to leave their homes.

Another option Premier Andrews is said to be considering is to limit residents to within 5km of their homes to slow the spread of the virus.

Mr Andrews said: ‘There are no announcements being made today about rule changes.’

But he did not rule out harsher restrictions in the future.

Medical testing staff are seen at a pop-up site at Colac in Victoria on Tuesday (pictured) as the state struggles with increasing infection rates

Medical testing staff are seen at a pop-up site at Colac in Victoria on Tuesday (pictured) as the state struggles with increasing infection rates

‘These matters are under review based on the data each day,’ he said.

Overwhelmed contact tracers in Victoria are still investigating the source of 1,900 cases and that figure will exceed 2,000 today.

Mr Andrews said almost 9 in 10 of the the 3,810 coronavirus cases between July 7 and July 21 didn’t isolate between when they first felt sick and went to get tested. 

More than 60 people have been fined for breaching Melbourne’s coronavirus lockdown restrictions, including someone who travelled more than 100km to go surfing. 

Police conducted almost 5,000 spot checks at homes, businesses and public places across locked-down metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire in the past 24 hours and issued 61 fines. 

Fines were issued to a person caught travelling from Strathmore to the Surf Coast for a surfing trip, a group of people ‘sitting on a park bench drinking alcohol in the Melbourne CBD’ and people attending a party in Monash.

On Wednesday Melbourne entered its third week of a six-week lockdown, with no sign that case numbers are decreasing.Pictured: A graph showing Victoria's second wave of COVID-19 cases

On Wednesday Melbourne entered its third week of a six-week lockdown, with no sign that case numbers are decreasing.Pictured: A graph showing Victoria’s second wave of COVID-19 cases 

Nineteen fines were also issued to drivers at vehicle checkpoints leaving the city.

A 25-year-old Glen Waverly woman has also been fined after she visited several shops in East Gippsland while awaiting results of a COVID-19 test, The Age reported.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 11,784

Victoria: 6,289

New South Wales: 3,599

Queensland: 1,072

Western Australia: 651

South Australia: 444

Tasmania: 229

Australian Capital Territory: 113

Northern Territory: 31

TOTAL CASES: 12,428

CURRENT ACTIVE CASES: 3,202

DEATHS: 126

She later returned a positive result, prompting the closure of stores in Orbost and nearby Marlo for deep cleaning and contact tracing. 

Meanwhile, six prisons across the state are in lockdown after an officer tested positive for COVID-19.

The guard worked at Ravenhall Correctional Facility, which was placed into lockdown along with Barwon Prison, Hopkins Correctional Centre, Fulham, Langi Kal Kal and Loddon.

A Department of Justice spokeswoman said the officer had been self-isolating since July 16 after being notified they were a close contact of a positive case.

Coronavirus infections in aged care homes continue to rise, with cases linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner quadrupling to 51 since Monday and 42 cases to Estia Health in Ardeer.

Thirty-one cases are now linked to Glendale Aged Care facility in Werribee and 17 infections have been traced to Embracia Aged Care Moonee Valley in Avondale Heights.

Three women in their 80s, 90s and 100s died from the virus, bringing the state’s death toll to 42 and the national toll to 126, it was confirmed on Tuesday.

Two of the women were residents of aged care facilities where outbreaks have occurred.

An outbreak in Colac, about 150km southwest of Melbourne, has grown to 27 people.

Thirteen of those cases are linked to Australian Lamb Company, while a student at nearby Trinity College also tested positive.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is considering harsher restrictions for locked-down Melbourne

A resident runs in Melbourne on Wednesday morning

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is considering harsher restrictions for locked-down Melbourne. Pictured: Residents on Wednesday

‘People are worried, people are anxious but on the positive side, people have locked themselves away,’ Trinity College principal Paul Clohesy said, noting the school had decided to return to remote learning until August 3.

‘That’ll give 14 days to see where this virus spreads in Colac and to make sure we aren’t opening and having to close again.’

The state recorded 374 new cases on Tuesday, with 3078 cases active and 174 people in hospital, 36 of whom are in intensive care.

From Thursday, residents of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire must wear a face-covering in public or risk a $200 fine.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Aldi for comment.  

MELBOURNE’S SECOND LOCKDOWN

AREAS BACK UNDER STAGE THREE RESTRICTIONS:

* Metropolitan Melbourne covering 30 Local Government Areas – Banyule, Hume, Moreland, Bayside, Kingston, Mornington Peninsula, Boroondara, Knox, Nillumbik, Manningham, Port Phillip, Cardinia, Maribyrnong, Stonnington, Casey, Maroondah, Whitehorse, Darebin, Melbourne, Whittlesea, Frankston, Melton, Wyndham, Glen Eira, Monash, Yarra, Greater Dandenong, Moonee Valley, Yarra Ranges, Hobsons Bay.

* Mitchell Shire which includes the towns of Broadford, Kilmore, Seymour, Tallarook, Pyalong and Wallan.

WHAT WILL CLOSE AGAIN:

* Community sport

* Indoor sports and recreation including arenas and stadiums

* Swimming pools, saunas and bathhouses

* Food courts

* Indoor and outdoor cinemas

* Casino and gaming

* Brothels and strip clubs

* Beauty and personal care services

* Holiday accommodation and camping

* Play centres and playgrounds

* Galleries, museums and zoos

VISTORS AND PUBLIC GATHERINGS:

* No visitors allowed in homes

* Public gatherings and exercise can only be with immediate household or two people

ALLOWED OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES:

* Fishing and boating

* Tennis, golf and surfing

OPEN FOR BUSINESS:

* Retail subject to density

* Markets for food and drink only

* Hairdressers

HOSPITALITY:

* Cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs and bars return to takeaway only

REAL ESTATE:

* Return to remote auctions

* Inspections by appointment only

INTIMATE PARTNERS:

* Visits allowed

SECOND PLACE OF RESIDENCE:

* No visits outside the restricted areas – subject to conditions

HOLIDAYS:

* Can be completed by those already on holiday

* No new holiday travel from 11.59pm on July 8

FUNERALS:

* Ten people, plus those conducting the funeral

WEDDINGS:

* Five people (couple, witnesses and celebrant)

RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES:

* Broadcast only.

 

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