Victoria has recorded two shock new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday afternoon linked to the townhouse where an aged care worker tested positive.
Health Minister Martin Foley confirmed the new cases were linked to the Kings Park Apartment Complex on Dodds and Wells Streets in Southbank.
The cases, both men, will be included in Wednesday’s tally – as a mass testing initiative of the building is now underway.
More than 200 people have been tested so far and the building will be locked down until they confirm it hasn’t spread further.
COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said the two new cases live in separate apartments ‘adjacent to the four other positive cases that we’ve already seen in that wider complex’.
Health Minister Martin Foley confirmed the two new coronavirus cases recorded Tuesday were linked to the Kings Park Apartment Complex on Dodds and Wells Streets in Southbank
Victoria has recorded two shock new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday afternoon linked to the Southbank townhouse where an aged care worker tested positive
He said the chance of spreading between apartments was low and supported the idea of people remaining in their flats despite problems with cross-infection in hotels.
‘We don’t have any evidence of apartment-to-apartment transition like in hotel quarantine,’ Weimar said.
‘I don’t think we see the direct parallels.’
Hundreds of people who live in the low-rise complex were forced into self-isolation on Sunday, after authorities established a link between two previous coronavirus cases who live there.
A total of six people who live in the apartment have tested positive for COVID-19.
‘Those two positive cases are connected to some communal areas that we are concerned about, thoroughfares within that particular complex,’ Weimar told reporters.
The first three cases were transferred to hotel quarantine upon testing positive.
One positive case, a baby, is still in the complex with its mother.
Mr Foley said more than 200 residents were tested on Sunday.
COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said the two new cases live in separate apartments ‘adjacent to the four other positive cases that we’ve already seen in that wider complex’
Earlier, the Health Department confirmed there were no locally acquired cases of COVID-19 recorded in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning, while there were three cases in hotel quarantine.
Some 15,067 Victorians were tested and 9997 received a vaccine dose at a state-run hub during the same period.
Walk-in vaccinations for the Pfizer vaccine have been halted for the rest of the week in an attempt to preserve supply for already-booked first and second doses.
‘We have the supply to meet all those second doses … but we can’t keep doing the first doses at the rate that we would like to,’ Mr Foley said.
The confirmed case visited the McDonald’s Freshwater Place on Freshwater Place, at Southbank, between 5pm and 5.30pm on June 11
They also went to Woolworths Melbourne Square, Shop 1/10 on Hoff Boulevard, at Southbank, between 4pm and 5.30pm on June 8
The Victorian Health Department added six locations to the exposure list on Monday after confirming a positive Covid-19 case visited the locations.
They are listed as Tier Two exposure sites meaning anyone who visited must get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.
The confirmed case visited the McDonald’s Freshwater Place at Southbank in the CBD between 5pm and 5.30pm on Friday, June 11.
They also went to Woolworths Melbourne Square on Hoff Boulevard at Southbank between 4pm and 5.30pm on Tuesday, June 8.
The Medibank office on level seven of 720 Bourke Street, Docklands, was also visited between 7.45am and 4.15pm on May 18.
The office building at 4 Freshwater Place, Southbank, has also been flagged as an exposure site.
There are more than 130 venues currently on Melbourne’s exposure list – down from 400 that were listed last week
The confirmed case visited that site between 8.40am and 9.25am, and 4.35pm and 5.30pm on each of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday last week.
The Boyd Community Hub and its Maternal Child and Family Health Services on 207 City Road at Southbank was also visited by the Covid-19 positive case between 2.45pm and 3.45pm on Tuesday, June 8.
The park play area at the same location was also flagged as an exposure site with the case visiting between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on the same day.
There are more than 130 venues on Melbourne’s exposure list – down from 400 that were listed last week.