Victoria goes another day without any locally-acquired COVID-19 cases

Three days after a Melbourne man returning from overseas travel was confirmed as a positive COVID-19 case, there have been no local infections.

Victoria has now gone three days without any local COVID-19 cases, after a Melbourne man earlier this week tested positive to the virus.

Victoria has now gone three days without any local COVID-19 cases, after a Melbourne man earlier this week tested positive to the virus. Source: AAP

Victoria has gone three days without any local cases since a Melbourne man was confirmed to have tested positive to COVID-19.

The health department said on Friday the only new case was in hotel quarantine, with 21,931 tests conducted in the previous 24 hours.

But a further six Victorians may have been exposed to the virus after staying at the same South Australian quarantine hotel where the Melbourne man is suspected of catching COVID-19.
The Department of Health has identified six people now in Victoria as having left the third floor of Adelaide's Playford Hotel during the potential transmission period.

All have been contacted and are now urgently being tested as they undergo another 14-day quarantine stint.

SA authorities have issued similar orders for 10 discharged returned travellers still in their state.

It comes as the Victorian government cracks down on businesses flouting QR code check-in rules after the state's latest coronavirus scare exposed flaws in the system.
Contact tracing efforts were hampered this week as some patrons at the Curry Vault restaurant, where the infected Melbourne man dined on Friday night, failed to use the QR code system.

In response, the state government warned businesses breaking check-in rules will face a new $1652 on-the-spot fine, and further penalties of up to $9913 and prosecution for repeated breaches.

Checks last week showed more than a third of businesses are not complying with QR code rules.

Authorities have dished out 165 enforcement notices and 300 warnings as part of a three-week blitz of 4000 cafes, shops and restaurants in April.
The breaches included a lack of signage, failing to use QR codes, and not having a COVID-safe plan.

While most businesses are doing the right thing, Acting Police Minister Danny Pearson said others were "letting down" the state.

The Services Victoria QR code system will become mandatory for businesses from the end of May.

An average of 28,000 check-ins is being registered on the system every day, with more than 91,000 businesses signing up.
Health authorities, meanwhile, are still awaiting test results for about 30 close contacts of Melbourne's latest virus case.

Of the 121 primary close contacts of the infected man from Wollert in Melbourne's north, 90 have returned negative tests so far.

Victoria has gone 77 days without a new local infection.


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3 min read
Published 14 May 2021 11:54am
Updated 14 May 2021 12:19pm
Source: AAP

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