Australia sees record levels of vaccinations amid latest outbreak28/05/2021|3min
Health Minister Greg Hunt says both in Victoria and Australia-wide there has been record numbers of vaccinations amid the latest coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne. What we have seen are record numbers of vaccinations in Victoria and record numbers of vaccinations Australia-wide, Mr Hunt said.
Mr Hunt said Victoria recorded 41,000 vaccinations the last 24 hours, with the tally Australia-wide recording 124,871 vaccinations in the last 24 hours as well. We want to thank everybody coming forward, each person is doing their bit to help protect themselves and to help protect the nation, he said.
Victoria pleads for federal aid for suffering businesses
May 28, 2021 – 3.55pm
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The Victorian government has requested financial aid from the federal government to help businesses through the seven-day lockdown, with a support package worth around $200 million to be announced as early as Sunday.
In the meantime, the Morrison government has approved the use of 160 Australian Defence Force troops to assist with the doorknocking of people in quarantine.
Victoria’s Acting Premier James Merlino speaks to the media on Friday morning.
Jason South
On Friday, the Australian Industry Group said that in addition to an estimated $1 billion or more in lost revenue and stock, each week of hard lockdown would result in $1.5 billion in lost or deferred consumer spending, bringing the total cost to businesses to $2.5 billion a week.
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Victoria s Acting Premier James Merlino has urged all Victorians to get vaccinated as soon as possible, with primary and secondary contacts of the Melbourne cluster having jumped to more than 15,000 people.
Victoria reported four new local COVID-19 infections on Friday morning, hours after the state plunged into a week-long lockdown and as authorities continued to scramble to contain an outbreak now at 30 cases.
There are 1,452 people now identified as primary contacts - or close contacts - associated with the Whittlesea and Port of Melbourne outbreaks, with one person the link between the two.
Authorities have said the state is dealing with the highly infectious B161 variant, which was first detected in India.
In a late alert on Friday evening, the Health Department said the details of the 20 locations had been urgently added to the state’s growing list of exposure sites and that it was working with the person’s employer to track down contacts.
It comes after health authorities identified five bars and pubs as being exposure sites of significant concern when revealing a new COVID-19 case in Melbourne had caught the virus on a night out.
“If you have been to those locations you have been out partying with somebody who was COVID-positive at the same time, with you in that space,” COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said on Friday. People who were at the venues should get tested and isolate, he said.