The Australian Government has promised an additional 100 000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Victoria.
- This will be distributed over three weeks, starting June 14th.
- Heath Minister Greg Hunt said the week between now and the delivery of the extra vaccine will give Victoria time to use the vaccine doses they already have.
- Victorian GPs will also have their AstraZeneca vaccine supplies doubled for the next two weeks.
- This will support the vaccination of all people over 50, who are now eligible for the vaccine.
- Heath officials are encouraging all Victorian’s eligible for the vaccination to book as soon as they can, as this is the best way to beat the outbreak.
Over the weekend it was discovered that a family who travelled to NSW and tested positive when they returned to Melbourne has the ‘Delta Strain’ of COVID-19.
- This is the strain that has led to most cases in India and moves more quickly that other strains of COVID-19.
- There is informal evidence that the vaccines being used now are effective against this strain.
Victoria has recorded 11 new cases of COVID-19 from yesterday, bringing the total active cases in the state to 94.
- 2 of the new cases were announced yesterday after being found at the Arcare Maidstone aged care facility, a resident and a nurse who worked on Saturday.
- Arcare's CEO said all staff who worked at Arcare on Saturday have been told to get tested immediately, then quarantine for 14 days.
A construction site on Queen Street in the CBD has been labeled a Tier 1 exposure site.
- Over 200 people closely linked to the site were tested yesterday as a priority.
- The current lock down is scheduled to end at 11.59pm on Thursday.
- Victorian Health officials say they are responding to the situation day-by-day to see if it will be possible to reopen as planned.
DH List of COVID-19 Exposure sites:
https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites
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