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Victoria records 183 new local COVID-19 cases

Victoria has recorded another 183 new cases of COVID-19 in the last day, as authorities push for higher testing rates.

There were 48,000 tests conducted yesterday and 29,000 jabs administered across the state.

There are now currently 1417 cases attributed to the latest Delta outbreak.

READ MORE: Victoria records 190 new cases of COVID-19, warning peak yet to come

https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1434286614633582598Cars enter a drive through COVID testing site in Brunswick in Melbourne.

Victoria's COVID-19 Response Commander Jeroen Weimar said the state is seeing the Delta strain as having a "high attack rate".

"What we are seeing is a very high attack rate, and a message to those who continue to operate the essential businesses that we are maintaining, it is so important that your COVID-safe protocols are as strong as you can possibly make them," Mr Weimar said.

"We are seeing levels of community transmission that we have not seen for a long time, you need to make sure your workplaces are as safe as they can be.

"There are literally thousands of people on the ground dealing with this COVID response across Melbourne in particular, and of course in other parts of our Victorian community."

READ MORE: NSW records 1485 new COVID-19 cases

Mr Weimar also urged Victorian to take care of payments that support workers while they wait for the results of their COVID-19 test.

"There are $450 test isolation payments available and I'm pleased to confirm that over 6000 people a day are applying for those test and isolation payments," Mr Weimar said.

"If you need that extra bit of support to get tested because you can't afford to miss a day of work, you can't afford to miss a shift, you need the extra income, please get tested, knowing that 6000 people a day are applying and getting those payments."

READ MORE: Queensland avoids lockdown as one local case of COVID-19 detected

The worst is 'yet to come'

Yesterday, officials warned residents across the state must prepare for higher case numbers, saying that the worst has yet to come.

Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton that number are likely to bounce around, and that a one day decrease in number is not a trend in the right direction.

"One day is not a trend," he said. "We can't say for sure when case numbers will peak.

"The trend over seven-day periods has been incremental increasing and I expect that to happen until we get higher vaccination coverage.

"Professor Sutton said cases may have surged due to more incursions of the virus from Sydney that went undetected, insisting "we got our arms around that earlier outbreak".

READ MORE: Western Australia deems Victoria 'high-risk', with tougher testing for interstate truckies

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NSW records 1485 new COVID-19 cases

New South Wales has recorded 1485 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and three deaths, as the state hits a new milestone in vaccinations.

The results come from than 115,495 tests.

READ MORE: Victoria records 183 new COVID-19 cases

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1434320674751873025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said NSW has reached 40 per cent of the entire population vaccinated.

"This is an incredible milestone to have each given where we were a few months ago," she said.

"We have 70 per cent of the population with a first dose. When we hit 80 per cent first dose we will be confident we can get 80 per cent double dose. Not many places in the world have done that and I am confident we will."

The premier said she is confident life will feel "much better" in NSW soon.

"We should remember that while we are anticipating the peak of cases to occur in the next couple of weeks, we can foreshadow that once we hit the 70 per cent double dose that life will feel much better in NSW," she said.

"Those of us that are vaccinated fully will be able to participate in things we have missed out on for a long time."

Ms Berejiklian said while the next few weeks will be tough, she is constantly looking and conferring with health officials about what restrictions can possibly be eased, particularly for those LGAs of concern.

She will release modelling this week which will include what is foreshadowed for cases, hospitalisations and intensive care admissions.

"All the modelling indicates to us at the peak is likely to be here in the next week or two and the peak in hospitalisation and intensive care is likely to be with us in October," she said.

"You know the next few weeks will have high case numbers but what we don't want to see is when you make interventions at the wrong time and there is a surge in cases which sets us back.

"The modelling is only as good as our behaviour and getting vaccinated…what I have my eye on is the 70 per cent double dose vaccination which will ensure all those freedoms that those of us who are vaccinated will enjoy."

Three further deaths, young children in ICU

Three people have died in NSW over the past 24 hours.

  • A woman in her 50s from western Sydney who died at Blacktown Hospital. She received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and is not believed to have had any comorbidities.
  • A woman in her 70s from south-western Sydney who died at Campbelltown Hospital. She was not vaccinated and had significant comorbidities.
  • A man in his 70s from south-western Sydney who died at Liverpool Hospital. He was not vaccinated and also had comorbidities.

Three children are in intensive care.

A NSW ambulance paramedic helps a patient into a Sydney hospital.

Numbers come on 'Super Sunday' vaccine blitz for firefighters, police

Today's numbers come as health authorities desperately work to fully vaccinate all of NSW's emergency workers.

Of particular focus will be the state's firefighters and police.

"If you are an authorised worker, come forward and get vaccinated," the premier said.

"There is special accommodation being made for you and we are keen to see vaccination rates go up, especially in areas with a high viral load."

Asked on why emergency service responders are being targeted this late into an outbreak, Ms Berejilian said most have been done, but some may have missed out.

"The majority have been done but people come into the system all the time," she said.

"There are people coming in, learning, studying or still students in various professions so we are targeting emergency and healthcare workers but note for what the vast majority have been vaccinated.

"The police involved in the quarantine system were vaccinated, health and age care workers, but we do not want to leave any stone unturned.

"If you have not been vaccinated and you work for any of those front line agencies, please come forward and get vaccinated and I am told there are still vacancies today. You can get your jab by the end of the day."

READ MORE: Queensland records one new local COVID-19 case

Home quarantine on the cards for returning Aussies

The premier says she will worth with other state and territory leaders about how overseas arrivals are treated when they come to Australia once vaccination rates are reached.

Ms Berejiklian said some form of quarantine will be needed, but it may be adjusted based on need.

"When Australia is coming back home fully vaccinated with a credible vaccine, it would make sense that they could quarantine at home and we are already considering when we do that and when we do that but the transition will start in earnest when we hit 70 per cent double dose," she said.

"But the planning has already started, to see what life was like for Aussies coming home when they are fully vaccinated.

"We still need some form of quarantine, whether it is in the future for international students, skilled labour, but as far as Australia is a concern, if you are fully vaccinated with a credible vaccine, you should be allowed to warranting at and that is a transition we will be making."

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Queensland avoids lockdown as one local case of COVID-19 detected

Residents in Queensland have narrowly avoided a snap-lockdown after another local COVID-19 case was detected in the state earlier this morning.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the new case was the mother of the four-year-old girl announced yesterday.

Ms Palaszczuk said authorities are not concerned and have deemed the woman to be of "low risk".

READ MORE: Queensland won't go into lockdown over four-year-old with coronavirus

https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1434316173072494597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"We are not worried about this case… she is the mother of the four-year-old girl who was already in isolation, so that is fantastic news," she said.

"It is very low risk because she was already in that home quarantine."

The four-year-old girl, who lives in the Beenleigh area, tested positive yesterday after 46-year-old Logan truck driver, believed to be a close contact, tested positive earlier in the week.

The girl is the daughter of an administrative officer who works in the same area of the truck company's headquarters and is a family friend of the truck driver.

There are now a total of 16 active cases of COVID-19 across the state.

Earlier today it was revealed that a truck driver from New South Wales had tested positive to the virus and been in Queensland while infectious.

He was active in the community for two days, between September 2 and 3 but has since returned home.

A BP service station in Archerfield has been identified as a close contact site, with those in the immediate area and Queensland more broadly urged to seek testing should symptoms arise.

"(The) truck driver who lives in NSW who came up through Queensland, travelled through Archerfield and Coopers Plains and then travelled straight back down to NSW," Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young said.

"So, he was bringing a load of cars into Queensland, he has some exposure time at the Archerfield BP, but otherwise very minimal exposure in Queensland.

"(He is) low risk to Queensland and he is now back in NSW where he tested positive.

"NSW is telling us about cases that they are aware of so we can manage them here in Queensland but it does mean that we are seeing that increased risk so it is really, really important, please, everyone, any symptoms at all, come forward and get tested."

READ MORE: Victoria records 183 new local COVID-19 cases

More than 52 per cent of Queenslanders have now received one dose of the jab, with 34 per cent fully vaccinated.

Ms Palaszczuk has appealed to residents to urgently seek vaccinations, as she expects it is inevitable another outbreak will occur.

"Now is a window of opportunity to get vaccinated," she said.

"We have been hearing extensively about the modelling of 70 and 80 per cent from the reports of National Cabinet absolutely, we need to aim for 80 per cent and above.

"We have this window of opportunity, Queensland, to get vaccinated. It is absolutely imperative because this virus is going to pop up sometime in the near future and this is basically out window, our window to get this done."

headline

Man rundown by car after KFC fight over parking space

Two people have been arrested and third taken to hospital after an argument over a parking spot turned ugly in south-western Sydney.

Just after 12pm yesterday, police were called to a KFC parking lot on Hoxton Park Road, Liverpool, after reports that a fight had broken out among a number of people

Police were told that the occupants of a Ford Explorer and an Audi A4 allegedly got into a physical brawl over a parking spot at the fast food chain.

READ MORE: Man found with stab wounds at caravan park in Melbourne's south-east dies

During the incident, a 30-year-old woman on foot allegedly hit the outside of the Audi several times while the p-plate driver – a 26-year-old woman – attempted to drive away.

In vision posted to social media, the driver of the Audi can be seen allegedly accelerating towards a man and hitting him, while crashing into the back of the Ford.

He suffered minor injuries as a result and was taken to Liverpool Hospital.

READ MORE: Melbourne man almost kills elderly neighbour over fight about washing machine

Officers arrived at the scene a short time later and arrested the 26-year-old Audi driver following a short struggle, during which she allegedly kicked and spat at an officer.

The 30-year-old was also arrested, and both were taken to Liverpool Police Station.

The younger woman was refused bail and will appear before Parramatta Local Court today.

The 30-year-old was charged with destroy or damage property, and affray.

She was granted conditional bail to appear before Liverpool Local Court on Thursday.