All of the new cases were in quarantine throughout their entire infectious period.One coronavirus case was recorded in hotel quarantine from an overseas arrival.More than 32,380 test results were received, while 17,370 people were vaccinated.There are now 179 active cases around the state.It comes as businesses and communities across regional Victoria plead with the state government to set them free earlier from harsh lockdown measures. Just one case, linked to Bacchus Marsh Grammar, was recorded in regional areas yesterday, prompting calls for an easing of restrictions to open up businesses and schools before the Tuesday midnight deadline.Parts of western, eastern and northeast Victoria have had no cases during the latest outbreak. And large council areas such as Glenelg, Greater Shepparton, Ballarat and Wodonga have no active cases.When Premier Daniel Andrews announced on July 15 the current restrictions, then for five days, he hoped that regional areas would be released sooner. The whole state lockdown was then extended by another week.But businesses were hoping for some relief from the economic pain of shutting the doors.In Ballarat, Kryal Castle owners Damien Lister and Bart Hamilton said they faced closing the tourist attraction down if the regional lockdown continued.“Staff will be laid off with no likelihood of return, our future marketing plans all become obsolete as we will be scratching along just to get back to this starting point and if it goes formore than is promised asset sales might be needed to fend off the banks,” they said.“The impact of Lockdown 5, although supposedly short, will have long lasting effects on the business we are trying to build for the community of Ballarat.”NED-3869-Covid-19-Exposure-Sites-VictoriaThe owners have undertaken a $6 million refurbishment of the site.“The continued stop-start nature of these lockdowns has meant that everything is stalled.’’Wodonga restaurateur Carlos Saliba recently closed the doors of his Victor Supper Club and said if lockdowns continued more regional businesses would be forced to follow suit.But Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said hundreds of primary close contacts were in regional areas. “If there were new cases who emerged there, we’d have to be assured that they’ve had their entire infectious period in isolation. “You’ve got to feel for regional areas that have had no cases.“But Mildura will tell you that they were probably shocked into their response. Not that they’d been complacent but we all get unused to Covid if there’s been no experience of having to deal with it.’’Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said he hoped the state as a whole would end the hard lockdown.“We went into Lockdown Five fast so let’s come out fast,’’ Mr Guerra said. “Come Wednesday, every business in the state should be able to open and operate at viable and responsible levels. We’ve done the hard yards, now businesses want to get our economy going again.”Victoria Tourism Industry Council chief Felicia Mariani said the state’s visitor economy had shrunk by $21.5 billion for the 12-month period ending April 2021, “In Victoria, our industry supported over 250,000 jobs directly and indirectly, with 110,000 of those jobs in regional Victoria,” she said.“This is clearly an industry that is simply too big to fail.”Victoria’s lockdown rules
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