A homeless, Covid-positive sex worker could provide the missing link between a growing cluster of mystery cases in the St Kilda area.It comes as 24 new infections were detected in Victoria, including four mystery cases.Six of the cases were out and about in the community while infectious, prompting concerns that the number of exposure sites will continue to expand.The Herald Sun has been told by sources within the Health Department that one of the new infections, a woman with no known address, had been involved in occasional sex work.Investigations are under way to determine if the woman had been in contact with other mystery cases linked to the St Kilda cluster.The Herald Sun also understands the woman has no fixed address and often stays in boarding houses.It’s not yet known how the woman acquired the virus.Hospitals across Melbourne are on standby amid fears coronavirus infections have made their way through the city’s homeless community.Medical staff working in emergency departments and other areas have been warned to be alert amid fears the virus has been spread across shelters to vulnerable Victorians. St Kilda is emerging as a new battlefront in Melbourne’s latest Covid crisis, with at least five mystery cases linked by nothing more than geography.Department of Health deputy secretary Kate Matson on Tuesday said: “These cases aren’t linked by age. They’re not linked by faith. They aren’t all in the same book club. They’re not all on the same footy club. The only thing they share is geographic proximity”.There are currently 246 active cases in the state, with nearly 40,000 Victorians getting tested on Monday.Victoria also hit a milestone of two million vaccines on Monday, with 48.1 per cent of the state having received a first dose, compared to the national average of 48.7 per cent.So far, 26.7 per cent of Victorians are fully vaccinated. Nationally, that figure is 26.9 per cent.NED-4292-Percentage-of-eligible-population-fully-vaccinated-by-stateST KILDA TESTING PUSHHealth authorities have issued a desperate plea to all residents and workers in the Port Phillip and Glen Eira municipalities to turn out for testing as soon as they become symptomatic, as fears grow the virus is circulating undetected at rapid speed.One of the new mystery cases is a St Kilda resident with no clear connection to other cases, while another positive St Kilda resident is reportedly known to a third mystery case in the City of Melbourne but their source of acquisition is unknown.Premier Daniel Andrews urged Victorians to get tested, saying testing numbers continued to remain “too low”.The other mystery cases include two people – from Dandenong and Middle Park – who work in unrelated employment in St Kilda. “These cases got the virus from somewhere. The virus is circulating in those geographic areas,” Ms Matson added.“We are concerned that there are cases here that we do not yet know about.”Ms Matson said the three-ring approach, used by contact tracers to monitor the close contacts of positive cases, was still the most appropriate way to chase down infections. While not ruling out expanding those rings to monitor the contacts of secondary close contacts, given the rapid speed of the Delta strain, Ms Matson said the focus needed to remain on the threat at hand. “We need to focus on our highest risk cases and our highest risk of transmission. Going further down the line will take the teams away from the highest priorities.”More cases are expected to emerge in coming days, as health authorities gather results of thousands of Day 13 tests taken from isolated contacts linked to earlier clusters. Of Tuesday’s 21 linked cases, 14 were in isolation throughout their full infectious period, including nine people linked to Glenroy West Primary School and three linked to Al-Taqwa College. Three more guests of the infamous St Kilda East engagement party have tested positive, as has a workplace contact of a case. Of the 69 attendees, health authorities were on Tuesday night awaiting just two more results.Authorities were also forced to admit that some community members may be refusing to get a test due to vile anti-Semitic attacks and racial profiling in recent days. Chief health officer Brett Sutton said it was too soon to say whether the lockdown would end on September 2.“Crystal ball gazing is probably the least productive use of our time here,” he said. Vic Locally-acquired Covid-19BIG CHANGES FOR 2021 VCE STUDENTSCovid chaos continues for VCE students, with first-round university offers to be released in mid-January rather than December, the tertiary admissions centre has confirmed.VCE results have also been pushed back. It’s understood that the demands of giving all students special consideration has put additional pressure on the system.See the revised dates and changes in the full story here.NEW EXPOSURE SITES EMERGETwo buses servicing Altona are the latest Tier 1 exposure sites to be identified by the health department. A positive case travelled on the 903 bus for 7 minutes, getting on at Ross Rd/Millers Rd at 3.56pm on August 13 and getting off at Altona Station at 4.03pm. The case travelled back along the same route, boarding the bus at Altona Station at 5.48pm and disembarking at Ross Rd/Millers Rd at 5.55pm. All passengers on board between the specified times must get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from exposure.Meanwhile, a second Carlton public housing tower at 510 Lygon Street has been declared a Tier 2 exposure site.Two positive cases announced on Tuesday have been linked to the public housing tower at 480 Lygon Street about 50m away, after all residents were tested due to Covid wastewater detections. 510 Lygon Street has been deemed a Tier 2 site from August 14 through to August 17.It is possible one or more of the floors of the tower may be placed into lockdown, with the health department noting that some residents will need to quarantine for 14 days as Tier 1 contactsDeoples COVID-19 Victorian Exposure Sites TablePUBLIC TRANSPORT CUTSPublic Transport Minister Ben Carroll has come under fire after revealing public transport night network services would again be scrapped under Melbourne’s curfew.For the next two weeks, public transport will not run between 1am and 5am on Saturdays and between 1am and 6am on Sundays.The changes are in line with the last time the city was under Stage 4 restrictions but Mr Carroll copped a heavy backlash online when making the announcement.Among the complaints from the public was that essential workers who rely on public transport to work shifts would be affected by the change.Opposition public transport spokesman David Davis slammed the government’s decision and its potential impacts.NED-3889-Melbourne-lockdown-restrictionsSNAP LOCKDOWN IN NZNew Zealand has been plunged into a snap three-day national lockdown after a mystery case emerged in Auckland, ending six months of no community transmission.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement after senior ministers met late Tuesday afternoon.Auckland would remain at Level 4 – the highest of New Zealand’s alert levels – for at least a week. The lockdown begins at 11.59pm Tuesday.It is the first case of community transmission in New Zealand since February 28. It was not known if it was the Delta variant, but that was assumed.The Sydney experience should be a lesson to Kiwis, Ms Ardern said. Read the full story here.LIFELINE FOR LIVE MUSICVictoria’s decimated live events industry has been thrown a lifeline, with the state government to roll out new targeted support payments.Creative Industries Minister Danny Pearson will on Wednesday open the second round of the Live Performance Support program grants for events impacted by cancellations from May 27 to September 2.The program will provide up to $12,000 for eligible event presenters and up to $4000 for suppliers that lost income or incurred unexpected costs.Those who work on stage and off, front of house and behind the scenes, and across live performances, such as music, theatre, opera, dance, comedy, and cabaret are eligible to apply. Victorian-based applicants who have lost scheduled work interstate can also apply.Victoria Vaccine Locator
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