SYDNEY, Oct 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Australia’s state of Victoria embraced the highest daily increase of COVID-19 cases today, with 1,763 new cases and four deaths recorded.
Victorian Health Department deputy secretary, Kate Matson, warned that, the virus was now “everywhere” in Melbourne, the country’s second largest city, and urged residents to keep masks on and practice COVID-safe behaviours.
Despite the worsening situation, construction workers in the state will return to their worksites from today, with strict COVID-19 protocols in place. All workers have had at least one dose of vaccine and must prove the sites are COVID-safe with a designated COVID marshal.
Up to five workers and a supervisor will be able to work on small projects, while larger sites can have 25 percent workforce capacity.
If all workers on a site are vaccinated and crib facilities “meet best practice” it can be lifted to 50 percent, according to Victoria’s COVID-Safe restart plan.
The state’s Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, told local media that tens of thousands of construction workers have since come forward, to meet the first-dose requirement, but could not say what proportion of the industry is now vaccinated.
The neighbouring state of New South Wales, which used to be the epicentre of Australia’s current wave of pandemic, continued to see decreasing local transmissions, with 608 new local cases and seven deaths recorded today.
Newly-elected NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, confirmed there would be no cabinet reshuffle and that “freedom day” is still likely to go ahead as planned, on Oct 11 despite speculation that he was considering bringing that date forward.– NNN-AGENCIES
