- Victoria has recorded two weeks of no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, however, the cluster linked to Australian Open players has grown
- 10 players and staff members connected to the tennis tournament have now been confirmed to have coronavirus
- In neighbouring NSW, the State Government has announced possible further easing of COVID-19 restrictions from next week after local cases subsided
- However, the NSW Premier is urging more Sydneysiders to get tested as virus fragments have been located in sewerage in the south-west
- Queensland has also found COVID-19 fragments in multiple sewerage sites across the Gold Coast and Cairns, prompting a testing drive
Victoria has hit a new milestone in its fight against COVID-19, recording 14 consecutive days of no new locally acquired coronavirus cases.
In terms of international arrivals testing positive for the virus though, another three cases have been recorded in Melbourne’s hotel quarantine system.
Yesterday there were 0 locally acquired cases reported, and 3 in hotel quarantine. It has been 14 days since the last locally acquired case. 19,810 test results received – thank you for getting tested.
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) January 19, 2021
More later: https://t.co/2vKbgKHFvv#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/Wli493VkXi
One of those three positive cases in an Australian Open player, who’s believed to have previously contracted COVID-19 and is now shedding the virus.
All up, 10 cases of the virus have been linked to the tennis tournament, with the majority of infected players and staff quarantined in Melbourne.
Some of the other players connected with the Aus Open have been able to quarantine in Adelaide, where they can train, leading to complaints amongst competitors.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring NSW, the State Government has announced a possible further easing of COVID-19 restrictions from next week after local cases subsided.
The state saw a resurgence of cases in December, leading to lockdown conditions being implemented over Christmas before case numbers began to decline in recent weeks.
NSW has recorded no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases for the last three days, but three people in hotel quarantine in Sydney have tested positive.
Following the drop in local cases, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has stated she will meet with her Cabinet to discuss dropping some COVID-19 rules such as mandatory mask wearing.
Premier Berejiklian has also urged more Sydneysiders to get tested, as virus fragments have been located in sewerage in Sydney’s south-west.
“For us to ease restrictions we need to have confidence that we haven’t missed any strains of the virus undetected in the community,” she said in a press conference on Wednesday.
Queensland is also dealing with the issue of COVID-19 fragments being found in sewerage, with multiple fragments recorded across the Gold Coast and Cairns.
“While this does not mean we have new cases of COVID-19 in these communities, we are treating these detections seriously,” Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young explained.
“A positive sewage result means that someone who has been infected was shedding the virus. Infected people can shed viral fragments and that shedding can happen for several weeks after the person is no longer infectious,” she added.
Anyone who lives in Merrimac, Cairns North and Cannonvale — the areas where COVID-19 was detected — is being urged to get tested.