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11.40am
Ten new cases were recorded in regional Victoria: three in Mitchell Shire, three new cases in Bacchus Marsh, one new case in Ballarat, one new case in Greater Geelong, one new case Macedon Ranges and one new case in Bass Coast.
11.30am
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said the public health team was left with no option other than shutting down the construction sector in Melbourne.
Mr Foley said there are 403 COVID cases directly to construction across 186 sites.
151 of the affected construction sites are in Metropolitan Melbourne. Across these sites there are 362 cases, of which 49 workers live in regional areas.
"We've stood here almost every day for several weeks now and talked about this outbreak and its particular focus on the construction sector in all its diversity," he said.
"We've talked about COVID outbreaks on construction sites, one particular site having more than 150 direct cases linked to its operation.
"We've referred to multiple cases seeding from Metropolitan Melbourne into the regions given the highly mobile and young permitted workforce that has been the construction sector for the past 18 month.
"And we've also reflected on poor levels of compliance with health directions and poor level of application of COVID safe principles and practices in multiple workplaces...
"Our public health team have analysed the spread in this industry of COVID virus and how that has played into the public health teams decision to take the significant measure it has overnight."
Minister Tim Pallas said it was a sad day for construction workers who had been doing the right thing.
He said the action of protesters outside the CFMEU headquarters was reprehensible.
CFMEU's John Setka has indicated many present were not actually construction workers. Another protest is occurring today outside Parliament House
Mr Foley said 241 people are in hospital with COVID, 60 in ICU and 39 on a ventilator.
85 per cent of those in hospital were not vaccinated at all and 13 per cent were partially vaccinated. Just three people were fully vaccinated.
73.4 per cent of Victorian have received one dose of vaccine, 44.4 per cent are fully vaccinated.
EARLIER:
Victoria has recorded 603 new cases of COVID-19 and one death.
There are currently 6000 active cases in the state.
In the 24 hours to midnight, 48,829 tests were received and 40,811 vaccinations given.
Yesterday the state recorded 567 and COVID Commander Jeroen Weimar revealed a resident of Moira Shire had tested positive to the virus.
He believes the case was linked to the Ballarat cluster.
NCN Health Cobram confirmed the positive case was located in Cobram.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The following locations are considered Tier Two exposure sites:
Australia Post Office - Cobram
35 Bank St, Cobram
Date:16/9/21 (Thursday)
Time: 1215-1245pm
Woolworths Cobram
54/58 Punt Rd, Cobram
Date: 16/9/21 (Thursday)
Time: 1220-1320pm
Cobram Barooga Sports Club - Golf Pro Shop Only
10 Burkinshaw St, Barooga NSW 3644
Date: 17/9/21 (Friday)
Time: 1120-1150am
"Even if case numbers go down we can expect the number of people in intensive care and the number of people who lose their lives to go up because as we've said consistently because we've had a number of cases in the last few weeks people ordinarily get very sick in the second week of the illness and sometimes stay sick for a long time," she said.
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