Hundreds more Covid cases have emerged overnight after authorities issued a stern warning to the construction industry, with one-third of Saturday’s 450 cases linked to the sector.
Victoria has recorded 392 new Covid cases, with 107 of those linked to existing outbreaks.
More than 36,000 vaccines were administered on Saturday, and 48,063 tests were carried out.
As of Sunday morning, 65 per cent of Victorians have had at least their first dose of vaccine.
Victoria’s construction industry has been put on notice after recording hundreds of Covid cases in recent days.
Of the 450 new infections announced on Saturday, one-third was linked to construction workers including several who have seeded new Delta cases in regional areas.
Three of five new cases in the greater Geelong area are linked to construction work.
There were also single cases in Cohuna, Daylesford and Beveridge at the same time regional areas were emerging from lockdown.
Because seven of the eight new regional cases are believed to have been infected while visiting Melbourne, health authorities have so far allowed the easing or restrictions to continue.
But they have turned up the heat on the building industry, with Health Minister Martin Foley warning authorised officers WorkSafe inspectors and industry leaders would be stepping up Covid plan compliance checks following a spike in cases.
“All workers big and small in the construction industry need to make sure that they follow the rules,” Mr Foley said.
“The time for continuing to hand out warnings in the sector is over.”
The Panorama construction project at Box Hill has already seeded 116 cases, but is expected to rise further as many of the cluster’s 300 close contacts undergo day 13 tests.
Master Builders Victoria chief executive Rebecca Casson said it was expected there would be some Covid among essential construction workers, however the industry had a demonstrated track record of managing positive cases on sites.
Ms Casson reiterated to the public there were some legal exemptions for not wearing a face mask on a building site, including for health reasons.
“However, if there are blatant breaches, these must be reported to the relevant authorities,” she said.
Victoria on Friday set another daily record for vaccinations, with 87,000 Covid jabs administered across all Victorian providers on Friday, boosting the state’s first jab coverage to 62.5 per cent.
But pressure is building on the state’s health system after a further 17 Covid cases were hospitalised on Friday. There are now 143 Covid-positive patients in hospital, including 34 in intensive care and 26 on ventilators.
Nine out of 10 of those in hospital are completely unvaccinated, while none have had both doses.
The Delta surge continues to stem largely from Melbourne’s north and west, with more than 350 of the cases announced on Saturday in those areas.
They included 166 cases in Hume, 87 in Moreland and 41 in Whittlesea.
BALLARAT ON ALERT AFTER COVID DETECTED IN WASTEWATER
Ballarat residents are on high alert after unexpected and repeated Covid-19 fragments were detected in wastewater over the past fortnight.
The Health Department said detections were centred in Ballarat’s southern suburbs.
Anyone who lives, works or has visited the following suburbs is urged to watch for the mildest of Covid symptoms and to get tested if they develop:
Alfredton, Bakery Hill, Ballarat Central, Ballarat East, Ballarat North, Black Hill, Bonshaw, Brown Hill, Buninyong, Canadian, Cardigan, Delacombe, Eureka, Golden Point, Invermay Park, Lake Gardens, Lake Wendouree, Lucas, Mount Clear, Mount Helen, Mount Pleasant, Nerrina, Newington, Redan, Sebastopol, Smythes Creek, Soldiers Hill, Warrenheip and Wendouree.
HOSPITAL STAFF IN ISOLATION
Staff and patients at a hospital in Melbourne’s southeast have been forced into isolation after a Covid positive case attended.
Anyone who attended the main waiting room at Dandenong Hospital’s Emergency Department on September 8 between 9.35pm to 9.45pm or the clinic waiting room between 9.45pm to 10.59pm must get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
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