Victoria records 1313 COVID cases as outdated vaccination data leaves Melburnians stranded

Victoria has recorded 1313 coronavirus cases and four deaths amid revelations that border rules based on outdated vaccine data are preventing Melburnians from visiting South Australia.

South Australia will open up to the rest of the country on November 23 but will still require visitors from local government areas with a double-dose vaccination rate lower than 80 per cent to quarantine upon arrival.

Michael and Kristen Battistella, with their children Mia and Nina.Credit:Simon Schluter

Victoria has already surpassed that milestone and is on track to hit 90 per cent vaccination for residents aged 12 and over later this month.

However, the South Australian border rules reflect Commonwealth figures that consider vaccination data from Melbourne that accounts for tens of thousands of international students and migrants who left due to the pandemic, reducing the city’s vaccination rate to just 69.9 per cent.

Among those hoping to visit relatives in Adelaide are Melbourne couple Michael and Kristen Battistella, who want their children to see their grandmother, Loretta, before she starts a second round of chemotherapy.

“Loretta has a tumour behind her eye that she’s having radiotherapy on. You don’t know how it will affect her eyesight â€" could it be the last time she can physically see the family?” Ms Battistella said.

“It’s all adding another layer of emotional stress that I thought we were over by this stage in the pandemic.”

Meanwhile, the Victorian Opposition is gearing up to fight the Andrews government’s new pandemic laws, which will replace existing state-of-emergency powers and require the premier and health minister of the day to declare a pandemic.

The Opposition will refuse leave to debate the new laws when they come before Parliament next week, delaying debate until at least Wednesday and limiting the time crossbench MPs will have to amend the bill.

Key crossbench MPs are expected to seek amendments. The likely sticking point will be debate on how the sweeping powers might impact on human rights.

Australia will surpass the 90 per cent single-dose vaccination coverage for people aged 16 and over on Thursday, a “milestone day” according to federal Health Minister Greg Hunt.

“About 1pm in a country general practice, in an Indigenous medical clinic or a suburban pharmacy, someone will be the Australian who ticks us over 90 per cent of [people aged] 16-plus who have a vaccination,” Mr Hunt said.

More than 37 million COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered in Australia to date.

More than 85 per cent of Victorians aged 12 and over are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, and just under 93 per cent in that same age bracket have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

The nation’s medical regulator is considering an application from Moderna, which has sought approval to use its vaccine on children aged six to 11 and as booster shots in adults.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration granted the provisional determination on Wednesday, which allowed the company to submit data to change its vaccine approval.

The vaccine is currently approved for use in Australians aged 12 and above.

There were 67,105 coronavirus tests processed on Wednesday, while 13,358 people received a coronavirus jab at a state-run vaccination hub.

There are now 15,675 active coronavirus cases in the state. Of those, 457 remain in hospital with 79 in intensive care and 48 patients on a ventilator.

Approximately 77 per cent of those in hospital and 91 per cent in intensive care aren’t fully vaccinated against the virus.

Health authorities were notified of the death of four coronavirus-positive Victorians on Wednesday. They were all aged 60 and over.

Casey, Wyndham, Brimbank, Hume, Greater Dandenong, Melton, Port Phillip, Whittlesea, Glen Eira, Frankston, Moreland, and Latrobe are among the local government areas with the highest caseload.

More than 79,000 close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases are in isolation across the state.

Large crowds and five new precincts planned for Grand Prix return

The Australian Grand Prix will make its long-awaited return to Albert Park in April, with large crowds and five redesigned precincts that celebrate Victoria’s iconic regions.

Organisers have split the circuit into five different zones to showcase the food, music, and entertainment of the Grampians, Yarra Valley, Phillip Island, Great Ocean Road and Melbourne CBD.

Fully vaccinated racegoers will be able to move freely between the zones, which will be used to promote regional tourism and investment.

The new zones will accommodate crowds of up to 100,000 spectators per day.

It will be Melbourne’s first Formula One event in three years after the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation general manager Arthur Gillon said there was a sense of excitement and anticipation building up for the event.

“We’ve been hard at work re-imagining this year’s Formula One Australia Grand Prix and creating new and exciting fan experiences. [We] cannot wait to bring the world’s most exciting motorsport spectacle back to Victoria,” he said.

Marameo cleared of wrongdoing after COVID scare

A popular Melbourne restaurant says it has been cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation by the Department of Justice into allegations it failed to use QR codes and check the vaccination status of patrons.

Eleven patrons at one of the private dining rooms at Marameo, in the CBD, tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, a week after dining at the eatery.

The restaurant closed for a deep clean on Saturday and Monday, contacted all of its patrons from October 30 and requested staff members get tested immediately.

“All staff who have worked at Marameo during this period have since returned negative test results,” the restaurant wrote on social media.

Marameo said it was cleared by the Department of Health and Human Services and informed the Department of Justice had closed the case.

“We’re hearing a lot of events like this are happening around Melbourne, and we ask you to bear with us and the rest of the hospitality community as we navigate this challenging time,” the post read.

“So do what you can: check in, mask up, sanitise and be kind â€" to hospitality staff, others and yourself. We’ve all been through a lot can can get through the rest of it better together.”

With Michael Fowler, Annika Smethurst, Rachel Eddie and Rachel Clun

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