Oliver Lees
Victorians are bracing themselves for the sixth COVID-19 lockdown to be extended with 76 cases announced on Tuesday, including one new case in the Macedon Ranges recorded yesterday.
The state Department of Health listed the positive COVID-19 case in the Macedon Ranges on Monday morning, taking the total number of active cases in the shire to two.
There are more than 900 exposure sites across the state, with none listed in Sunbury or the Macedon Ranges as of Tuesday morning.
Speaking on Sunday after Victoria recorded 92 locally acquired cases, the state’s highest daily figure since September last year, Premier Daniel Andrews said there will not be an easing of restrictions as previously planned for Thursday, September 2.
“Obviously with almost 100 cases today, where many of them remain mysteries, many of them were out in the community during their infectious period, it is not going to be possible for us to open up our Victorian community in just a couple of days’ time,” Mr Andrews said.
“If you opened up now, it will get away from us completely and utterly and we will have our hospitals full, and the Delta variant will infect more people faster than we can vaccinate people, and then it is not manageable.”
Of the 76 cases announced on Tuesday morning, 45 were initially linked to existing outbreaks.
It brings the total number of active cases in the state to 841.
For more information on exposure sites: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites
To find out where to get tested: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/where-get-tested-covid-19
