Alyssa Fritzlaff
Latrobe City recorded 41 new cases of COVID-19 up to midnight on Monday.
That has lifted the total of active cases in the municipality to 369.
Twenty-two are in the 3840 postcode (Morwell district), 12 are in the 3825 postcode (Moe/Newborough district), four in the 3844 postcode (Traralgon district), two in the 3842 postcode (Churchill district) and one in the 3854 postcode (Glengarry district).
Latrobe City is up to 94 per cent first dose vaccination and 70.1 per cent second dose for those aged 16 years and over.
The current list of Tier 1 exposure sites in Latrobe City is as follows:
PhysiPole, Traralgon (Thursday, October 14, 5.30pm-6.30pm).
Wyncity, Morwell (Friday, October 15, 11am-9pm).
Cafe Alfa, Churchill (Sunday, October 17, 10.30am-11.25am).
Cafe Stellina, Traralgon (Sunday, October 17, 12pm-1pm).
Glengarry Hotel (Friday, October 22, 5.30pm-8.15pm).
Dunbar Road Landscape Supplies, Traralgon (Monday, October 18, 6.45am-3.45pm, Tuesday, October 19, 6.45am-3pm and Wednesday, October 20, 6.45am-3.45pm).
The Department of Health states if you have visited a Tier 1 exposure site to get tested immediately and quarantine for seven days from exposure if you are fully vaccinated or 14 days if you are not fully vaccinated.
Baringa School in Moe has reported a positive COVID-19 case attended the school on Thursday October 21 and Friday 22.
Victoria has reached 91.6 per cent first dose vaccination for those over 16 and 75.4 per cent second dose.
There have been 1510 new cases recorded across Victoria, all locally acquired.
Four people died from COVID-19 in the latest reporting period.
There are 817 people in hospital, 147 in intensive care, and 88 on a ventilator.
Of those in intensive care 96 per cent of people were not fully vaccinated.
Further easing of restrictions on Friday at 6pm will bring “really significant changes,” Premier Daniel Andrews said.
Mr Andrews urged Victorians to get their second dose vaccine as soon as possible.
“If you can bring your second dose appointment forward, please do so.”
“Two doses of this vaccine is the best protection that you can have,” he added.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said today’s numbers show that Victoria is getting through second doses at “phenomenal speed”.
Mr Sutton also told some anecdotes emerging from Victoria’s pop-up vaccination sites.
“These are the stories of everyday Australians,” he said.
There were 55,679 tests processed across the state yesterday.
Pandemic specific laws were introduced in parliament today, with Premier Andrews and Health Minister Martin Foley announcing the introduction of the bill at today’s press conference.
These laws are based on “widespread consultation with experts in many fields,” Mr Andrews said.
The new bill focuses on “accountability and transparency”, and is modelled on New Zealand law, he explained.
Mr Foley went into further detail on what these new laws mean for Victoria.
“There are, of course, a number of stronger checks and balances around the use of those pandemic powers, and that is only appropriate given the lessons that we’ve learnt over the course of the past 24 months” Mr Foley said.
The new bill will also establish an independent pandemic management advisory committee.
“Victorians have done an amazing job,” Mr Andrews said.
