Masks to remain mandatory outdoors in Melbourne after four new Covid cases detected

Melbourne’s lockdown will come to an end on Friday as planned but masks will remain mandatory outdoors, as the state recorded another four new locally acquired cases of coronavirus.

Queensland also recorded another case of Covid after the husband of a woman who travelled from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast and tested positive on Wednesday was also confirmed to have the virus. Queensland authorities said though the risk of an outbreak is low.

The new Melbourne cases are all from one family in the northern suburbs.

“I can confirm that the easing of restrictions that we announced yesterday will proceed as planned from 11.59pm tonight with one small exception for Melbourne. Masks will continue to be required to be worn outdoors in all circumstances,” said acting premier James Merlino.

Deputy chief health officer Prof Allen Cheng said the family had not yet been linked to any outbreak.

“As yet, we don’t know where they’ve acquired the infection from. They’re not identified as close contacts,” he said.

“We’re already tested several close contacts of these cases outside of the household and they’ve all come back negative but obviously will remain in quarantine.”

Victorian testing commander Jeroen Weimar listed a series of new exposure sites, mostly around the Melbourne suburb of Reservoir, and urged locals there to come forward for testing.

“Please can I urge if you’ve been to any of those locations in those times indicated that you go and get tested today. It’s so important now with a new cluster that we establish as much information as we can about what may have been happening there.”

The exposure sites include the Marco fine food and groceries in Reservoir, the BP service station in Thomastown, the Coles at Bundoora Square, and the Bunnings in Thomastown.

Merlino said he was confident the new cases would not lead to another outbreak, and in turn, more restrictions.

He also said that although masks were uncomfortable, they were the “easy thing to do”.

“I have said a number of times that we don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing the public health advice we like or don’t like, and not go ahead with elements of it,” he said.

“The clear advice from the public health team, from Prof Chan, Prof Sutton, is we need to continue with wearing masks outdoors. It is inconvenient but an easy thing to do.”

The man in Queensland who has tested positive travelled with his wife from Melbourne during lockdown, and headed for the Sunshine Coast via New South Wales. He had returned a negative test the day before.

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said that the two different test results are common towards the end of their illness period, which she said was good news.

“I’ve now had confirmation from serology testing results that both of these individuals are towards the end of their illness, which is very good news for Queensland, in that, that means the risk of transmission to anyone else is less.”

Young said it meant there wasn’t a need to introduce a lockdown or any restrictive measures, but warned Queenslanders not to be complacent.

“Because I believe this risk is actually a little bit lower, I haven’t asked all of our vulnerable facilities to go into lockdown at this stage.”

Young also said authorities are unsure as to how the couple acquired the virus, but said it may be difficult to ascertain considering they are at the end of their infectious period.

Police are assessing whether or not the couple had a travel exemption.

“Let’s wait and find out what the facts are and the police will make a decision as to whether there should be any consequences or any fines or anything else,” Young said.

At the Victorian press conference, Merlino flagged that the couple may have been moving houses, which wouldn’t be in contravention of the Victorian lockdown.

It comes as the Doomben Racecourse in Brisbane is converted into a new mass vaccination hub, opening to the public on Thursday.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk celebrated the opening on Twitter, saying the new location was “well known” and “easily accessible”.