Victorian Update July 5 Dan Andrews

2536 Total
74 new cases

16 from outbreaks
1 hotel quarantine
4 routine testing
53 under investigation

26 in hospital
3 in ICU

21000+ tested

928171 tests in total since 1/1

543 active cases
Many thousands of close contacts of positives and awaiting tests who are at home
Police check on them

Thousands and thousands of people involved in testing and tracing but need everyone to take it seriously

Send thanks to lockdown postcodes

The towers

Targettedand dedicated support
No rent for the next two weeks
Those employed and can't work will receive $1500 hardship payment

If not in employment $750 payment

PH workers, nurses and others moving through floors to test each resident
Have provided food, MH, DA support etc throughout the night
Will be single point of contact for residents

Tony Nicholson former CEO of Brotherhood will be co-ordinating and providing support and feedback

Many have preexisting conditions
Cultural and language barriers
Equal to that task and will ensure support meets needs
Closely confined and shared services
Not a pleasant experience for residents
Not punishment but protection
Can't have virus spread

Staying in unit absolutely essential
People will die if we don't do this
Treating it same as an aged care facility
All support provided in cultural and linguistically way
Not all needs are crystal clear right now but will listen and seek to meet needs

Police, social workers and clinical teams have worked all night to make sure there is support

Reinforces need for everyone to follow rules
Including those not in lockdown
If symptoms get tested
Need to know where frontline of this is and where it is spotting

Richard Wynne Minister for Housing
Very challenging for the residents in estates
Very personal for me
Worked on Flemington estate 7 yrs and live 50 m from Nth Melbourne estate
Grew up in this community, part of my world
We shop and live together

To see them in lockdown very challenging
Know we are doing the right thing
At the end of the day about saving lives
So many offers of help from mayors, trade halls etc
Reassure all tenants we will take pathway with them and stand with them

Culturally diverse leadership on ground
Drug and alcohol services
MH services
Medical services
All on the ground now

Questions?

Premier
Single point of contact, community connector between Red Cross and govt for varied requirements
Food, pet food, medications, nappies
Basic went in last night
More advance today as we ramp up kitchens and other support services

Lockdown for a reason, positive cases in towers, need to limit movement and contact even with best PPE
Some door knocking but treat environment as infectious and (make sure) nothing we do contributes to that

Lot of evidence otherwise healthy people being affected and dying

For protection of all

Mixed views about hard lockdown but that was public health advice

Are people looking for those who did not come home?
Firstly working on policing lockdown
If strategy needed for those people will do

Some need supplies/food and haven't seen anyone yet?

Don't pretend this is easy
Will get it there as soon as possible
Can't be done instantly
Does take some time but working as hard as we can

Community groups with food ready to go but saying can't deliver?
Will work with many community groups
But in hard lockdown can't have people move in or out
But be in no doubt, thank people for care and compassion
Does take time to arrange
Finalising arrangements

Will be single point of contact for donations and offerings later this morning

Asked about connectivity?

In deep conversation with Telstra and others to bring wifi and connectivity to the Towers

Once have evidence and data from testing can make best PH response

Anyone who refuses to be tested in an environment like this, only expect it to be a small number if any, can then make assessments about what is appropriate for future

Looking at postcodes generally as green, amber or red from trends

Towers above that because of significant vulnerability

If didn't lock down 12 postcodes then inevitable would have to lock down whole state
Working extremely hard, 1000s 24/7 working to deliver this strategy

National strategy to have small but containable number of cases

Pharmacotherapy including methadone-lot of work to connect people with the services that they need
Support kids, giving them things to keep them busy
Every hour building and adding to list of needs and working to meet them

As of an hour ago being told they are being rolled out

Repeats this is not punishment or matter of law enforcement-it is protection
Many have poor health to start with
Police know and understand obligations and need to prevent spread

Compared to what happened in hotel q?
What happened in hotel q a matter of an inquiry
Confidant that Shane Patton and police taking this very seriously
Masks, gloves etc

Are airline staff being trained for hotel quarantine?
No announcements to make
Corrections have the lead
Can manage complex and challenging environments

Thanks Commander Mick Herman who co-ordinated
60-80 000 in bushfires for taking lead

Police 500 per shift, combo of securing perimeter and on each floor making sure people don't use shared spaces

Will get more detail on other numbers of staff eg nurses

Working with leaders in the towers and on personal level

CCC meeting to confirm arrangements before put in place
Will be mix of crisis council and full cabinet meetings
Minister Wynne will be lead