Melbourne set to bring back dreaded lockdown measures as city battles to contain Covid-19 outbreak linked to infected Sydney removalists who took highly-contagious Delta variant across the border
- Melbourne could reduce numbers of visitors to homes and patrons at venues
- It's understood state government is discussing if restrictions should be imposed
- The Victorian city recorded eight new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday
- Four linked to apartments in Maribyrnong after removalists worked at complex
- MCG has been listed as an exposure site after a positive case attended game
Tough Covid restrictions are expected to be imposed on Melbourne in the coming days after the city recorded eight new cases.
Victoria is desperately hoping to avoid yet another outbreak that could prompt a fifth lockdown after Sydney's Delta plague spilled over the border.
Three removalists from Sydney picked up furniture from a flat in Melbourne and dropped it of in Adelaide last week, while two were infected with coronavirus.
Covid requirements such as mask wearing and social distancing were reportedly not followed, and seven people in the apartment building have since tested positive.
The worrying development has put several venues in the city on a Covid exposure alert, including two packed shopping centres.
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Melbourne is as a result staring down the barrel of another wave of restrictions just as it relaxed measures form its last outbreak, and potentially a fifth lockdown.
Visitors to homes and the number of patrons allowed inside venues could be reduced as the city grapples with the new outbreak.
The changes could come into effect as early as Thursday, industry figures told the Herald Sun.
Venues will likely only allow seated dining and dance floors will again be banned.
Victorian Government is understood to be weighing up which restrictions need to be enforced to prevent the spread of the virus and prevent a full-blown outbeak.
Four of the new cases recorded on Wednesday are residents on the third floor of the Ariele Apartments in Maribyrnong, which has been in lockdown since Monday night after the infected removalists from Sydney visited the building.
Among those cases is a man in his 60s, who subsequently infected his parents, aged 89 and 90.
The man also attended an AFL match between Carlton and Geelong on Saturday and Highpoint Shopping Centre on Friday.
DFU Uni Hill shopping centre in Bundoora has also been exposed after an infected case shopped at Nike, Adidas, Asics, Puma, Cotton On and Connor.
Three other new cases are from another apartment in the building. The two infected apartments are on the same floor.
Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar urged anyone who visited an exposure site or has symptoms to get tested.
'The next two days are particularly critical. We are right on the heels of this particular outbreak,' he told reporters on Wednesday.
Some 200 residents of the Ariele Apartments were forced into 14 days of quarantine after a group of Sydney removalists did a pick up at the complex on Thursday while infectious.
The trio also did a drop off at a Craigieburn home the same day and visited several petrol stations and fast-food outlets, which are listed as tier-one exposure sites.
Mr Weimar confirmed the three removalists, two of whom tested positive, weren't wearing masks, in a breach of their workers permit conditions.
'There was a permit in place and the permit has very clear obligations within it,' he said.
'You're in virtual isolation when you're in Victoria, you need to wear a mask.
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'You need to be socially distanced, you need to stay in your cabin all the time and you're not doing five hours of removalist work in an apartment building — so we're concerned about that.'
Dr Weimar also said it has been a 'frustrating and challenging' process interviewing the removalists as they attempt to identify further exposure sites and close contacts.
'Well they're not being deliberately forthcoming, let me put it that way,' he said.
The trio are believed to have slept in their trucks on Thursday night before travelling to South Australia the next morning.
It's also understood the removalists showered and had a meal at the Mobil service station in Ballan, about 80km north of Melbourne on Thursday between 5pm to 7pm.
The last remaining case is a man in his 30s who attended Coles Craigieburn at the same time as a member of a family who recently returned from Sydney infected with Covid-19.
Three members of the family from the City of Hume flew into Melbourne on July 4, while a fourth drove back on Thursday.
The family had red zone permits to return to Victoria, meaning they have been required to self-isolate at home since their arrival.
One family member, however, visited Coles Craigieburn and a Metro petrol station in Broadmeadows - the latter a tier-one exposure site.
After initially testing negative when they first returned, all four have since tested positive for the virus.
There are also now 2,000 AFL fans who have been potentially exposed to the virus with supporters in the members section of the MCG at the Carlton vs Geelong game on Saturday being identified as close contacts.
These footy fans are now in isolation.
Level 2 of the MCC Members' Reserve has been listed as a Tier 2 exposure site, meaning people must seek a test and isolate until they receive a result.
Anyone on Level 3 must monitor symptoms after it was listed as a low-risk Tier 3 exposure site.
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