This live blog has now ended. Please check back later for the latest coronavirus updates for Sunraysia. In the meantime, you can find an up-to-date list of exposure sites in Victoria here. A list of exposure sites in NSW can be found here or a map is available here.
Mildura goes into seven day lockdown
5.45pm: Mildura Rural City Council will go into a snap lockdown from midnight on Friday.
The seven-day lockdown starts from 11.59pm Friday.
Lockdown restrictions will be the same as in metropolitan Melbourne with the exception of the curfew.
In the lockdown announcement, the chief health officer also confirmed another three COVID-19 cases had been found in Mildura, which will be included in Saturday's numbers. The new cases take the LGA's total to 19 cases, plus five over the river in Dareton.
Under the lockdown, Mildura residents can only leave home for limited reasons, including:
- Getting necessary goods and services
- Caregiving or compassionate reasons (including medical care and getting a COVID-19 test)
- Authorised work or permitted education
- Exercise and outdoor social interaction in limited groups for up to four hours a day (with one other person, or up to four others from two households if all present are fully vaccinated, plus any dependents)
- Getting a COVID-19 vaccine locally
Residents can also visit their intimate partner or single social bubble buddy.
Shopping, exercise and outdoor social interaction will be limited to within 15km of home and masks are mandatory indoors and outdoors.
Residents of the Mildura Rural City Council area cannot leave the LGA except for limited reasons, including authorised work and education, care and compassionate reasons, visiting an intimate partner or necessary goods or services - but only if they can't be obtained locally.
With cases on the rise, Mildura residents are asked to be on high alert for symptoms and get tested if any develop.
"If you’re in the Mildura Rural City Council area, please follow the lockdown restrictions, get tested if you have symptoms, and get vaccinated if you haven’t already," chief health officer Brett Sutton said.
"We’ve seen regional communities get through an outbreak so we know it can be done – it’s vital we protect the local community and the rest of regional Victoria from significant outbreaks."
A rapid response testing team has been deployed to provide support to the region. Testing is available at:
- Aerodrome Ovals: 1.30pm to 6pm on Thursday, from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 8.30am to 1.30pm on Sunday.
- Barratt & Smith Pathology: 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday and from 8am to noon on Saturday.
In the Mildura local government area, more than 86 per cent of the population have had at least their first vaccination dose and more than 51 per cent have had both.
For more information on the lockdown restrictions that will be in place in the Mildura local government area at 11:59pm tonight, please visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/how-we-live.
Today's COVID wrap: the basics
There were 10 new COVID-19 cases reported in Mildura on Friday, taking the LGA's total to 19 active cases.
No exposure sites had been listed in the Mildura or Wentworth LGAs by Friday evening.
There were a record 1838 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths on Friday.
In the Wentworth Shire, there were five active cases in Dareton. They are all in isolation.
NSW recorded 646 new cases and 11 deaths on Friday.
You can find an up-to-date list of exposure sites in Victoria here. A list of exposure sites in NSW can be found here or a map is available here.
Victoria is phasing out publishing tier 2 exposure sites, but tier 1 sites will still be published. People who have visited exposure sites will be contacted by the Department of Health, so remembering to sign in using QR codes is increasingly important.
Ali Cupper closes office due to abuse
3pm: Member for Mildura Ali Cupper has temporarily closed her office and taken the phone off the hook in response to escalating abuse.
In a Facebook post on Friday afternoon, Ms Cupper said she made the decision to protect herself and her staff.
"I’ve made the decision to switch off the phones, turn off social media comments and lock the front door due to a sharp rise in the volume and intensity of abusive phone calls and physical threats to my office over the past couple of days," the post read.
"This is taking a significant toll on my staff. At this stage, I’m hoping it will only be for today, but I will reassess on Monday.
"We will continue posting important information on Facebook. You just won’t be able to comment on it."
The move to close her office comes after Ms Cupper backed the Victorian Government’s vaccine mandate for essential workers earlier this week.
Her support for the vaccination requirement pitted the independent Ms Cupper against her federal counterpart, Nationals MP Anne Webster, who started a petition against the mandate – a petition Ms Cupper slammed as “irresponsible”.
Mask rule brought in for primary students
12.25pm: Students in Grade 3 and above will now have to wear masks in the classroom.
Masks are also recommended - but not compulsory - for children in Prep to Grade 2.
Mask rules also eased for adults, with directions now allowing masks to be removed to drink alcohol.
Mallee local government areas added back to bubble
12.20pm: The Buloke, Loddon and Yarriambiack shires have been added back into the Victoria-NSW border bubble, Victorian authorities have announced.
Greater Bendigo and Benalla have also been reinstated, as have Hay, Edward River, Lockhart, Murrumbidgee and Wagga Wagga in NSW.
Seven new COVID-19 cases in Mildura
12.07pm: Seven new cases were reported in Mildura today, chief health officer Brett Sutton has announced.
The new cases took the Mildura LGA's active case count to 16.
Victoria's press conference is on now
11.50am: The Victorian Government press conference started at 11.50am on Friday.
During the press conference, authorities were expected to announce more COVID-19 cases in Mildura.
The line-up included Treasurer Tim Pallas and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
South Australian border bubble blows up to 70km
11.50am: SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens announced the 70km border bubble with Victoria would be reinstated, with the exception of Portland.
COVID patient flown to Melbourne
Speaking to the ABC this morning, Mr Welch said the "very unwell younger person" was flown out to a metropolitan hospital on Thursday night after being put on a ventilator.
One of the hospital's wards has been converted to cater for patients suspected to have COVID-19.
Several staff have returned to work after being flagged as potential contacts of a COVID-19 case at the hospital, but another 33 will stay in isolation for two weeks.
The hospital was bracing for case numbers to rise and visitors are restricted except for limited reasons.
Five cases in Dareton
11am: Far West Local Health District (FWLHD) on Friday confirmed five cases of COVID-19 in Dareton.
Four of those were announced on Thursday, but included in Friday's numbers, and another was added overnight.
The Dareton cases were the only ones reported in far west NSW. No new cases were reported in Broken Hill or Wilcannia. There are 49 active COVID-19 cases in the FWLHD.
Dareton residents are urged to limit their movements in the community, and according to a FWLHD spokesperson, "widespread COVID-19 testing is critical".
Anyone with even mild cold-like symptoms is asked to come forward immediately for testing.
COVID fragments in Swan Hill wastewater
11am: WASTEWATER testing detected fragments of COVID-19 in Swan Hill overnight, but no exposure sites have been listed.
Swan Hill District Health chief executive Peter Abraham said Swan Hill District Health (SHDH) received notification on Friday morning about the result from samples collected on Tuesday.
"The wastewater detection is a really strong indicator that there is currently, or has been, COVID-19 in the community," Mr Abraham said.
Mr Abraham said numbers of cases from Mildura to New South Wales were growing and with border restrictions easing it was likely COVID-19 could emerge in the Swan Hill region.
"If anyone has symptoms, they should get tested," he said
"This doesn't mean people should be concerned – only get tested if you have symptoms.
"SHDH will continue to operate the Swan Hill drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic on McCallum Street daily from 9am to 1pm, but we are always ready to extend the hours if needed."
Mr Abraham said the second thing residents could do was to get the COVID-19 vaccination.
- Lillian Altman
Four schools closed after community members test positive
10.30am: Three Sunraysia primary schools and a high school are closed today after members of the school communities returned positive tests for COVID-19.
Buronga Public School and Dareton Public School both announced on social media this morning that they would be closed until further notice, while Sunraysia Daily has confirmed Ranfurly Primary School had also closed due to a COVID-19 case.
It came after Coomealla High School was closed on Thursday after two students tested positive for the virus.
- Lucy Bain
Wentworth Mayor: 'Get tested'
9.45am: Wentworth Shire Mayor Susan Nichols has urged residents to get tested and do their part to put the brakes on the the region's COVID situation.
"Please everyone get tested if you are feeling unwell, and follow the health advice," Cr Nichols said.
"This is very important. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this outbreak and I am sure as a community we will be able to get through it if we all do the right thing."
There are currently five active cases in Dareton.
COVID-19 testing locations in Sunraysia
Victoria:
- Aerodrome Ovals: 1.30pm to 6pm on Thursday, from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 8.30am to 1.30pm on Sunday.
- Barratt & Smith Pathology: 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday and from 8am to noon on Saturday.
- Water tower, Tenth Street: from 9am today only (Indigenous people only)
Testing is for people who are symptomatic, have been contacted by the Victorian Government to be tested, or have been to an exposure site once they are released.
NSW:
- George Gordon Oval, Dareton: 10am-2.30pm daily
- Alcheringa Oval, Gol Gol: 10am-2.30pm daily
- Wentworth Show Grounds: 9am-3pm Monday-Friday and 10am-2pm Saturday and Sunday
What happened yesterday?
For Thursday's live blog, head here:
