JULY 21, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
Face masks mandatory By Tate Papworth Brimbank residents will be forced to wear face masks from Wednesday night as COVID-19 case numbers continue to grow. Premier Daniel Andrews made the announcement on Sunday based on advice from the chief health oicer. From 11.59pm on Wednesday, people living in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will be required to wear a face mask when in public. hose who don’t risk a ine of $200. People will be exempted if they have a medical reason, a professional reason, or if it’s not practical, like when running. Children under 12 years of age will also be exempted. Mr Andrews said it was a drastic, but necessary step. “I understand this is a big shit and that not being able to see each other’s faces might be confronting. But this virus is incredibly infectious – and this is about keeping people safe,” he said. “By covering our faces, we’re protecting ourselves, our families and every single Victorian. So please – just as you remember your house keys, please remember something to cover your face.” It comes as active cases in Brimbank soared to 252 at the weekend. Two major outbreaks – 38 cases linked to Ardeer-based aged care provider Estia Health and 35 cases linked to JBS abattoir in Brooklyn – remain cause for concern. Victoria’s Chief Health Oicer Brett Sutton warned that as numbers rose, so would the number of people requiring hospital treatment. “here’s oten 10 to 20 per cent of all coronavirus infections who require hospitalisation, so that’s a couple of hundred individuals at least who will require hospitalisation in the next couple of weeks,” professor Sutton told reporters last week. Western Health’s Footscray and Sunshine hospitals have both been stretched with coronavirus patients and are bracing for more. Western Health acting executive director operations Lebe Malkoun said more than 7500 staf and all clinical and non-clinical staf are supporting the COVID-19 response. “We are caring for a considerable portion
Emma Slattery and her dog Lexi. (Damjan Janevski) 211319_03
of the patients hospitalised in Melbourne with conirmed COVID-19,” he said. “As COVID-19 cases keep rising, Western Health remains at the epicentre of outbreaks and the response to managing these. “hese patients are being cared for in appropriate ward settings and in the Intensive
Care Units at both Footscray and Sunshine hospitals.” He said the hospitals have the capacity to open additional acute and ICU beds if needed. Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos said: “We’ve extended the State of Emergency because we know our coronavirus ight is far
from over. “hat includes the tough decision to introduce further visitation restrictions to healthcare and aged care settings. We know this will be diicult for Victorian families, but ultimately this is about keeping the people we love safe.”
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