New South Wales has warned businesses not to include unvaccinated people when Victoria overhauls Covid’s contact tracing.health

Officials reported on Wednesday that eight men and seven women, including two in their 40s and two in their 50s, had died from Covid in New South Wales. Only one was fully vaccinated. Nine were unvaccinated and five were vaccinated once.

Prime Minister Gladys Berejikrian said the state is rapidly approaching the 70% double vaccination target, with 62% of the eligible population fully vaccinated and more than 86% receiving at least one vaccination. Stated. Health officials are confident that they will reach the 90% initial dose target next week, and the state is expected to: Start relaxing restrictions For residents who have been vaccinated within 2 weeks.

Berejiklian also announced on Wednesday that elderly caregivers will be able to welcome two fully vaccinated visitors a day from October 11th.

However, there is now head-on attention on how the government enforces ongoing restrictions on the rest of the population. NS Peak Group of State Cafes and Restaurants Many companies have told Guardian Australia that they are “confused and embarrassed” about how the rules to keep unvaccinated people out of venues and companies will be enforced.

Health minister Brad Hazard said Tuesday that companies are unlikely to be fined for allowing unvaccinated patrons.

However, Wednesday’s Beregi Klean showed that large corporations could be fined.

“Companies have fines ranging from $ 5,000 to $ 11,000 and closures for a period of time if the company significantly ignores Covid’s safety plan. It does not display a QR code or does not implement the basics. May mean, “she said.

“For large venues with hundreds of people, I expect to check when staff come in. For very small facilities, that expectation is low and I would like to emphasize, but we It’s been almost the last two years I’ve worked together, and I’m sure it will continue to happen. “

Beregikrian also said he wanted to discuss reopening the Victoria-New South Wales border with Prime Minister Daniel Andrews, but left him to manage the state’s “delicate situation.” I said I want to.

Late Wednesday, New South Wales health After the discovery of a new Covid case in the community, Oberon LGA has announced that it will re-enter the blockade for at least seven days starting at 6 pm.

Contact tracing changes

In Victoria, the state has the highest number of new cases each day, with 950 reported and 7 dead on Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, the Victoria State Government announced a seven-day blockade in the Latrobe Council area of ​​Gippsland after four more cases of Covid-19 were detected. The four cases were one of 30 cases reported in Victoria on Wednesday.

Victoria’s health minister, Martin Foley, said the situation was “rapidly deteriorating” and had to be shut down. An additional testing site has been set up and the testing and vaccination clinic will operate for a long time in the area.

According to Foley, 5,000 additional Moderna vaccines will also be delivered to state-owned clinics and pharmacies in the region to boost vaccinated people.

Due to the increasing number of cases, Victoria will need to overhaul the contact tracing system and fill out a quick questionnaire to triage positive cases based on their risk of infection.

Kate Matson, deputy secretary of the Victorian Department of Health, said that although national benchmarks for contact tracing were met, 97% of cases were contacted within 24 hours, including at work and where they visit most often. He said the need to focus on cases that pose the greatest public health risk. In a positive case.

According to Matson, the following telephone interviews will be prioritized based on those answers, but everyone will still receive the call.

Close contacts will continue to be managed as usual, but the first interview will focus on the direct household rather than interviewing all major close contacts.

“”The risks are different and the purpose of the system is to help protect Victoria, preventing illness and death. If the number of cases increases further, it is within our consensus and effort to contain it, but we adapt our approach many times and improve it based on risk. ” She said.

The Victoria State Government is still waiting for confirmation of Pfizer vaccine supply in the last week of October before state-owned clinics announce that the dose gap can be reduced from six to three weeks.

Foley said the decision could be made by the end of this week. This will help Victoria speed up when the dual dose of 70% and 80% of the goal for 16+ is reached. Melbourne You can end the blockade.

Victoria will meet its 80% single dose target on Wednesday.

Foley said the state will face “unprecedented challenges” later next month and cases and hospitalizations are expected to peak in October.

Currently, there are 371 people in the hospital, 81 in the intensive care unit, and 55 in the ventilator.

He said there was room for mobility and the hospital would release the ability to treat not only Covid patients in the intensive care unit, but other patients such as heart attack patients, road trauma patients and cancer patients.

“This is all of normal ICU abilities and bends up and down with normal abilities. Management issues need to be extended to a whole new level of Covid inpatients, as well as the care of Covid patients within the community. I need it. “He said.

At ACT, there were 22 new locally acquired cases and at least 7 infectious diseases in the community.

of Queensland, Covid reported one new case-close contact with aviation workers previously identified as positive cases.

of Western Australia Two men have been charged with illegally entering the state to attend the AFL Grand Final. The man claimed to have spent the last 14 days in the Northern Territory, but was found to have been in Melbourne 11 days ago.

After they were detained, both men were tested and one of them did not return definitive results. Other tests were negative.

They were charged with three charges of not complying with the directive and denied bail. They were scheduled to appear in the Perth Magistrates’ Court later Wednesday.