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The truth about ‘illegal’ car snacks revealed

<p>Be it a long haul trip between towns, a coastal getaway, or an early morning Saturday sports run to the local oval, drivers all across Australia have found themselves steering to the drive-through or reaching in the Esky for a much-needed snack. </p> <p>And while rumours have swirled for years that such an act could put hungry drivers behind bars, they don’t have to fear any longer. Road rules may differ from state to state, but at the end of the drive, the answer remains the same: it isn’t illegal to eat while driving in Australia. </p> <p>There are, of course, various conditions that come along with the ruling, and most circle back to whether or not a driver is in complete control over their vehicle at the time of snacking. </p> <p>For example, in New South Wales, if you are found to have lost control of your vehicle due to eating, police officers have the power to impose a fine of $481 and three demerit points. </p> <p>In Victoria, there is no specific rule that prevents drivers from digging in on their drive. However, they can still receive a careless driving charge if eating is found to have a negative impact on either their concentration or their control over their vehicle. This charge comes with a penalty of $444 and - like New South Wales - three demerit points, as well as a maximum of 12 court penalty units if the driver is found guilty by a magistrate. </p> <p>The state of Queensland follows suit - it isn’t illegal there either, though “distracted driving” remains a real threat, with research even determining that eating can be just as dangerous as texting while behind the wheel. And drivers found to be travelling without control over their vehicles can face a fine of up to $575. While this is larger than either New South Wales or Victoria’s financial penalty, the demerit point cost remains the same at three. </p> <p>As a spokesperson for Queensland Transport and Main Roads told <em>Drive</em>, “a driver must always have proper control of their vehicle and drive with care and attention for the safety of other road users.</p> <p>"While there are no specific laws prohibiting a driver from eating while driving, it is up to the driver to ensure they remain in proper control of their vehicle and sufficiently alert to the road environment."</p> <p>And for drivers in the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania, Western Australia, and South Australia, <em>Drive</em> have reported that the message essentially remains the same. While there are no rules that specifically prohibit behind-the-wheel snacking, a driver can - and will - face penalties if they are found to be demonstrating poor control of their vehicle.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Australia’s top towns revealed

<p dir="ltr">A study has compared 752 small Australian towns and crowned the 36 at the top of the pack. </p> <p dir="ltr">The study was <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/australias-best-towns-kiama-margaret-river-shoalhaven-among-the-top-places-to-live/news-story/695405e2e1787d67e64a93495a6cb8e6">published by <em>The Australian</em></a>, and saw demographer Bernard Salt consider criteria such as unemployment, diversity, median income, technical skill, and education across the 752 towns in his mission to declare the best of the best in each Australian state and territory. </p> <p dir="ltr">More specifically, Salt looked at towns that: </p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Earn more than $1,282 per a week household median income</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Less than 5.1 per cent unemployment</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">More than 15 per cent attained university education</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">More than 36 per cent with technical (trade) skill</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">More than 12 per cent workforce owner/manager</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">No less than 14 per cent born overseas</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">At least 17 per cent volunteer</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">At least 14 per cent provide unpaid care e.g., for example to a relative</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">More than 59 per cent have no long-term health condition</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">More than 6.5 hours per a week in unpaid domestic housework</p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr">Salt’s findings revealed a town in each state and territory that was “drawn from a list of 36 finalists that survive most of the filters”, and ultimately declared to be a step above the rest. </p> <p dir="ltr">For Queensland, Tamborine Mountain came out on top. </p> <p dir="ltr">For the Northern Territory, it was Nhulunbuy. </p> <p dir="ltr">For South Australia, Mount Barker. </p> <p dir="ltr">Western Australia, Dunsborough. </p> <p dir="ltr">Victoria, Bright. </p> <p dir="ltr">Tasmania, Legana. </p> <p dir="ltr">And last but not least, Kiama took the trophy for New South Wales, as well as bragging rights as “the standout overall.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“In the modern era, say the 2020s and beyond, I think that small-town Australia, as well as big-city Australia, needs skills, training, entrepreneurial energy and a measure of diversity to deliver opportunity to residents,” said the founder of The Demographics Group.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What this exercise shows is that across the continent Australians want more or less the same thing when it comes to living in a small town,” Salt went on, “proximity to a capital or major regional city; a tree-change or a sea-change environment; or, better still, all three criteria jammed within a single location offering views and amenity.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Australian people have spoken through their collective responses to the census,” he concluded. “Sea-change, tree-change, big-city access and a place of their own within which they can potter about and steadily make improvements, while also volunteering, caring, and making a contribution to the local community. That is the essence of small-town Australia.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And of course if you disagree with the metrics and the logic of how the top towns were selected, then you are free to <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/top-towns">jump on to the website</a>, access the model, switch around the metrics and come up with your own version of Australia’s top towns. Hours of fun for the demographically inclined.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty </em></p>

Domestic Travel

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BREAKING: Bodies found in search for missing Vic campers

<p dir="ltr">Police searching for the remains of missing Victorian campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay have found human remains in bushland near Dargo, in Victoria’s High Country.</p> <p dir="ltr">They are yet to be formally identified.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/man-arrested-over-missing-campers" target="_blank">Last week</a>, police had arrested a 55-year-old Caroline Springs man and were interviewing him in relation to the pair’s disappearance, although no formal charges had been laid. The man, revealed to be Jetstar pilot<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/suspect-named-in-missing-campers-arrest" target="_blank">Greg Lynn</a>, was stood down following his arrest.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair, who it has been revealed were having an<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/it-was-a-shock-affair-between-missing-campers-confirmed" target="_blank">affair</a>, were last seen at a remote Wonnangatta campsite on March 20<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/police-make-major-breakthrough-in-search-for-missing-victorian-campers" target="_blank">last year</a>. Their campsite at Dry River Creek Track was discovered burnt out, and Hill’s abandoned Toyota Landcruiser was located nearby.<br />Ms Clay’s sister Jill revealed the relationship to<span> </span><em>60 Minutes,<span> </span></em>saying, “They had to keep it secret, and in some ways, I feel that that’s why they went to such a remote place.” Neither Mr Hill’s wife nor his daughters were aware of the relationship between him and Ms Clay, with his daughters telling the program, “It was a shock when the police mentioned something about, do we know a Carol? But that was the first we knew about it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We didn’t know anything about him and Carol being together.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Authorities revealed that charred camping chairs, a burnt-out battery, and a bucket used for Hill’s gas canister were located inside the pair’s tent, which had also been burnt. They believe it’s unlikely that these items would have been put there by the missing pair. “It certainly builds that picture for us that potentially someone was trying to cover their tracks,” Victoria Police Detective Inspector Andrew Stampers told<span> </span><em>60 Minutes.</em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Victoria Police</em></p>

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"We're COVID-safe": The VIC pub defying police orders and staying open

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post-body-container"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>The Pastoral Hotel in Echuca is defying lockdown orders and police action by keeping its doors open to customers.</p> <p>"We've opened up as of Monday," publican Trevor Andrews said.</p> <p>"We've had people in the bar all yesterday, had some people in the bistro."</p> <p>Customers have been warned to come in at their own risk, despite police coming in and handing Andrews an official notice.</p> <p>"Police came in yesterday and gave me a notice saying these people aren't meant to be here," Mr Andrews said.</p> <p>"I believe they're going to get a fine."</p> <p>Pub goers believe it's not fair they're going to be fined.</p> <p>"I think it's like $1600, but no one here can afford that," customer Scott said.</p> <p>"We could be breaking actual laws like home-invading ... this is a human right," another pubgoer said.</p> <p>Andrews is committed to keeping his pub open as there are bills he needs to pay and he's been financially crippled by the lockdowns.</p> <p>"We're COVID-safe, and we've been that way since day one ... we should be allowed to open."</p> <p>"Our bills here ... you're looking at a $3000 a month power bill, a $1000 a month gas bill, let alone the insurance, wages and everything else," Mr Andrews said.</p> <p>"The ultimate thing is they can probably end up taking my licence away," Mr Andrews said.</p> <p>"And then I've got no pub - the beer but no pub - but there's ways around those things too."</p> <p>Victoria Police told<span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victorian-pub-remains-open-despite-beiing-prohibited-amid-lockdown/c7c8dedb-3c9c-4122-9c6a-0987e99eb85a"><em>Nine News</em></a><span> </span>that they won't be commenting on the incident.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Travel Trouble

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Anti-lockdown protestors flood Melbourne after VIC Premier announcement

<p>"Chaos" unfolded in Melbourne as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that there would be a fifth five-day snap lockdown to stop the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19.</p> <p>“We’ve got to do this, otherwise it will get away with us and we, as more than any other part of our nation know, we don’t want this getting away from us and being locked down for months,” Mr Andrews said.</p> <p>“We want to deal with this with a short, sharp, lockdown, decisive action, not waiting, not dawdling, now is our time.”</p> <p>Victoria currently has 18 cases, with at least 6,500 residents being forced into isolation as close contacts.</p> <p>Protestors filled the Melbourne CBD at 7pm, just hours before the midnight lockdown would be enforced, with signs saying "lockdown kills" and many protestors not wearing a face mask.</p> <p>7 News reporter Estelle Griepink tweeted about the protests, saying that they were chanting "Sack Dan Andrews".</p> <p>“We’ve spoken to plenty of people today who say they are frustrated but understand these measures are necessary,” Griepink said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Protestors gathered on the steps of Flinders St chanting sack Dan Andrews. Some commuters walking past shaking their heads <a href="https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@7NewsMelbourne</a> <a href="https://t.co/Maj415bS2A">pic.twitter.com/Maj415bS2A</a></p> — Estelle Griepink (@EstelleGriepink) <a href="https://twitter.com/EstelleGriepink/status/1415603090611314690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>Protestors were just "regular everyday people who have had enough".</p> <p>“I’ve got friends who are really frustrated and on the verge of their businesses going a really bad way.</p> <p>“As it stands at the moment so many people have lost their businesses, their homes, their families ripped apart.</p> <p>“We pay the price.”</p> <p>Victorian Police told<span> </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/antilockdown-protesters-storm-melbourne-hours-after-daniel-andrews-announcement/news-story/b8ddd8f95df6640bd0936add28f6d8f1"><em>news.com.au</em></a><span> </span>that there were no arrests or any fines issued due to the protests.</p> <p>Andrews stands by his decision for the snap lockdown, saying the state must "go hard" to prevent the spread.</p> <p>“You only get one chance to go hard and go fast. If you wait, if you hesitate, if you doubt, then you will always be looking back wishing you had done more earlier,” he said.</p> <p>“I am not prepared to avoid a five-day lockdown now only to find ourselves in a five-week or a five-month lockdown.</p> <p>“That is why we are making this very difficult decision and why I know Victorians will, despite the pain and difficulty of this, know and understand there is no option.”</p>

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Melbourne epidemiologist calls for fifth VIC lockdown

<p>Melbourne epidemiologist Professor James Trauer said that it's "very likely" that the city should go into its fifth lockdown due to a spike of COVID-19 cases originating from NSW.</p> <p>There have been 11 new cases of the highly contagious Delta variant and Trauer has recommended lockdown as he spoke to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/on-the-show/epidemiologist-calls-for-melbourne-to-be-plunged-into-fifth-coronavirus-lockcdown-c-3406165" target="_blank"><em>Sunrise</em></a>.</p> <p>“We’ve seen increasing cases over the last few days, more exposure sites every day and I think we know that if we go early with lockdowns, the earlier we go, the shorter they need to be,” the head of Epidemiological Modelling at Monash University explained.</p> <p>“We need to get on top of this and we still don’t really understand the scale of the number of cases that are being created at the moment, so I would really support an early lockdown.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">"We need to get on top of this"<br /><br />Epidemiologist <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesTrauer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JamesTrauer</a> says Melbourne should be plunged into a fifth coronavirus lockdown to stop the highly-infectious Delta variant from spreading. <a href="https://t.co/YJV1Gpimd3">pic.twitter.com/YJV1Gpimd3</a></p> — Sunrise (@sunriseon7) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunriseon7/status/1415427218256273408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>The Victorian government in a response to the outbreak has mandated that masks be worn indoors across the state.</p> <p>From Thursday, anyone over the age of 12 will be required to wear a mask in all indoor settings, including schools and workplaces, unless there is an exception.</p> <p>“I was very glad to see that masks are being mandated indoors,” Professor Trauer said.</p> <p>“That’s a very sensible thing to do first-up and then lockdown measures are logical to follow after that,” he added.</p>

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"Name and shame": Karl unloads on Vic couple who broke lockdown

<p>A woman infected with COVID-19 and fled locked-down Melbourne with her husband and went on a 1,900km road trip may have crossed the NSW-Queensland border at a remote town to avoid detection.</p> <p>Health authorities in Victoria, NSW and Queensland are rushing to track down hundreds of people who may have been exposed to the virus during their interstate trip.</p> <p>The 44-year-old woman tested positive on Wednesday but may have been infectious from the day she left Melbourne on June 1, which was already in lockdown.</p> <p>Police believe the couple crossed the NSW-Queensland border at the remote rural town of Goondiwindi on June 5 in the hopes to evade authorities.</p> <p>The couple most likely drove the scenic route so they could avoid passing through the Gold Coast - where police perform 100 random checks a day.</p> <p>Karl Stefanovic led a wave of public outrage, saying the couple should be named and shamed and have "the book thrown at them".</p> <p>"I think there is understandable anger across regional Victoria, into regional NSW and then into some of those regional parts of Queensland as well particularly, because they have done such a great job protecting themselves against COVID," the Today show co-host fumed on Thursday morning.</p> <p>"A lot of people are furious. They have to throw the book at these people. They have to. I'm not averse to naming and shaming. We have to get this message through."</p> <p>Co-host Allison Langdon agreed the couple should be punished but did not say they should be named and shamed.</p> <p>"My initial reaction is I want to know who they are, they've done the wrong thing but if you do that, you don't have people coming forward and don't have people getting tested," she argued.</p> <p>Stefanovic continued his furious rant.</p> <p>"They are going to get named if they're charged," he replied.</p> <p>"How do you not get it? How do you not get that message through and maybe embarrassment is a way of doing it."</p> <p>Stefanovic felt for residents in the regional towns the couple had driven through.</p> <p>"You'd be filthy if you lived in the country and these people had driven your town, wouldn't you," he said shortly afterwards.</p> <p>"How does the message not get through? It puts enormous stress on people who are now waiting for tests and enormous stress on businesses.</p> <p>"Let's just hope [the couple has] got a good excuse."</p> <p>Stefanovic had weighed into the debate following an interview with Queensland-based Royal Australian College of General Practitioners vice president Dr Bruce Willett.</p>

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SA mum jailed after fleeing police at the VIC border

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post-body-container"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>A South Australian mum-of-two will spend at least two weeks behind bars after speeding past police at a checkpoint.</p> <p>Celeste Lockwood was arrested on Wednesday after entering South Australia from Victoria and allegedly breaching COVID rules.</p> <p>Before she crossed the border, she made a video taunting authorities.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">This is Celeste Lockwood. <br /><br />She doesn’t like masks. Or border checkpoints. <br /><br />Police had to use road spikes to stop her at Yamba after she crossed into SA from Victoria. <br /><br />She’s just fronted court. No bail. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7NEWS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7NEWS</a> <a href="https://t.co/nqacG9KNap">pic.twitter.com/nqacG9KNap</a></p> — Elspeth Hussey (@ElspethHussey7) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElspethHussey7/status/1400280574577700868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>“I as a person, as a South Australian person that lives there, I’m in Victoria, I’m gonna leave today,” she said in the video.</p> <p>“So I’m at On The Run, just went in, and do you know what they said, as soon as I walk in, they all have masks, they come up to me and said, ‘oh excuse me, you can’t come in, you’re not wearing a mask’, I said ‘excuse me, I don’t wear a mask’.”</p> <p>Around 4:10 pm, she approached the police checkpoint at Yamba but refused to answer basic questions from the police.</p> <p>The 37-year-old then allegedly took off before being pursued by police.</p> <p>Road spikes were used to stop Lockwood and she was soon arrested and charged with aggravated drive dangerously to escape police pursuit, drive disqualified and fail to comply with direction under the Emergency Management Act.</p> <p>She faced court on Thursday, but was refused bail and will spend at least two weeks in custody.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Legal

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Alarming new way the Vic outbreak is spreading

<p>Victorian authorities say people are becoming infected with COVID after just "brushing past" strangers with the virus.</p> <p>Testing Commander Jeroen Weimar said at least four of the state's 54 locally transmitted cases have come from "fleeting" contact between Victorians,</p> <p>“What we’re seeing now is people are brushing past each other in a small shop, they are going to a display home, they are looking at photos in a Telstra shop,” he said.</p> <p>“This is relatively speaking, relatively fleeting. They do not know each other’s names, and that is very different from what we have been before.</p> <p>“This is stranger to stranger transmission.”</p> <p>He said the ease with which the virus is spreading may be a feature of the Indian variant.</p> <p>“We are used with previous variants, we are more used to transmission roccurring in the home, in the workplace, where people know each other already, not all of those big social settings,” he said. “These are quite different.”</p> <p>“We have seen transmission in these places with very fleeting contact. We have transmission in places like the Telstra store in South Melbourne, JMD Grocers, the display home we talked about a few days ago, I’d add Craigieburn Central shopping centre.</p> <p>“They are all examples of transmission with very limited contact. With previous variants, we are more used to transmission occurring in the home, in the workplace, where people know each other already, not at all of those big social settings. These are quite different.”</p> <p>If anyone has been to any of the following sites in the past two weeks, they should come forward and get tested:</p> <p>• Craigieburn Central</p> <p>• Bay Street shops in Port Melbourne</p> <p>• Clarendon Street in the South Melbourne</p> <p>• Pacific Epping, also known as the Epping Plaza</p> <p>• The Epping North shopping centre</p> <p>• Broadway Reservoir</p>

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NSW and VIC on high alert after COVID-19 cases

<p>NSW and Victoria are on high alert after both states have been impacted with new COVID-19 cases, with dozens of venues affected.</p> <p>Victoria issued a warning just before midnight on Sunday, with a hotel quarantine worker at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport testing positive to COVID-19.</p> <p>NSW Health issued an alert after a returned overseas traveller tested positive to COVID-19 two days after being released from their 14-day quarantine.</p> <p>The person is from the Wollongong area and returned two negative COVID-19 tests while in quarantine.</p> <p>“The person did not have any symptoms but underwent testing as part of the recently enhanced day-16 follow-up. As an additional precautionary measure, NSW Health has introduced symptom checking and day-16 COVID-19 tests for overseas travellers who have been released from hotel quarantine,” NSW Health said to <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/nsw-victoria-on-high-alert-after-new-covid19-cases/news-story/e66aa3687d7393c3e3be0b0c9c5f7a14" target="_blank">news.com.au</a></em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/nsw-victoria-on-high-alert-after-new-covid19-cases/news-story/e66aa3687d7393c3e3be0b0c9c5f7a14" target="_blank">.</a></p> <p>“Test results indicate that the person has a low level of infection and their household contacts have returned negative results to date.”</p> <p>Anyone who attended the following venues in NSW between these times must immediately get tested and isolate until further advice. The venues are:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Austinmer:</strong><span> </span>Headlands Hotel on February 2 from 1pm-2pm</li> <li><strong>Bulli:</strong><span> </span>Bulli Beach cafe on February 6 from 1.30pm-4pm</li> </ul> <p>Anyone who attended the following venues during these times is a casual contact and must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is returned:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Brighton Le Sands:</strong><span> </span>Mootch &amp; Me on February 2 from 10.54am-12pm</li> <li><strong>North Wollongong:</strong><span> </span>Optus on February 4 from 1pm-1.15pm</li> <li><strong>Fairy Meadow:</strong><span> </span>Officeworks on February 4 from 3.45pm-4.05 pm and February 5 from 3pm-3.25pm</li> </ul> <p>Anyone who attended the following venues during these times should monitor for symptoms:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Bulli:</strong><span> </span>Woolworths on February 3 from 9.15am-10am</li> <li><strong>Corrimal:</strong><span> </span>Corrimal Memorial Park on February 3 from 12pm-1pm</li> <li><strong>Thirroul:</strong><span> </span>Thirroul Beach on February 3 from 3pm-4.30pm</li> <li><strong>Madden Plains:</strong><span> </span>Sublime Point Walking Track on February 4 from 8.30am-10am</li> <li><strong>Figtree:<span> </span></strong>Figtree Grove Shopping Centre (Australia Post, Kmart, Blooms the Chemist, Subway) on February 4 from 2pm-3.30pm</li> <li><strong>Fairy Meadow:<span> </span></strong>Fedora Pasta Factory on February 5 from 3.30pm-3.35pm</li> </ul> <p>Victoria has also issued a warning, saying that the worker at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport tested negative for COVID at the end of her shift, but later developed symptoms a few days later.</p> <p>“The individual is being interviewed and a full public health response is underway,” Victoria’s Health Department said.</p> <p>“We are contacting Holiday Inn Airport workers and others who are considered primary close contacts. They are required to immediately isolate, get tested and remain isolated for 14 days.”</p> <p>Anyone who attended the following sites during the times below must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Maidstone:</strong><span> </span>Marciano’s Cakes on February 5 from 9.45am-10.25am</li> <li><strong>Sunshine:</strong><span> </span>Dan Murphy’s on February 5 from 5.50pm-6.30 pm and February 6 from 6.50pm-7.30pm</li> <li><strong>Taylors Lakes:</strong><span> </span>Off Ya Tree Watergardens on February 6 from 1.17pm-1.52pm</li> </ul> <p>It is currently unknown what strain the Victorian worker has contracted, as they had a case last week where another hotel quarantine worker contracted the highly-infectious US strain of the virus.</p> <p>“These negative results are very encouraging but as the hotel worker was infected with the highly contagious B.1.1.7 UK strain of COVID-19, it is vitally important that we continue to monitor close contacts in isolation and continue testing before we can be reassured that Victoria does not have further cases,” Victorian health authorities said.</p>

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Vic restrictions back after highly infectious new COVID case

<p>Kmart, Coles and Bunnings outlets are among exposure sites flagged as "tier-1" after a hotel quarantine worker in Melbourne tested positive for COVID-19 as confirmed by Victoria's health department.</p> <p>Premier Daniel Andrews said the infected worker was a 26-year-old man from Melbourne's Noble Park and was working for the Australian Open quarantine program.</p> <p>In an urgent press conference last night, Andrews said: “We have to assume that this person has infected others” and urged residents to check the exposure sites to see if they've visited any of them.</p> <p>He also stressed the need for residents to get tested if they're showing symptoms "first thing tomorrow morning". He said more sites may be added to the list and at 1:30 am new exposure sites were added.</p> <p>He said the infected man had been “very cooperative” with health officials and had “given us great levels of detail”.</p> <p>“If people are sick and don’t get tested and go about their business, it’s a problem for all of us,” he said.</p> <p>“To go about your business when you’re sick, that puts everything at risk, for you, your family, for someone you’ll never meet.</p> <p>“Come and get tested if you’ve been at one of these sites, I can’t be any clearer than that, it is the most important thing to really take control of this.”</p> <p>According to Victoria's public health, the man last worked at the Grant Hyatt on 29 January and was tested at the end of their shift, returning a negative result.</p> <p>He began developing symptoms and was tested again on February 2.</p> <p>He returned a positive result on Wednesday.</p> <p>Health officials are in touch with Australian Open players, officials and support staff who were staying at the Grand Hyatt during the entire period.</p> <p>They are considered casual contacts and must immediately isolate and get tested.</p> <p>Hotel staff who were working at the same time as the individual are considered primary close contacts and will also be contacted. They must isolate for 14 days and get tested.</p> <p><strong>EXPOSURE SITES</strong></p> <p>Anyone who has visited these Tier 1 exposure sites during these times must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and remain isolated for 14 days.</p> <p><strong>FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2021</strong></p> <p><strong>Exford Hotel: Melbourne</strong></p> <p>11:00 pm - 11:35pm</p> <p><strong>Kebab Kingz: West Melbourne</strong></p> <p>11:24 pm - 12:15am</p> <p><strong>SATURDAY JANUARY 30, 2021</strong></p> <p><strong>Club Noble in Noble Park</strong></p> <p>46-56 Moodemere St</p> <p>Noble Park VIC 3174</p> <p>14:36 – 15:30</p> <p><strong>Aces Sporting Club (Driving Range)</strong></p> <p>Cnr Springvale Rd and Hutton Rd, Keysborough, VIC 3173</p> <p>22:00 – 23:15</p> <p><strong>SUNDAY JANUARY 31, 2021</strong></p> <p><strong>Northpoint cafe Brighton</strong></p> <p>2b North Road, Brighton VIC 3186</p> <p>08:10 – 09:30</p> <p><strong>Kmart Keysborough</strong></p> <p>Parkmore Keysborough Shopping Centre, C/317 Cheltenham Rd, Keysborough VIC 3173</p> <p>16:00 – 17:00</p> <p><strong>Kmart Brandon Park</strong></p> <p>Brandon Park Shopping Centre, Cnr Springvale &amp; Ferntree Gully Rds, Brandon Park, VIC 3170</p> <p>16:35 – 17:10</p> <p><strong>Coles Springvale</strong></p> <p>825 Dandenong Rd, Springvale VIC 3171</p> <p>17:00 – 18:00</p> <p><strong>MONDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2021</strong></p> <p><strong>Lululemon DFO</strong></p> <p>Moorabbin</p> <p>5:00 pm - 5:45pm</p> <p><strong>Woolworths</strong></p> <p>Springvale</p> <p>6.30 pm – 7.30pm</p> <p><strong>Nakama Workshop</strong></p> <p>Clayton South</p> <p>11.15 am – 12.00pm</p> <p><strong>Sharetea</strong></p> <p>Springvale</p> <p>6.50 pm – 7.30pm</p> <p><strong>Bunnings Springvale</strong></p> <p>849 Princes Hwy, Springvale VIC 3171</p> <p>11:28 – 12:15</p> <p><strong>Melbourne Golf Academy</strong></p> <p>385 Centre Dandenong Rd, Heatherton VIC 3202</p>

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Gladys to open up NSW border to VIC in coming weeks

<p><span>After months of staying tightly shut off from NSW, Victorian residents may be able to visit in just three weeks.</span></p> <p><span>NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announcer that a target has been set for November 23, The Daily Telegraph reports.</span></p> <p><span>The southern state has recorded four consecutive days of zero cases since Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews lofted intense coronavirus restrictions on Melbournians.</span></p> <p><span>The NSW Premier has repeatedly hinted at bringing down the border soon.</span></p> <p><span>On Monday she said it would come down within “weeks, not months” and said a decision would be revealed on Wednesday.</span></p> <p><span>Annastacia Palaszczuk however has so far refused to open the Queensland border to Sydneysiders.</span></p> <p><span>Ms Berejiklian previously told reporters that a final decision on opening the border Victoria would only come after the state has been out of lockdown for a minimum of two weeks.</span></p> <p><span>“Now that Victoria is down to zero or a just handful of community transmissions a day that gives us pause to reflect on when that two-week period starts for us and of course we'll base that on health advice,” she said on Monday.</span></p> <p><span>“But I certainly wanted to give the signal to the people of NSW that we're talking weeks not months in terms of when the Victorian border may come down, but that again is based on health advice.</span></p> <p><span>“I think it is important to allow people to plan ahead, it's important for our airline sector, it’s important for people who rely on hospitality and tourism to consider what the future may hold.</span></p> <p><span>“That's why, without pre-empting any future decisions, it could be weeks not months in terms of the NSW-Victoria border opening.”</span></p> <p><span>The border between NSW and Victoria closed for the first time in a century on July 8.</span></p>

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Jeff Kennett clashes with Project hosts over Vic lockdown

<p>Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett let his true feelings be known on <em>The Sunday Project </em>after he compared Daniel Andrews' lockdown to a "communist state" and referred to residents as "hostages".</p> <p>He clashed with host Peter Van Onselen during a tense TV argument as the other hosts watched on.</p> <p>“You’re very lucky because you’ve still got a job," the former Premier bitterly told Van Onselen.</p> <p>The hosts asked whether it mattered if the state was in lockdown for a few more months after it was already subjected to strict rules.</p> <p>Mr Kennett did not hold back.</p> <p>“Yes, it does because the Premier only two days ago gave an indication that a lot of our small businesses would be able to reopen from the middle of next week, so therefore that doesn’t happen instantaneously,” he began.</p> <p>“People have started to clean the places, hire staff, order in food, etc. But the worst thing is we’ve had seven new cases today – seven.</p> <p>“We have a population of 6.4 million people. And for seven cases, 6.4 million people are continued to be held hostage by this Premier.</p> <p>“NSW some days now have recorded more cases than us, and not only are they able to continue to trade, but they have no rings of steel. We have 5km radiuses which are now 25.</p> <p>“This is a – this is a Communist state.”</p> <p><em>The Sunday Project</em> co-host Lisa Wilkinson tried to calm down Mr Kennett's rage, but it was to no avail.</p> <p>Wilkinson suggested that NSW had handled the pandemic better due to better contact tracing, but Kennett refused to believe it.</p> <p>“Yes, but how long have we had this virus?” Mr Kennett countered. “How long have we had contact tracing problems here in Victoria? Why haven’t they been addressed if they are the problem?</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zsd7dKNp8nU"></iframe></div> <p>“I’m not arguing that it may be the problem, but if it is the problem, why has it taken months to get it right? We have a government – and if they can’t govern, if the Premier can’t lead, get out of the way and let someone else come in and do the job for him.”</p> <p>Comedian and co-host Tommy Little tried his best to lighten the mood and asked Kennett what he would have done if he was still Premier.</p> <p>“Firstly, we wouldn’t be in this situation if I was still premier because I would never have allowed the mismanagement of the hotel quarantine that started this second wave,” Mr Kennett stated.</p> <p>“Where there is an outbreak, as they did in Tasmania, where they’ve done in NSW, where they’ve done in Queensland – you address the problem, but you do not lock down the state for the best part of a year.”</p> <p>“People have died, people are losing their income and their businesses, and unfortunately many in the community say, ‘Well, isn’t this wonderful?’ he continued.</p> <p>“Because what we are doing is avoiding what’s happening in Europe and in the US but we are not in Europe, we are not in the US.</p> <p>“Victoria should be comparing itself with NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, etc, and by any similar test, this has been disastrously handled and the corruption in the failure of the government and its ministers and public servants to be honest, with the community they lead, only compounds the problem.</p> <p>“So often is the case. It’s not the original mistakes that have become the major issue, it’s the cover-up that continues to this day.”</p> <p>Van Onselen tried to steer the interview on course, saying that he agreed with Kennett's concerns, but saying that it was comparable to "communism" was too far.</p> <p>“I think I probably agree with a lot of your concerns and I can understand the anger from a lot of Victorians, but I’m not sure that the inflated rhetoric about Communism and all these sort of things helps people who are on the fence just wondering what should happen?” he said.</p> <p>“Well, Peter, how would you describe it? We’re locked down,” he raged. “We’ve had curfews. We can’t travel around our state. Businesses can’t open, and they are all decisions of one man.</p> <p>“Alright, I accept Communism – a bit over the top, but it is a dictatorship.</p> <p>“He doesn’t listen to people in his own party. He doesn’t listen to business community and health officials. He is making these decisions on his own, and I guess, Peter, all I’m saying is this can’t go on without there being years of damage, both to the mental welfare of a lot of our community, but also to our economy.</p> <p>“Now, alright, maybe I went over the top with ‘Communism’ but this is a dictatorship. I’ve never seen anything like it, and there has never been anything replicated in any other part of the world in dealing with this virus, so what would you call it?”</p> <p>This only angered Kennett.</p> <p>“800 people who have died. There are hundreds of people, families, small businessmen who have lost their income and their financial security and what did you describe it as?”</p> <p>“Over the top,” said van Onselen.</p> <p>Back to Mr Kennett: “Over the top – well, you’re very lucky because you’ve still got a job. Over the top. You keep drawing your salary, my friend. You are very, very fortunate.</p> <p>“I tell you what, there are a lot of people here in Victoria who will never ever recover from the way we’ve handled this virus. It should never have been about elimination It should always been about manage it, like you’ve done in NSW.”</p> <p>In wrapping up, van Onselen was eager to wrap up the segment, quickly thanking Kennett for his time.</p> <p> “Jeff, I think a lot of people understand your frustration. We appreciate your time.”</p> <p>Mr Kennett sarcastically replied, “It was a great pleasure. I was just passing by.”</p>

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"Pack of idiots": Businesses unhappy with Vic's fewer COVID-19 rules

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>While Victorians have woken to more freedom after Melbourne Premier Daniel Andrews announced a range of restrictions were eased, many are still unhappy that the hospitality and retail industries have been left out.</p> <p>The new easement of restrictions include:</p> <ul> <li>Melbourne residents are able to travel 25 kilometres from home</li> <li>No time limit on time spent outdoors</li> <li>Outdoor gatherings increased from five to 10 people from two households</li> <li>Skate parks, golf courses and tennis courts will reopen</li> <li>Melbourne residents are able to get a haircut, see an allied health professional, renovate their home, wash their car and bid at auction</li> </ul> <p>“I have announced today what is safe but will not undermine the sacrifice, the hard work, the pain, the amazing efforts that Victorians have put in,” Andrews told reporters on Sunday.</p> <p>However, the hospitality, retail and beauty salon sector will remain closed for another two weeks until November 1. Business groups have since lashed out at Andrews' lockdown exit plan.</p> <p>Council of Small Business ­Organisations Australia chief executive Peter Strong told the ABC that Mr Andrews “talks to Victorians like they’re a pack of idiots” and had harmed businesses unnecessarily.</p> <p>“I think he’s never run a business. He thinks you turn the key and the shop opens again and everything happens,” he said.</p> <p>It’s not like that. And the lack of respect for the business community is profound.”</p> <p>Chapel Street Precinct general manager Chrissie Maus said it was an "unjust joke" to leave the sectors waiting until November 1.</p> <p>“There’s a cloud of anger from businesses…as this is no longer acceptable or sustainable for our businesses. I would have rather kept the 5km limit and the shops opened,” Ms Maus said.</p> <p>“This week the World Health Organization (WHO) stated they no longer support widespread city lockdowns. WHO understands we must now live with the virus until a vaccine is ready, Daniel Andrews does not.</p> <p>“It seems the rest of the country is evolving in their policies but Dan continues on his draconian parade. We must learn to live with the virus and open our businesses up now.”</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Vic's top public servant resigns "effective immediately"

<p>The secretary of Victoria’s Department of Premier and Cabinet Chris Eccles has resigned, saying he feels staying in the position would be a “significant distraction to the ongoing work of the Victorian public sector”.</p> <p>Mr Eccles fronted the state’s hotel quarantine inquiry in September, and stated neither he nor the Premier’s department made the decision to use private security in the program.</p> <p>He also revealed that he was unaware whether or not he passed on a Commonwealth offer of ADF support in early April.</p> <p>The inquiry was told that on March 27, the day the hotel quarantine program was introduced, the chief police commissioner Graham Ashton texted Mr Eccles at 1:16 pm saying: </p> <p>"Chris I am getting word from Canberra for a plan whereby arrivals from overseas are to be subjected to enforced isolation from tomorrow.</p> <p>The suggestion is Victorian arrivals are conveyed to a hotel Somewhere where they are guarded by police for 14 days.</p> <p>Are you aware of anything in this regard?? Graham."</p> <p>In a written statement the the hotel quarantine inquiry, Mr Ashton said he did not receive a response to the message and couldn’t remember if anyone rang him about the private security arrangements.</p> <p>Mr Ashton's evidence said at 1:22pm, he texted Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw and said:</p> <p>"Mate my advise [sic] is that ADF will do Passenger transfer and private security will be used."</p> <p>Mr Eccles also told the inquiry that he could not remember whether he called Mr Ashton after receiving the message, but records show he called him for two minutes at 1:17 pm that day.</p> <p>"There has been much commentary and speculation about whether I or anyone else at [the Department of Premier and Cabinet] spoke to Mr Ashton during that narrow timeframe on 27 March," Mr Eccles said in his resignation statement.</p> <p>"It is now evident I did."</p> <p>Mr Eccles said he did not have his full phone records until the hotel quarantine inquiry requested them on Saturday.</p> <p>But he went on to say that while the records show the did call the then chief commissioner on March 27, it does not show that he or anyone in the Premier’s department made the decision to use private security.</p> <p>"I am absolutely certain I did not convey to Mr Ashton any decision regarding the use of private security as I was unaware any such decision had been made, and I most certainly had not made such a decision myself," Mr Eccles said.</p>

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Jim's Mowing joins Class Action against VIC Government

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Around 700 Jim's Mowing franchisees who were prevented from working under stage four restrictions in Victoria are joining a multimillion lawsuit against the Victorian Government.</p> <p>Carbone Lawyers managing partner Tony Carbone told NCA NewsWire that his firm would be pushing for around $20 million on compensation.</p> <p>“The bottom line is these gardeners should have been working, how is it possible that a gardener working on their own outside can infect anyone,” he said.</p> <p>“The government’s whole decision making on who can and can’t work was so arbitrary these gardeners have been left so destitute they are suffering from mental illness.”</p> <p>Swinburne Law School Dean Mirko Bagaric said that this would "dwarf" any class-action lawsuit that had occurred previously and could be the biggest in Australia's history. </p> <p>“Nearly every Victorian has been adversely affected by this,” he said.</p> <p>Jim's Mowing founder Jim Penman said to NCA NewsWire that around 700 of his franchisees and self-employed tradesmen had been impacted by the lockdown, losing around $3,000 a week.</p> <p>“We hold the Premier, the Health Minister and other senior ministers personally responsible for the failures of quarantine that unleashed this disaster upon our state,” Mr Penman said.</p> <p>“Further, the Premier’s arbitrary action in ignoring the advice of the Department of Health and Human Services and barring sole operators from working, brought needless loss and misery upon many.</p> <p>“The senseless waste of this measure is shown by the fact that council gardeners continued working in groups through the lockdown, thus raising the risk of infection.</p> <p>“This senseless policy still continues, with dog grooming salons allowed to operate with multiple staff, while sole operators cannot. A rational policy would have insisted that all gardening and dog grooming work be done by individuals, thus reducing the risk of infection with far less mental and financial injury.”</p> <p>He also said that Carbone Lawyers were "so confident' of the win that they've agreed to a "no win no fee" arrangement.</p> <p>“Yes I’ve lost a bit of money during this but I’m not interested in getting that money back I just want every one of my franchisees to get every cent back because they’re the ones who are doing it tough and going through a lot of financial pressure,” the mowing magnate said.</p> <p>This is the latest development after Penman revealed to seek compensation for individual franchises through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).</p> <p>He said that both legal pathways would still be going ahead with Mr Penman saying “both options will be pursued”.</p> <p>“I don’t care how it’s done I just want the money to go back into the hands of these hard workers who should have never been prevented from working and earning an honest living.”</p> <p>Jim's Mowing franchises were ordered to stop work on August 5 after the Premier's strict decision to not allow lawn mowing and garden maintenance during the new COVID-19 guidelines.</p> <p>The Premier’s office was contacted for comment, with a spokesperson saying: “It would be inappropriate to comment on a matter before the courts”.</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.jimsmowing.com.au/" target="_blank">jimsmowing.com.au</a></em></p> </div> </div> </div>

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"Unbelievable": Sam Armytage comforts Vic woman after heartless quarantine denial

<p>Sam Armytage has tried her best to comfort a Victorian woman who fears her father will die while she's in quarantine at a hotel in Brisbane.</p> <p>Helen Dudok is currently pleading with QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to let her say goodbye to her father.</p> <p>Dudok travelled from a declared COVID-19 hotspot in the Macedon Ranges and had her request to quarantine at her parents home denied by state health officials.</p> <p>She now fears her 87-year-old father Michael Tomek will pass away while she completes her mandatory 14-day quarantine and is unable to understand why she can't complete her quarantine at her parents' isolated property.</p> <p>“There’s no one at my parent’s house except for my parents and my sister who is looking after them day and night, 24/7, completely alone,” she said on Monday.</p> <p>“I only asked to go there to help so between the two and us we can look after mum and dad.”</p> <p>“I’ve offered to have a COVID test, I’ve offered to have an ankle bracelet to prove that I won’t be leaving my parent’s place.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">"It is unbelievable.. that is one of the most heartless things I have ever heard"<br /><br />A Victorian woman's battle to be with her dying dad in Queensland has left <a href="https://twitter.com/sam_armytage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sam_Armytage</a> shocked. <a href="https://t.co/QxS3DBzO8x">pic.twitter.com/QxS3DBzO8x</a></p> — Sunrise (@sunriseon7) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunriseon7/status/1305263902310109184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>She claims a Queensland Health official said she can delay her fathers funeral if he passes away before she's released from hotel quarantine.</p> <p>“They said that should my dad pass away, that’s ok, because they will hold his body in a morgue and I can arrange the funeral once I come out.”</p> <p>Sam Armytage was visibly shocked after hearing the story.</p> <p>“It is unbelievable. That is one of the most heartless things I have ever heard,” she said.</p> <p>“Helen, I am so sorry for you and I hope that some sense comes fast to Queensland Health and that you are allowed out to see your parents.”</p> <p>“Just hang in there.”</p>

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VIC couple hit with $60,000 fine after trip cancellation

<p>A Victorian nurse who has been on the COVID-19 frontline and her partner have “lost sleep” after being forced to cancel their overseas trip.</p> <p>Michael Butler and Melinda Manley were excited to go on their first holiday overseas but instead have been left nearly $60,000 out of pocket after the pandemic derailed their "trip of a lifetime".</p> <p>The couple had been saving for years for their dream European getaway.</p> <p>Together they planned an expansive holiday throughout the UK, Ireland and Scotland before embarking on a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.</p> <p>The trip would have been Mr Butler's first time overseas.</p> <p>However, the pair have been left heartbroken after being slugged with nearly $60,000 in cancellation fees.</p> <p>Mr Butler says if the pair had booked the trip a month earlier they would have been granted a full refund.</p> <p>While their travel operator Scenic Tours offered to give the pair a full travel credit, Mr Butler told Today he refused as he doesn't know if he'll be able to travel again.</p> <p>"I'm closer to 70 than I am to 60. I don't know what's going to happen in two years time," Mr Butler explained.</p> <p>"I should be the one who decides when I go and have a holiday.</p> <p>"If we had have booked our travel a month earlier, we would have received a 125 per cent credit voucher or our full refund as the CEO of Scenic Tours has put out on the internet."</p> <p>Mr Butler hopes the money "hasn't gone down the drain" but still is not sure whether he or his wife will be eligible for a refund in two years’ time.</p> <p>"It's still there. But for some reason, Scenic Tours want to give it back to us for another two years," he said.</p> <p>"Supposing we can get a refund, but they might not. We don't know.</p> <p>"I mean, how can you buy a TV and not get it for two years after you paid for it."</p> <p>Ms Manley who works as a residential care nurse on Melbourne's coronavirus frontline, say he and her partner have lost sleep due to the cancellation.</p> <p>"We're not getting much sleep as it is," she said.</p> <p>"It's not very safe out there.</p> <p>"We just want to keep everybody safe. It is the most vulnerable people out there that we're looking after. We're COVID free luckily at the moment at our facility."</p>

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Vic aged care patient’s leg found infested with ants

<p><strong>WARNING: Graphic content.</strong></p> <p>Victoria’s aged care nurses are being overworked and understaffed during the coronavirus, and that was shown quite clearly through the horrific living conditions some elderly residents are being left in.<br /><br /><em>The Guardian</em> reported on Sunday that one woman had been left in bed with a bloodied bandage on her leg, which soon became overrun with ants.<br /><br />The 95-year-old nursing home resident known as Milka succumbed to her injuries and passed away on Sunday morning.<br /><br />Milka is just one of many who missed out on the care she desperately deserved and needed due to the COVID-19 pandemic completely annihilating Melbourne’s aged care system.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837385/covid-cases-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3d1e698a228448439dbd9f54792e044a" /><br /><br />The footage and photos of Mila’s leg were taken inside a private residential aged care home in Melbourne on Tuesday.<br /><br />Two weeks earlier, a staff member at the facility had contracted COVID-19.<br /><br />The virus quickly spread through the facility, and it resulted in some residents being left without food or water for 18 hours.<br /><br />It was also revealed that faeces remained on the floor as staff rushed from one critically ill patient to another.<br /><br />On some days, there were only two staff members looking after 68 residents.<br /><br />Most staff members had been sent home sick.<br /><br />In a press conference on Monday morning, Premier Daniel Andrews acknowledged the terrible conditions in which Milka died.<br /><br />“I have not seen the footage but I have been briefed on it, that is just shameful and would be very distressing for everybody concerned,” he said.<br /><br />“That footage relates to a particular facility which we have now taken over.<br /><br />“Hospital nurses have gone and taken over in a number of these situations and I think they have taken over for good reasons.”<br /><br />Milka’s family told <em>The Guardian</em> they do not blame the nursing home.<br /><br />They say until COVID-19 swept through the aged care centre, she was provided with amazing care.</p>

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