In Australia, ACT recorded a record number of Covid-19 cases today while Victoria reported 50 new locally acquired cases and Queensland has started an investigation into two infected truck drivers.
A man crosses an empty street in Melbourne on Monday as the city experiences its sixth lockdown while battling an outbreak of the Delta variant of coronavirus. Photo: AFP
Victoria recorded 50 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases today, only 11 of whom were in quarantine during their infectious period.
Contact tracers have so far linked 40 of the new cases back to existing outbreaks.
The state processed 48,424 test results on Monday, when 29,810 doses of vaccine were delivered at state-run sites.
There are now more than 660 exposure sites listed across Victoria, including schools in Shepparton and Broadmeadows.
Victorian authorities still believe the state's outbreak can be brought under control, but are concerned by a growing number of mystery cases.
Of the state's 494 active Covid-19 cases, 212 are aged 19 or below.
Premier Daniel Andrews has ramped up a plea for every Victorian to take up the vaccination option available to them today, emphasising the thousands of vacant appointments available at state-run sites in the next week.
Meanwhile, the ACT has reported 30 new cases of Covid-19, in what ACT chief minister Andrew Barr said was a "record day of cases" for the national capital.
The total number of active cases in the community is 167.
He said only 13 of the 30 new cases were in quarantine for their entire infectious period, while 11 were infectious in the community. Six cases remain under investigation about whether they were infectious while in the community.
There are now just under 400 exposure sites in the ACT, including a construction site and a public service building - the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's head office.
More than 12,000 Canberrans have been identified as close contacts, while there are more than 6,000 casual contacts.
Today, Queensland recorded six new cases of Covid-19, with two locally acquired cases under investigation.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the cases were truck drivers and not considered a "major risk" at this stage.
"Both were detected by a New South Wales lab, but they have, essentially, not been to many places at all, they've mainly been with their family," she said.
Three other cases were detected on a ship offshore, while the sixth was an overseas traveller in hotel quarantine.
More than $300,000 in fines over Melbourne party
Victoria Police has fined 56 people $5452 each, over an engagement party in Caulfield North that breached Covid-19 restrictions and led to transmission of the virus.
The event was widely condemned by Premier Daniel Andrews and health officials after a video from the event showed one of the attendees joking about the breach of health restrictions.
Police said the investigation into the party had finished and all guests had been identified and dealt with.
Officers have also investigated reports that 200 people attended a funeral in Shepparton on 11 August in breach of health directions.
Victoria Police said the event had been investigated and no breach was detected.
- ABC