Eastern states no closer to getting out of strict lockdowns

VICTORIAN Premier Daniel Andrews has blasted “fit and healthy” Australians who don’t think they could get Covid-19, in a plea for people to stay at home.

Speaking at Saturday’s press conference, he reminded Victorians that an onslaught of Covid-19 hospitalisations would also impact other patients in need of critical care.

It came as the state reported 29 new cases, with all of them active in the community while infectious.

“It is not just Covid-19 patients that will struggle to find the machine or a bed or a nurse that isn’t furloughed to care for them or a hospital that is open to care for them,” he warned.

“It will be people who have suffered strokes, people who have had premature babies, people who have cancer and need urgent surgery, people who have heart attacks.”

NSW also reported yet another day of record cases, with the state’s Covid-19 tally rising by 319 infections and five deaths. Health Minister Brad Hazzard delivered the sombre count, with NSW Deputy chief health officer Jeremy McNulty warning that the “disease is infecting people of all ages”.

Meanwhile, in Queensland, residents are waiting for authorities to confirm whether or not the lockdown will be ending at 4pm on Sunday.

Although the state only recorded 13 new cases in the last reporting period, chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young refused to give an answer on Saturday, responding with: “We’ll see what happens,” when pressed. It came as a woman who allegedly escaped Gold Coast hotel quarantine was found by police.