It's a story of two lockdowns. Victorians were informed that there were 29 new cases on the second day in their sixth lockdown. The second day of their lockdown saw positive news from Queenslanders about the outbreak. However, it is not clear if it will be over as planned.Both states had the same message from their politicians and health officials.Keep your home and get tested if you feel unwell.The Victorian premier Daniel Andrews stated that there are not enough vaccines.The good news in Queensland was much better than Victoria, with 12 of the 13 cases not being in the community while infected (and one under investigation).Health authorities further south have not been able to find the source of the outbreak. Andrews confirmed that it was the Delta variant, and that it was from New South Wales.All of the cases that were reported in Victoria on Saturday were linked to previously known cases. However, it is not clear where these cases came from. One theory suggests that they may have originated from a couple who traveled to Victoria on Saturday 15 July after having completed quarantine in NSW. They later tested positive.It is not surprising that there aren't seven more mystery cases, or even one. Andrews stated that there are links.It is important to ask how many days have these cases been out of the community? They are infecting others. Is it possible that all those infected are coming forward?As last year, the current Victorian epidemic has spread to Flemington's public housing tower. The link appears to be the same as during last year's outbreak: a student at Al-Taqwa College.Jeroen Weimar was the commander of Victorias Covid. He said that the student lived in a family of eight in the tower but that the family had been removed from the building.The government seems to be approaching the outbreak in a different way. It has designated only the floor where the family lives as a Tier-one site. Residents there will need to isolate for 14 days while others in the building will only need to take a negative test to end isolation.Andrews, however, was not averse to criticism from the Ombudsman about the harsh stance that was taken to residents last year in the same towers. He said it had saved lives.Andrews stated that Scott Morrison, the prime minister, had told him Friday night that Victoria would receive an additional 150,000 doses Pfizer vaccine and that he would soon reveal plans for how these would be used.He said that the new doses of the vaccine were not sufficient to alter the criteria. This includes the question of whether teachers should be given priority, as there was another cluster associated with a school.It is only 150,000. Although it is better than not having it at all, 1.5 million is not the limit. We have a limited supply, as you know.I don't think any group should be criticised for arguing that they should be higher in the queue. There are literally thousands and hundreds of groups that could make a compelling argument.We don't have enough stock. The problem is that we don't have enough.Steven Miles, Queensland's deputy premier, expressed satisfaction that the state had exceeded the 40,000 daily tests it set as a goal.It is important that we know that there will be more cases. Many people living in households with the virus will continue to get it in the days and weeks ahead.It is important that they do not spread disease to others.Dr Jeannette Young (Queensland's chief medical officer) described Saturdays numbers positively, but stated that she would need to see Sundays figures before giving her advice on lifting restrictions.
