What time is the Victoria COVID-19 press conference today with update on Melbourne lockdown decision?
Contact tracers are racing to hunt down coronavirus cases linked to the current Victorian outbreak amid fresh calls for Melbournes lockdown restrictions to come to an early end. Authorities have confirmed the virus spread from a cleaner who had tested positive to another worker at the ProBuild site at 100 Queen Street around the start of June. Victorias health authorities are set to provide a COVID-19 update on Monday. This article will be updated with the time as soon as its confirmed. You can click here watch the press conference LIVE. There are 492 close contacts linked to the site, with more than 400 returning negative tests as of Monday night. The department of health is again reminding people who have been to several Melbourne CBD exposure sites at specified times to get tested, including Woolworths Metro on Little Collins Street, Aki Sushi on Queen Street, and two buildings on Collins Street. Melbourne COVID-19 cases update  The state recorded 11 locally acquired cases on Monday, bringing the total number of active local cases to 81. The new cases are all close contacts of existing cases, or people who are in quarantine. There are no fresh exposure sites relating to these cases. A lone pedestrian walks along Southbank on June 05, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. Credit: Asanka Ratnayake / Getty Images  Four of the new cases reported on Monday are infected with the more infectious Delta strain, which originated in India. The Delta variant outbreak now totals 14, though authorities are no closer to finding out how a family from West Melbourne first contracted the strain. More than 5800 people are still in quarantine, but about 1000 people finished quarantine on Monday after returning day 13 negative tests. More than 550,000 tests have been administered in Victoria since the outbreak started two weeks ago. Calls to end Melbourne lockdown early  At a press conference on Monday, health authorities said they were on track to lift restrictions on Friday, but have warned Victorians not to expect an immediate return to the relaxed restrictions they enjoyed before the current outbreak. Senior Victorian government sources have told The Herald Sun they are confident the lockdown will not be extended, and the city can expect to move to restrictions currently applied in regional Victoria - unless new mystery cases emerge. In regional areas, there is no limit on how far people can travel, outdoor gatherings of up to 10 are allowed, masks remain compulsory indoors and outdoors when social distancing isnt possible, but schools, retail and hospitality are open. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called on the Victorian government to lift lockdown restrictions as soon as possible. File. Credit: Asanka Ratnayake / Getty Images  Acting Premier James Merlino had previously flagged Melbourne would move to a similar set of restrictions, but people would be unable to travel during the Queens Birthday long weekend. However, the Australian Financial Review reports the government remains hesitant due to the risk of community movement across the long weekend and the need to completely eliminate the emerging virus variants. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday called for Melbourne to reopen as soon as possible, particularly for parents with schoolchildren at home. Kids have lost enough time out of school over the course of the last 18 months and its very important we get those kids back to school as soon as possible, he told reporters in Sydney on Monday. I am hopeful these restrictions in Victoria will be lifted as soon as possible. I would be urging that we move to lift those restrictions as soon as possible.  Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a press conference in Richmond, Sydney, June 7, 2021. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins) NO ARCHIVING Credit: DEAN LEWINS / AAPIMAGE  Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said it was a matter for the Victorian government when to lift the lockdown, but its risks and benefits were being tracked on a daily basis. He said it was possible lockdowns may still be needed in future even with a high rate of vaccination. We all hope that (lockdowns) will no longer be required into the future.  - with AAP