By Luke Voogt
A Belmont brothel has been fined almost $10,000 for flouting social distancing laws as Geelong’s coronavirus tally reached 50 today.
“It astounds me,” Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton told a press conference.
“We were called there, to this brothel, because the street was that busy at one stage it became a traffic jam.
“That is absolutely insane in this current environment.”
Police shut down the brothel and issued an escort with an additional fine, Deputy Commissioner Patton said.
Meanwhile, two Geelong employees, one at NDIA’s CBD headquarters and another at Faggs Mitre 10, have tested positive for coronavirus.
The NDIA staff member received a positive test result for COVID-19 after being in close contact with someone returning from overseas, a spokesperson said.
“The staff member was in self-isolation when the test result was received.”
NDIA immediately closed the staff member’s workplace at Brougham Street to ensure staff safety and complete deep cleaning, the spokesperson said.
The worker had no contact with the general public, including people with disabilities, as part of their job, the spokesperson said.
NDIA directed all staff who had close contact with the employee to self-isolate, the spokesperson said.
The two workers were among 50 confirmed cases in greater Geelong, following an increase of four from yesterday.
The increase comes after Victoria recorded its fifth corona virus fatality yesterday while state-wide the number of confirmed cases passed 1000.
A woman in her 70s died in hospital yesterday after four men, in their 70s and 80s, died last week in Melbourne hospitals after contracting coronavirus.
Victoria coronavirus cases rose by 68 today, bringing the state total to 1036, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The number included 551 men and 480 women. Cases range in age from babies to their early nineties.
“Currently 36 people are in hospital – including six patients in intensive care – and 422 people have recovered,” the department said.
Of the total 1036 cases, there have been 828 in Melbourne and 193 in regional Victoria, with some other cases still under investigation.
Of the cases 626 resulted from overseas travel, 313 from contact with a known source and 57 from an unknown source in Australia (community transmission).
Another 40 cases are under investigation according to the department, which has conducted more than 49,000 tests.
Coronavirus cases on the Surf Coast remained at nine today.
