"These numbers are too high for us to open up." What you need to know about COVID-19 this weekend.

Victoria records 114 new cases and 11 deaths.

On Sunday, Victoria recorded 114 new cases and 11 deaths in the past 24 hours. The news comes after the state recorded 94 new cases on Saturday, the first day cases have dropped to double digits since July 5.

The figures, confirmed by the Department of Health and Human Services on Sunday, bring Victoria's death toll to 524 and the national total to 611.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the cases are still "too high" for Victorians to come out of lockdown. 

"At 100, 94, at 114, whatever the number, we simply could not open up," he said.

"Those numbers would explode, we would finish up and perhaps an even worse situation than we have been in recent months. We cannot fritter away all that good work and sacrifice.

"These case numbers are too high for us to open up, and they are still too high for us to put forward a definitive plan."

Melbourne residents are subject to another fortnight of stage four restrictions including an 8pm to 5am curfew, while residents in regional Victoria are under slightly less strict stage three restrictions for the same period. 

#COVID19VicData for 30 August, 2020. There were 114 new cases detected in Victoria yesterday. Sadly we report 11 lives lost - condolences to all affected. More information will be available later today via our media release. pic.twitter.com/4voh37S3oM

— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) August 29, 2020

Thousands flock to Melbourne beaches despite Premier's plea.

Thousands swarmed beaches in Melbourne on Saturday, despite a plea from Premier Daniel Andrews to stay inside as the weather warmed up. 

The premier issued two pleas to the city's residents in stage four lockdown to "do the right thing" in a press conference on Saturday. 

"Today is a beautiful sunny day and I just say to people, we want to get to the other side of this and allow people to enjoy all the things that Melbourne and Victoria is famous for," he said.

"No one today, please, please, don’t be doing anything today that would undermine this strategy.

"Please don’t do anything, don’t make any choices that would contribute to the spread of this virus." 

However, photos shared online showed St Kilda beach crowded with people.

Thousands of Melburnians swarmed the city's beaches, the bustling foreshore resembling a busy summer's afternoon.

Others sat on the sand soaking up the winter sun, attracting the attention of police.

All this, despite a desperate plea from the Premier. @_StephAnderson #9News pic.twitter.com/WsEEDXeGiw

— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) August 29, 2020

There were a lot idiots without wearing a mask arround the populated #StKilda Beach yesterday.
Some gathered in groups, drinking and some with the masks left around their necks .
There were no signs of any #VicPolice around there.#auspol #vicpol #covid_19 #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/WE2YgyqKpt

— Med (@Medicayy) August 29, 2020

"Let's not make any choices that put at risk all of the progress we have made and could render all of the sacrifice we have made it meaningless. We do not want that. No day at the beach is worth that," Andrews said in response on Sunday.

"That is not the time for that."

Western Sydney school closes due to a linked COVID-19 case.

Another Sydney school has been closed due to COVID-19, after a new case was linked to St Paul's Catholic College in Greystanes on Saturday. 

The school will remain closed on Monday and students and staff have been told to self-isolate while contact tracing occurs.

"Health and wellbeing are our priority as we respond to COVID-19," the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta said in a statement.

The news comes after Double Bay Public School, Homebush Public School, Ryde Secondary College and St Gertrude's Primary School in Smithfield all closed on Friday due to links to positive COVID-19 cases. 

New aged care restrictions introduced in NSW.

New restrictions for aged care facilities in New South Wales have been announced following concerns over a coronavirus cluster in Sydney's CBD.

On Friday, NSW Health "strongly advised" people from Greater Sydney or the Central Coast to refrain from visiting aged care facilities until September 12. 

However, NSW Health said this measure is just a "precaution" and there was no evidence of cases in aged care facilities in NSW.

"These are precautionary steps to prevent the entry of COVID-19 into this vulnerable setting," the statement read. 

Sydney's CBD coronavirus cluster spreads.

Members of City Tattersalls Fitness Centre have again been exposed to COVID-19 after three people who caught it from the initial outbreak attended the Sydney gym while infectious.

The COVID-19 cluster linked to the gym has grown to 23, after eight new cases were linked to the hotspot on Saturday.

NSW Health also confirmed a previously reported case attended one of the gaming areas of City Tattersalls on August 24.

Authorities are urging those who were in the gaming areas at the time to monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if even the mildest symptoms develop.

NSW Health is investigating new cases of #COVID19 in relation to City Tattersalls Fitness Centre on Pitt Street.

These cases attended the centre during the past few days, while unknowingly infectious and after being exposed to infections in the gym.https://t.co/pqkRdfh3cR pic.twitter.com/6rdgQ2DbFR

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 29, 2020

On Sunday, NSW recorded seven new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

Of the seven new cases, one is a returned traveller in hotel quarantine, five are linked to a known case or cluster and one is locally acquired and is still under investigation. 

Seven new cases of #COVID19 were diagnosed in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,851.

Locations linked to known cases and areas identified for increased testing can be found here: https://t.co/EVlm25boYj pic.twitter.com/V352nk2yTT

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 30, 2020

— With AAP. 

Feature Image: Getty.

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