Coronavirus: Victoria records three new cases; locations for first COVID jabs announced

WA has shut the door on Victorians - again - as a COVID case linked to the Holiday Inn cluster was admitted into intensive care.

A COVID case linked to the Holiday Inn coronavirus cluster in Melbourne has been admitted to intensive care.

Victoria’s Department of Health issued a statement on Friday afternoon saying an “individual is in a stable condition and we wish them a full recovery” but provided no further detail on the individual’s gender or age.

It comes as Victoria recorded three new locally acquired coronavirus cases as the state slowly emerges from a snap five-day lockdown.

The state’s health department confirmed no new infections had been recorded in a returned travellers hotel quarantine on Friday.

The health department said the three local cases were linked to the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn outbreak and had been isolating at home during their infectious period.

More than 21,000 Victorians were tested in the past 24 hours – down from Thursday’s number of more than 30,000 swabs and Wednesday’s staggering figure of 40,000.

The health department said the number of active cases was 27.

Meanwhile, the WA government upgraded Victoria to a “medium” risk – meaning Victorians cannot enter unless they have an exemption.

“If permitted entry, Victorians must self-quarantine at a “suitable premises” for 14 days. If this is not possible, arrivals will be directed to a government approved quarantine facility at their own expense.

“Approved travellers are subject to a COVID-19 test within 48 hours of arrival and on day 11 of quarantine, or at any point when symptoms develop. A mask must be worn while travelling to and from the COVID Clinic,” the WA government website stated.

PM’S INTERNATIONAL BORDER REVEAL

It is “very possible” Australia’s borders could open to the world once the nation’s COVID-19 vaccine program is completed, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

Asked if he was confident that this could occur once all Australians receive the jab or the federal government’s vaccine rollout is finished, Mr Morrison said: “I’ve always been confident about taking one step at a time when it comes to managing the virus.
“I’m confident that as we move through the vaccination process, we can significantly change how things are down here in Australia and the very suggestion you’ve made is very possible but I have never got ahead of myself on this.”

He believed it was a “reasonable expectation” that as COVID-19 vaccines are distributed here and across the world, Australia’s management of the virus would change.

“Why? Because the risk of someone getting seriously ill is addressed,” he said.

The Federal Government hopes to have all Australian adults vaccinated against COVID-19 by October.

Mr Morrison said he along with chief medical officer Paul Kelly would take the Pfizer vaccine, while NSW Premier and federal Health Minister Greg Hunt would receive the AstraZeneca jab.

“These are all great vaccines,” Mr Morrison said.

“They’re not better than each other but it is important for us as leaders – and this is my health advice that I demonstrate – I’m happy to get it, I think it is important people understand it is safe.”

VICTORIA RECORDS THREE NEW CASES

Victorian health officials are still waiting on the result of an indeterminate test result in a man from an aged care facility.

The case, which wasn’t added to Wednesday’s daily numbers of zero locally acquired infections, remains under investigation by health authorities.

The state’s COVID response commander Jeroen Weimar confirmed on Thursday a fourth test taken by the man still wasn’t conclusive.

The man, who presented to hospital from the Twin Parks Aged Care facility in Reservoir, twice tested negative before he returned a “weak positive” result.

The health department said the man was a positive case from August last year.

They said he had no links to any cases from the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn cluster and the test result was thought to be “persistent shedding from a previous infection”.

Victorians are being urged to get tested after viral fragments were detected in seven suburbs. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Another test was taken on Thursday before a final determination on his status will be made by the expert review panel.

“All the precautionary measures are already in place should the expert review panel determine otherwise,” the department said.

It comes as viral fragments were detected in wastewater samples from seven Melbourne suburbs with no active coronavirus fragments.

Wastewater testing has revealed “weak detections” viral fragments of COVID-19 in Wantirna South and Boronia on February 15 and Carrum Downs, Langwarrin, St Kilda, Caulfield and Caulfield North on February 16.

Anyone who has any symptoms of COVID-19 and lives in or has visited the areas has been urged to get tested.

LOCATIONS FOR FIRST COVID JABS ANNOUNCED

Thousands of aged care residents at more than 240 facilities across Australia will be among the first to receive a COVID vaccine from next week, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed.

The rollout will begin with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, and following the approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on Tuesday, will include the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine from early March.

The initial priority groups include aged care and disability care residents and workers, frontline healthcare workers, and quarantine and border workers.

The rollout with begin with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Picture: AFP

“Australia will begin rolling out the COVID-19 Vaccination program from next week,” Mr Hunt said on Thursday.

“This week the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has arrived in the country and the TGA has approved the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine. These are two outstanding vaccines that will be available to people in Australia free of charge.”

Frontline healthcare workers and quarantine and border workers will receive the vaccine through Pfizer hubs run by states and territories. In addition, a Commonwealth led in-reach vaccination workforce will ensure residential aged care and disability care residents and staff receive their vaccines.

MASS VACCINATION SITE PLAN

Mass COVID vaccination sites are likely to be set up by state governments in major cities and large regional areas when there are enough stocks of COVID-19 vaccine available.

GPs were told about the large scale sites, similar to the ones successfully run by Israel, which has vaccinated over 75 per cent of its population, during a briefing from the federal health department on Thursday morning.

“I think we will see that states will set up in the larger metro areas and some of the bigger Metro, some of the bigger regional areas some reasonably large scale clinics that we’ll be able to deliver some of those efficiencies” Dr Allison Jones Acting Assistant Secretary, COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce, Department of Health said.

Doctors were also warned in the briefing that they will not be allowed to prioritise their own patients for COVID jabs when the rollout starts but will have to deliver them to any eligible patient that seeks an appointment.

Australian GPs were told about the large scale vaccination sites, similar to the ones successfully run by Israel. Picture: AFP

“You cannot limit your vaccine offer to your own patients, especially in the earliest stages of the rollout when there’s going to be a limited number of practices that are offering high throughput vaccine access,” Dr Lucas de Toca Acting First Assistant Secretary, Primary Care Response to COVID-19, Department of Health told GPs.

Initially only a “handful” of GP practices will be picked to deliver the vaccine because there will not be enough stock to allow every clinic to take part in the program, departmental officials said.

More than 5400 GP clinics have applied to take part in the vaccine rollout but just two weeks before the rollout starts the department is still checking the applications to decide which will get the go ahead for the initial rollout.

This decision will be announced in the next few days, departmental officials said.

One of the issues that will be taken into account is the distance of the GP clinics from the state government vaccine hubs that will be providing the Pfizer vaccine.

It is vital to make sure that some regions are not overserviced while others miss out on having a vaccination point, the officials said.

NEW ‘WEAK POSITIVE’ CASE LINKED TO MELBOURNE AGED CARE HOME

Victorian health authorities say a man has been taken to hospital with a “weak positive” case of COVID-19.

The man from the Twin Parks Aged Care Facility in Reservoir in Melbourne’s north, was a positive case from last August and the low positive may be from the past infection.

“This case has not been added to the numbers as it is still under investigation,” the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement on Thursday.

“The result is thought to represent persistent shedding from a previous infection. He has no links to cases at the Holiday Inn.”

The case was retested on Wednesday and will be reviewed by an expert panel.

Staff and residents at the Twin Parks Aged Care Facility have been tested as a precaution.

Melbourne has just emerged from a snap five-day lockdown. Picture: Getty Images

PFIZER ROLLOUT ‘ON TRACK’

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine rollout is “on track” to begin next week after more than 142,000 doses arrived on Monday, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said.

Dr Kelly urged Australians that when it was their turn to receive the jab to “light up and get it”.

He said both the Pfizer jab, and AstraZeneca’s vaccine which was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration on Tuesday would “save lives”.

“Both the AstraZeneca and the Pfizer vaccine show very strong protection against a severe disease and death in relation to COVID-19,” Dr Kelly said.

“They work, they are safe, and they are coming very soon, next week for our priority populations, and very soon for the wider community as well.”

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine rollout is “on track” to begin next week after more than 142,000 doses arrived on Monday, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Dr Kelly conceded it would be “a challenge” to achieve high rates of vaccination among the population.

But he was confident Australians would see the benefits of receiving the jab.

He said the UK was using both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines and as the rollout progressed there had been a “very large and rapid drop in hospitalisations and death” in the country.

“How much of that is related to the actual vaccine will remain to be seen, but we believe we will get strong information about that in the coming weeks.”

Dr Kelly also commended Victoria, which lifted its five-day lockdown at 11.59pm on Wednesday.

“That really is a great credit to everyone that has been involved in the contact tracing, the testing, and those that have been in isolation and in lockdown through this period,” he said.

Melbourne is no longer be deemed a hotspot by the Federal Government.