Greater Geelong records one new Covid case; one Colac resident in hospital
A massage therapist in Westfield Shopping Centre, the Corio Bay Health Group in Geelong and a Drysdale GP clinic are among a growing list of Covid exposure sites in the region.
Geelong
Don't miss out on the headlines from Geelong. Followed categories will be added to My News.
EVERYONE at Westfield Shopping Centre during a four-hour period on Monday must get a Covid test and isolate until a negative result is received.
Geelong’s major shopping centre is a tier 2 exposure site on September 27 between 12pm and 4pm.
Meanwhile five more Covid exposure sites across the region were added to a growing list on Thursday night.
The Body and Balance massage therapist in the Westfield Shopping Centre has been listed as a tier 1 exposure site.
That means anyone at the venue on September 27 between 1pm and 3pm will need to get tested immediately and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
Anyone at the Corio Bay Health Group at 283 Latrobe Terrace, Geelong on September
25 between 9:50am and 11:30am will have to do the same.
Meanwhile Drysdale Clinic has self reported as a a tier one exposure site after a positive Covid case attended the medical centre.
“At this stage we are awaiting advice from the Department of Health and we will keep you informed by this (Facebook) page,” a statement from the clinic said.
“If you have an appointment booked, our staff will contact you to discuss your options.”
The clinic said it was contacting all patients who had been at the clinic during the exposure period.
Other tier 2 exposure sites include:
— APCO Service Station Newcomb, 64 Portarlington Road, Newcomb - September 27 between 5:05pm and 5:40pm;
— The Scandinavian Ice Cream Company on Hesse St, Queenscliff (Sept 26 1:45pm - 2:30pm)
— Oh My Buddha clothing store on Hesse St, Queenscliff (Sept 26 2:04pm- 2:40pm); and
— Born & Bread Bakehouse at Shop 2, 364 Pakington Street, Newtown (Sept 27 11.55am -12.35)
Born & Bread management took to social media to explain their situation.
“(On Thursday night) we got the call all small business owners are dreading. DHHS telling us we are a Tier 2 exposure site.
“All team members and customers who were present during this time period need to get tested first thing (Friday) and isolate until they receive a negative result.
“We are always very diligent in our cleaning procedures and follow covid safe protocols.
“We will be opening late (Friday) after conducting another thorough clean and sanitisation.”
ONE COVID CASE GREATER GEELONG, ONE COLAC RESIDENT IN HOSPITAL
A Colac resident has been hospitalised with Covid as Victoria hit a record for new daily cases, surging past 1000 for the first time in the pandemic.
Infections surged from 950 new locally acquired cases reported on Wednesday to 1438 on Thursday.
Barwon Health said only one new case had been identified in Geelong, after Department of Health originally listed two for the region.
Geelong bus company McHarry’s confirmed it was advised one of its maintenance employees tested positive for Covid.
“Members of the public are not deemed to have been exposed,” McHarry’s said.
McHarry’s Buslines (workshop division) at 6 Reeves Court, Breakwater was deemed a tier one exposure site between 7am and 5pm on Monday.
One new case was reported for Colac-Otway, which Colac Area Health announced Wednesday.
That person has been admitted to Geelong hospital.
Barwon Health said it had 12 Covid positive inpatients, seven of which are in ICU.
“Eleven patients are from metropolitan Melbourne and one patient is from Colac,” spokeswoman Kate Bibby said.
It’s the understood the Colac patient was not in intensive care.
Two exposure sites have listed in Colac.
Coles Colac Plaza at Cnr Bromfield & Queen St, Colac was on Thursday listed as a tier two exposure site on September 26 from 6pm-7.30pm.
McDonald’s Colac at 261 Murray Street, Colac is a tier two exposure site on September 27 between 6.30pm and 8pm.
Pharmacy 4 Less Belmont at 145 High St, Belmont was deemed a tier two exposure site for September 26 between 5.15pm and 6.15pm.
Anyone who attended the above sites during the times listed should get tested and isolate until they receive confirmation of a negative result.
Premier Dan Andrews has blamed people breaking the rules for the staggering spike in coronavirus cases.
The Premier said many of the cases were “completely avoidable”.
“Actual interviews tell us that many hundreds of people, perhaps thousands of people, have made some choices that meant they’re spending time, not in their own home but in someone else’s home.
“And that’s how we know this virus spreads, that’s how this virus gets across the community.
Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said 50 per cent of the increase in numbers was down to social gatherings last weekend.
“The contact tracers tell us that there have been significant numbers of social gatherings on Friday and Saturday, over a long weekend – grand final parties, other social gatherings, barbecues, backyard visits,” he said.
“A third of our cases are due directly to those different types of social gatherings, as people have dropped their guard and decided now it’s the grand final weekend, it’s the long weekend, we deserve a bit of a pay back.
“That has now translated into the additional 500 cases from what we expected to see today.”
Greater Geelong recorded two new Covid cases, according to health department data.
Mr Andrews also announced the interval between Pfizer appointments at state hubs, including Barwon Health’s site at the former Ford factory in Norlane, would be reduced from six to three weeks from Monday.
It comes after the state government increased the gap between Pfizer doses at state sites in August in a bid to ramp up the rollout.
GPs continued to administer Pfizer doses at three week intervals.
Mr Andrews said changes in the vaccine booking system will be made overnight on October 3 and on October 4 people will be able to make a second dose booking from three weeks after they had their first dose.
Ms Andrews said there were limited appointments available in the state system due to supply, and the state government encouraged anyone wanting to book an appointment to check with their GP and pharmacy too.
Geelong bus company McHarry’s confirmed it was on Thursday advised one of our maintenance employees has tested positive for Covid.
After noticing symptoms on Monday, the employee got tested and isolated pending results.
“Members of the public are not deemed to have been exposed,” McHarry’s said.
The bus company’s workshop division at 6 Reeves Court, Breakwater was deemed a tier one exposure site between 7am and 5pm on Monday.
Five new deaths were also announced by the Victorian health department on Thursday.
It takes the death toll of the outbreak to 41 and the number of Victorians who have lost their lives to Covid-19 to 861.
More Coverage
Originally published as Greater Geelong records one new Covid case; one Colac resident in hospital
Join the conversation
St Joseph’s College students celebrate year 12 graduation
The Geelong region’s graduating classes of 2024 are celebrating the end of their high schooling. Check out all of the photo galleries here.
Read more
Big jump in City Hall executive payments
As the current Geelong council gets set to convene for the final time, a more than 25 per cent jump in the amount paid to City Hall’s most senior figures has been recorded.
Read more