Two children test negative for coronavirus after prompting childcare centre shutdown
Two children who prompted the shutdown of a childcare centre in Melbourne’s west after they were feared to have COVID-19, have tested negative. It comes after warnings the state’s coronavirus risk is far from over after a new spike in cases.
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Two children who prompted the shutdown of a childcare centre this week after they were feared to have COVID-19 have tested negative to the virus.
The Learning Sanctuary Yarraville confirmed the children, who are from the same family, had been cleared this afternoon.
“The Learning Sanctuary Yarraville has today been notified by the Victorian Public Health Unit that two children from the same family who attended the Centre were tested and confirmed not to have novel coronavirus (COVID-19),” a statement from the centre read.
It also stated the centre had undergone a professional deep clean and would re-open again on Friday.
“We have been advised that it is safe for the Centre to re-open and we look forward to welcoming our families back from tomorrow morning,” the statement said.
“We take the health and wellbeing of all children in our care and our team extremely seriously and are committed to ensuring the highest standards are maintained.”
– Alanah Frost
ALLEGED CRIMINALS FINED AFTER NEW VIRUS SPIKE
Thieves were among the 43 people hit with fines for failing to obey Victoria’s strict stay at home orders in the past 24 hours.
Criminals including thieves and drug offenders were hit with $1652 fines for coronavirus breaches.
Six males were also fined after multiple warnings to leave a public area.
Another four males were fined for loitering in an industrial area for no reason.
Vacant industrial premises have been a major target for crooks during lockdowns.
Teams of police and PSOs are patrolling these areas at night to prevent burglaries.
It comes as Victorians have been warned the state’s coronavirus risk is far from over after a relative spike in cases following a cluster at an aged care facility.
Seven new patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 1361.
The Hawthorn Grange facility is understood to be in lockdown as other residents undergo testing.
Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton also advocated for increased testing of Victorian children, in a bid to reach Daniel Andrews’ lofty goal of 100,000 more tests before May 11.
“I’d like to see more kids tested, part of the reason we haven’t got data on kids is because they have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all,” he told 3AW.
“I’d like to see parents brings their kids as well — if a parent and child both have symptoms, get everyone tested.”
He also addressed the government’s decision to keep schools closed for the remainder of Term 2, adding the situation is still a developing one.
“The main concern for schools is what our overall community cases are. Knowing the situation for kids, that’s really important intelligence.”
However, Prof Sutton also noted the state’s so far “remarkable job” in combating the spread of COVID-19.
“Our daily case numbers are still low which is encouraging,” he said.
“They prove that our physical distancing measures are working but this is not a time to relax our strong approach – this disease can get away from you very quickly as we have seen overseas.”
Stonnington Council has the highest number of confirmed cases, with 89 people testing positive.
Melbourne City Council has had 69 confirmed cases.
Victoria’s latest cases include one from community transmission, according to Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville.
“Again the message is very clear even if you have the mildest of symptoms then get tested,’ she said.
“If we can get to that 100,000 figure of testing that will obviously give us the data we need.”
All up 115,000 test have been carried out so far as part of the testing blitz – with 4000 people tested in the past 24 hours.
Police are also still carrying out regular checks on people in quarantine and forced isolation including 646 in the past 24 hours.
Frustratingly, authorities issued 42 fines for people not at home.
The figures come as the government is expanding the Hotels for Heroes program for frontline workers to self isolate away from family.
The program will also now be open to firefighters and police.
Ms Neville said police had “ a much higher exposure risk” with 14 police currently isolating.
– Aneeka Simonis
NEW ISOLATION OPTIONS FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS
Frontline workers who fear they have been exposed to COVID-19 will have the opportunity to stay in hotels or apartments.
Minister for Child Protection Luke Donellan said workers in aged care facilities and disability accommodation will be able to use these services.
“It’s important that these people who have potential risk to COVID-19 have the opportunity to isolate safely,” he told the media this morning.
The housing also includes the primary care network, hospital labs, Aboriginal organisations and community based pharmacies.
“This is very much ensuring the continuity of service so we can ensure services can continue and we don’t have outbreaks in disability accommodation.”
– Kara Irving
CHILDCARE CENTRE CLOSED AFTER CORONAVIRUS SCARE
Two dozen staff at Sunshine Hospital Sunshine Hospital and contact tracing was last night underway after a patient tested positive last week.
The patient was admitted to the emergency department last Thursday for an emergency procedure and was not showing symptoms at the time.
The person then developed a mild cough over the weekend and returned a positive test result. No other patients were identified as close contacts of the patient.
Three more confirmed coronavirus cases pushed the state’s total to 1354 yesterday and a woman in her 80s became the 18th person to die from the virus in Victoria.
Across the state on Wednesday, 18 people were in hospital and nine were in intensive care.
More than 111,000 tests have been conducted so far, and the government said this week a “massive expansion” of testing to get a clearer picture of the population’s asymptomatic caseload would be undertaken before the state of emergency was reviewed on May 11.
The easing of restrictions will be discussed at National Cabinet tomorrow, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison indicated some measures would be lifted earlier than previously expected.
He said international travel, other than to New Zealand, was banned for the time being but he hoped domestic travel would be allowed.
“I look forward to the time when Australians can travel again within Australia,” Mr Morrison said.
“I look forward to the time where they can sit down for a meal at a restaurant or a cafe or a pub again.
“I look forward to the time where they can see, whether it is the AFL, the netball, the NRL or whatever code they support, and being able to watch that again.
“But I can’t see them going along to a game for a while, those larger mass gatherings.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly on Wednesday said the country was “on a countdown” to easing the physical distancing restrictions following a meeting of the AHPPC.
He said the decisions would depend on three precedents, including low case numbers, the ability to respond to outbreaks swiftly and new laboratory testing.
“Over the next few weeks — and as we get closer to that May 11 target and after that as well — there will be many announcements about changes in the way we’ll be living our lives and hopefully getting back to some sort of new normality in living in a COVID-19-safe society,” Prof Kelly said.
A second wave of cases was possible but Australia would be ready to confront it.
“If a second wave does occur we’ll deal with it quickly and we’ll respond to it,” he said.
MOVE TO BLOCK HOARDING OF MALARIA DRUG
The State Government has moved to block what it says is inappropriate stockpiling of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine.
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said “unsubstantiated claims” the drug could be used to treat COVID-19 had led to a shortage for people who really need it.
As a result, the government on Wednesday night issued an order limiting the sale and supply of hydroxychloroquine to medical practitioners or dentists continuing to treat patients for a registered indication.
Businessman and former politician Clive Palmer ran newspaper advertisements this week spruiking the purchase of 32.9 million doses of hydroxychloroquine through his Palmer Foundation.
BUNNINGS, SHOPPING CENTRES TO OFFER MOBILE VIRUS TESTING
Sausage sizzles are out but Bunnings is now turning its hand to another important service: coronavirus testing.
The hardware chain will have mobile testing available at some of its carparks as part of a State Government initiative.
A pilot site will start Thursday at West Footscray Bunnings before expanding to other stores across Victoria.
Bunnings managing director Mike Schneider said the testing will take place in the car park away from the store and will be completely independent from Bunnings.
“This new initiative is just another way we are supporting the government and the community to help us tackle COVID-19 together,” he said.
Testing sites will also be set up in shopping centres as the state pushes ahead with its unprecedented testing blitz.
Six new mobile test sites will open on Thursday with anyone showing mild symptoms urged to come forward.
In addition to Bunnings West Footscray, Pacific Werribee, Pacific Epping, Watergardens Town Centre, Westfield Fountain Gate and Bayside Shopping Centre in Frankston are also on the list.
Four new mobile coronavirus testing sites opened yesterday at Chadstone, Doncaster, Highpoint and Northland shopping centres.
So far 110,000 tests have been carried out in Victoria and Premier Daniel Andrews has said there is capacity to test up to 12,000 people a day.
Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos people with a fever, chills, shortness of breath, cough, sore throat, loss of sense of smell, or a runny nose qualify.
“This massive testing blitz will give us the best information about how this virus is spreading in the community – and I encourage anyone with even the mildest of symptoms to help us out and go get themselves tested,” she said.
“These new mobile testing sites are located at shopping centres around Melbourne to make it as easy as possible for people to get tested – and there will be more coming online across the state.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the aim was to ensure community transmissions were not occurring.
“This is about taking the testing to where people are out in the community,” he said.
“The more people we test the more.”
SCHOOLS SPLIT OVER FEDERAL FUNDING
Independent and Catholic schools are split over whether to accept $3 billion in fast-tracked federal funding as the state government insists returning classes to normal is “reckless”.
Non-government schools have to decide on Friday whether to accept federal Education Minister Dan Tehan’s offer, in exchange for fully reopening classrooms by June 1 and committing to bringing at least half of their students back to campuses.
TOP VICTORIAN SCHOOLS KNOCK BACK FEDERAL DEMANDS
HAPPY TO END HOME SQUEEZE
Balwyn mother of three Vikki Bogdanovski is keen for her daughters to be back in the classroom.
“It’s very difficult to run a household and run an office and be on site while the girls are learning from home,” she said.
Ms Bogdanovksi, a building designer, runs Landmarc Developments and Cheapa Bathrooms with her husband Marc, a builder.
Their older girls, Kristy, 14, and April, 11, are at Ruyton Girls’ School, and have been off campus since March 19. The youngest, Erica, is in prep at Sacred Heart Primary in Kew.
“The girls are very self-driven but they are missing the interaction with friends and teachers,” she said.
Ms Bogdanovski said the federal government offer to bring forward funding could be a good incentive.
“It might induce the schools to open a bit earlier,” she said.
Ilse du Toit, a Camberwell GP, welcomes the reopening of schools at the right time.
Her sons Henri and Nikki, at Trinity Grammar, were studying well at home.
“But they are missing the interaction with other students and the extra-curricular activities,” she said. “In terms of keeping each other safe, going back to school is not a big risk for the children.”
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