‘Serious situation’: Fresh warning for hotspot suburbs as Victoria records 535 new coronavirus cases and one death
A fresh warning has been issued to people living in Melbourne’s hotspot suburbs, while a women’s hospital has been listed as a Tier 1 site, forcing 100 patients into isolation.
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Melbourne’s northern suburbs account for 295 of the state’s 535 new coronavirus cases, with authorities offering a fresh warning to people in the area.
Deputy secretary of Covid response, Kate Matson, said the region made up 55 per cent of the latest infections, with 62 in Craigieburn alone.
“Craigieburn is one of the most serious situations in terms of case numbers. From yesterday’s numbers, it is more than double the next suburb, being Roxburgh Park of 28 cases (and) Meadow Heights (with) 25 cases.
“We now have over 2500 active cases in those northern suburbs … we are establishing pop-ups in that area for vaccination.
“Please come forward and get that jab, so that we can try and drive the case numbers down in Craigieburn.”.
There are 183 new cases in Melbourne’s west and 38 cases in the southeast.
Sadly, a Shepparton woman aged in her 70s, died from Covid.
Of the latest infections, just 62 have so far been linked to known cases and outbreaks.
In total, 45,537 vaccines were administered on Thursday and 61,622 test results received.
The state now hosts 4,974 active cases.
However, 71 per cent of eligible Victorians have had at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
Seventy-seven per cent of infected Victorians are under the age of 50.
There are now 207 people in hospital with coronavirus, 56 are in intensive care and 40 are on a ventilator.
A total of fifteen new cases were detected in regional Victoria.
Two cases, household contacts of previously known cases have been detected in Ballarat.
Responding to a question about whether the state’s contract traces had been overrun, Health Minister Martin Foley said the numbers were still growing across regional Victoria and Melbourne.
“I don’t think it indicates the system being overwhelmed, it indicates the system is clearly under pressure,” he said.
Mr Foley said the road map would “drive hope, recovery and manage our way through what is still going to be a challenging period ahead”.
However, he said case numbers were a factor in the state’s road map, to be announced on Sunday
“There’s always work going on...that cause us to look how it is that we go about dealing with that aspirational road map to get us to the other side of this,” he said.
“The measures will be safe, they will be achievable and they will be in line with the national cabinet plan.
“Victorians are doing an outstanding job in wanting to come forward and get vaccinated.”
MERCY HOSPITAL FOR WOMEN NAMED TIER 1 SITE
More than 100 women have been told to isolate after a hospital in Melbourne’s north east was identified as a Tier 1 exposure site.
An asymptomatic patient visited the Mercy Hospital for Women’s outpatient clinic during her infectious period.
The Herald Sun understands many of the women who were instructed to isolate are pregnant.
“Mercy Health has contacted patients and staff who were considered to be at risk of exposure and who were in the area at the time,” a hospital spokesman said.
“The hospital is taking an exceptionally cautious approach and in line with Department of Health advice has advised any patient at risk to get tested and isolate for 14 days.”
NEW PLEA FROM PHARMACISTS AMID ROLL OUT
Pharmacists say they are burning out as they battle at the coalface of the Covid pandemic, dispensing vaccines and increasingly dealing with aggravated and mentally unstable customers.
Victorian pharmacists have been catapulted onto the frontline of the Covid crisis, as the government races to hit its vaccination targets.
Moderna vaccines will become available in pharmacies from Monday.
The majority of Priceline pharmacies will be among those offering the new jab from the start of the week, and significant levels of supply are expected by the end of the month.
But Victorian president of Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Anthony Tassone, said there had been a recent spike in “unacceptable behaviour” towards staff.
“We’re the most accessible … and been open – face-to-face – to care for the public throughout the pandemic,” he said.
“Customers can forget we’re ordinary people. We’re all in the same storm.”
Mr Tassone said the government’s handling of the vaccine rollout was challenging.
“It’s frustrating having to correct misinformation put into the public by the government and health representatives,” he said.
“It really wears you down.”
Zenah Bashour, a pharmacist at Chandra Pharmacy in Doncaster East, said she has seen a “massive deterioration” in the mental health of regular customers.
“I’ve noticed a lot of our elderly customers have started to develop severe anxiety and even dementia,” she said.
“They’re used to looking after their grandkids, catching up with friends and going for long walks.
“A lot of young people come in crying and panicking … it’s awful to see.”
Ms Bashour said she had also witnessed “severe relapses” in customers who had previously been diagnosed with mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
“They can’t even come in to pick up their medication, it’s like they’ve had the life sucked out of them,” she said.
As a result of long waiting times to see psychologists, pharmacists were often having to console those who came in distressed.
“We put an expectation on ourselves to put our patients first … but I’m so emotionally exhausted by the end of the day,” Ms Bashour said.
“We’re not trained (in psychology). All we want to do is help them but we don’t know how.”
And constant calls to chemists seeking information about vaccines were exhausting.
“Every 45 seconds the phone will ring with questions about the vaccines – which one, how to book. It is so full on,” Ms Bashour said.
Mr Tassone said that without pharmacies, there would be more people sitting at home, waiting for a vaccine, they didn’t know they could get.
Over-the-counter medicine brand, Chemists’ Own has partnered with Mental Health Foundation Australia to highlight the mental wellbeing of pharmacists. The Foundation will host a special event, National Walk for Mental Health, in October.
The arrival of Moderna at pharmacies across the city will help speed up the state’s push to reach higher vaccination levels.
It will also aid the effort to vaccinate children, with the Therapeutic Goods Administration approving the vaccine for adults and those aged 12 to 17.
Priceline Pharmacist Edward Tanzil said he expected take-up to be popular among those who hadn’t yet received any doses.
“With the arrival of this incredible vaccine into Priceline, the community’s access to a Covid-19 Vaccine will now be as easy as it has ever been, and there has never been a better time to get yourself protected than today,” he said.
“It’s been used extensively in the USA, across Europe, and in many parts of Asia.
“Moderna has performed extremely well in terms of safety and viral efficacy and has some of the best protective data available from any Covid-19 Vaccine used globally.”
Mr Tanzil said some people were still confused about where to go for the vaccine and pharmacies were helping to increase access.
“In terms of the numbers, we’re only just getting started, and every day, and every week, our numbers continue to increase,” he said.
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