Fears as Melbourne aged-care resident returns mystery COVID-19 test
Authorities are responding to a potential coronavirus case at an aged care facility in Melbourne’s north after a resident returned a mystery inconclusive test. It comes as Cedar Meats staff return to work following its coronavirus outbreak.
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Authorities are responding to a potential coronavirus case at an aged care facility in Melbourne’s north after a resident returned an inconclusive test.
The case was discovered at Villa Maria Aged Care Facility in Bundoora after a resident developed mild flu-like symptoms and was isolated.
The Department of Health and Human Services responds to every inconclusive test as if it were positive and contact tracing is underway.
Staff have been wearing full protective equipment and are informing residents and families while contact tracing and other safety precautions are underway.
The case was one of six new confirmed COVID-19 cases announced Monday.
DIRE FORECAST FOR MELBOURNE’S UNIVERSITIES REVEALED
International student numbers may not fully recover in Victoria until 2023, with the head of Monash University warning it could take years for enrolments to return to normal.
Speaking before a parliamentary inquiry in the government’s response to COVID-19, Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Gardner AC said the university would be under severe pressure for years to come.
“In 2020 alone we are forecasting a revenue downturn of approximately $350 million,” she said.
“This shortfall for this year is just the beginning of the impacts of reduced enrolments and declining economic activity.”
Revenue for the university’s pathways college, which teaches English and diploma courses, has fallen by 40 per cent.
Professor Gardner said these problems get worse next year as the pipeline for student enrolments dried up.
“We do not expect to experience any real effects of recovery until 2023,” she said.
“The biggest issue that we have dealt with is actually the hardship that our students are experiencing because of a lack of employment.
“Monash put in place a $15 million financial and compassionate hardship fund for all our students, domestic and international, and to date we’ve had over 16,000 applications to that fund.
“Of which, over 13,000 were international students.”
Professor Gardner said this would have a spillover effect on the economy.
“For every dollar that an international student is spending inside a university there’s effectively two of those dollars being spent in the broader community,” she said.
– Kieran Rooney
NEW SCHOOLS AT CENTRE OF CONSTRUCTION COMEBACK
Ten new schools will be built and old classrooms revamped in $1.18 billion in education works. Education Minister James Merlino said the new schools and extra classrooms would deliver space for 21,000 more students and create 1600 construction jobs. The package includes $438m to build the 10 new schools and $388m for upgrade and modernisation works at 57 sites.
It comes after the Herald Sun today revealed a massive construction blitz to bring shovel-ready projects forward and support the state’s economy.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the program’s would deliver thousands of jobs.
“It’s very important that we under pin demand,” he said.
“There’s never been a better time to invest in these jobs.”
Victoria recorded eight new cases overnight but two previous cases were reclassified, bringing the state’s total up by six to 1567.
Of the new cases, two were close contacts of other infections and one of these was linked to the McDonald’s outbreak.
Another three cases are in hotel quarantine and the remaining three are under investigation.
CEDAR MEATS REOPENS AFTER OUTBREAK
About twenty staff were allowed back at Cedar Meats today, a spokeswoman for the company has confirmed.
In a statement, the spokeswoman said “15-20 max staff recommenced work today” at the meatworks.
Those allowed back at the site have been “cleared by DHHS” and are workers from the cold-storage area.
Other safety measures have also been enforced, including staggered finishing times for the two main production areas and swab testing of high-touch spaces, such as door handles.
“The factory has been deep cleaned by external cleaners from a COVID-19 perspective,” the spokeswoman added.
“Cedar Meats will continue working with DHHS to plan how it moves forwards on reopening the rest of its operations.”
MORE NEWS:
CEDAR MEATS TO REOPEN AS NUMBER OF CASES NEARS 100
VICTORIA RELAXES RESTAURANT RESTRICTIONS
TRUE HEALTH COST OF LOCKDOWN REVEALED
12 MCDONALD’S RESTAURANTS CLOSE DUE TO VIRUS CONTACT
McDonald’s Australia will close and deep clean 12 restaurants in Victoria after a truck driver for an external service provider tested positive for COVID-19.
A spokesman for McDonald’s Australia explained the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution”.
“The truck driver made deliveries to 12 restaurants and interacted with a small number of restaurant employees on each occasion while asymptomatic and unaware they had contracted COVID-19.”
They confirmed potential close contacts and employees who worked shifts during and after the truck drivers’ delivery have been told not to return to work for 14 days and advised to be tested.
“The Department of Health has identified the truck driver as a workplace close contact of the previously announced Craigieburn COVID-19 case.”
“McDonald’s Australia has taken this significant action in the best interests of the health and safety of our employees and our customers.”
“We will open each of the restaurants following completion of the deep clean and pending the availability of replacement crew.”
The spokesman also confirmed no other employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at this time.
The news comes after 10 cases were linked to an outbreak at a McDonald’s outlet in Fawkner.
FULL LIST OF RESTAURANTS TO CLOSE:
Melton East
Laverton North
Yallambie
Taylors Lakes
Campbellfield
Sunbury
Hoppers Crossing
Riverdale Village
Sandown
Calder Highway Northbound/Outbound
Calder Highway Southbound/Inbound
BP Rockbank Service Centre Outbound
PARTY-GOERS FLOUT RESTRICTIONS
A group of partygoers were among 11 people issued with fines yesterday.
Victoria Police conducted 736 spot checks in the last 24 hours, including at homes and businesses, as part of the state’s lockdown rules.
More than 47,000 checks have been made by police since March 21.
A Victoria Police spokesman said the group were caught at a short term rental property.
PIZZA SHOP, BEDDING FACTORY CLOSE FOR CLEANING
Victoria recorded seven new cases on Sunday, taking the total to 1561, with two linked to Cedar Meats, which will reopen on Monday.
A Domino’s pizza shop in Fairfield and The Comfort Group, a mattress manufacturer in Deer Park, have been closed as authorities investigate links to coronavirus cases.
There are 11 patients in hospital, including seven in intensive care. Police issued 16 fines in the 24 hours to Saturday night, including to a group visiting the Twelve Apostles.
CHANGE TO HOW WE DINE
Diners will have to leave their phone numbers when they are allowed to eat in cafes, restaurants and pubs from next month so they can be contacted if there is a coronavirus outbreak.
From June 1, hospitality venues will be able to serve meals to 20 customers at a time, as long as tables are 1.5m apart.
Premier Daniel Andrews said yesterday the limit would be increased to 50 from June 22 and 100 from mid-July — as long as there were no uncontrolled outbreaks before then.
Only table service will be allowed, and walk-up service at bars will be banned.
The government is also preparing to switch its message from “stay home” to “stay safe” next month, but Mr Andrews said people had to keep working from home if they could.
“We can’t have millions of people moving across our state touching elevator buttons or opening front doors,” he said.
“We probably won’t be able to return to work as we know it for some time.”
Other safety measures for cafes, restaurants and pubs will include temperature testing of staff before shifts, improved cleaning, and bans on communal food, cutlery, water stations and condiments.
The Australian Hotels Association is telling venues to ditch self-service buffets, install bollards and directional arrows, and only offer single-use menus or display them on boards or screens.