Ballarat confirms eight new cases, but will the town lockdown?

Ballarat confirmed eight Covid cases on Wednesday as an expert gives advice on whether the region will return to lockdown.

Ballarat has recorded eight new Covid cases on Wednesday including one mystery case.

It comes after health authorities said it was not likely the region would return to lockdown on Tuesday.

There are now 29 active cases in Ballarat, following seven cases revealed on Tuesday.

Schnitz Ballarat, and Groundworks cafe in Stockland Wendouree have both been listed as Tier 1 exposure sites.

Schnitz Ballarat in Sturt St was exposed between 1.30pm and 2.45pm on Friday October 2.

Groundworks cafe was exposed between 9.50am-.430pm on October 2; 10.50am-12.50pm on the October 3, and 8.50am-12.30pm on October 4.

Health authorities ask anyone who visited either location during those times to get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from the exposure.

Ballarat’s eight new cases joins 80 cases across regional Victoria and 1420 positive cases state wide over the past 24 hours.

Three of Ballarat’s new cases are household primary close contacts of known cases, an additional three are disability workers that the state government is working with, and one was linked to a party in Point Cook

Victorian Covid Commander Jeroen Weimar said they weren’t a huge concern, but there was one new mystery case in Ballarat they would continue to investigate.

The Victorian Government has sent out rapid response testing teams to contain regional outbreaks

As part of the response extra testing facilities have been opened in Ballarat, Bacchus Marsh and Ararat.

Associate Professor Rosemary Aldrich Clinical Director Grampians Public Health Unit (GPHU) Ballarat Health Services said Ballarat was unlikely to go back into lockdown.

Health authorities say there is no reason for alarm with Ballarat’s cases linked to known outbreaks.

And most of the new cases were in quarantine when they were diagnosed.

Although she said it was premature to speculate, Rosemary Aldrich from Ballarat Health Services said the region was unlikely to go back into lockdown.

“The story behind the numbers (show) we are not seeing unexpected, unexposed transmissions in our community,” she said.

“There is a lot of cost associated with lockdown, the chief health officer weighs that against the benefit.

“While we have Covid we will continue to have exposure sites.”

At least 82.3 per cent of eligible Victorians have now received a single dose of the Covid vaccine with 52.6 per cent fully vaccinated.

Professor Aldrich said she wanted to see more young people getting vaccinated.

“Most numbers across the state with Covid are in young people, so we are calling on younger people to come get vaccinated,” she said.

Victorian Covid Commander Jeroen Weimar said the government would continue to monitor close contacts across the region.