Bendigo Covid testing sites overwhelmed as regional outbreak grows
Bendigo testing services have once again been overwhelmed by patients seeking Covid tests as the number of exposure sites explodes.
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Bendigo testing services have once again been overwhelmed by patients seeking Covid tests as the number of exposure sites explodes and new cases emerge in regional Victoria.
Health authorities confirmed that the outbreak across regional areas has grown to 225 active cases, with 30 new Covid patients detected in the past 24 hours.
There were nine new cases in Central Victoria, all concentrated in the locked down Mitchell Shire.
No new cases were announced on Wednesday for Bendigo, Gannawarra Shire or the Macedon Ranges.
On Tuesday Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit has confirmed a positive COVID-19 case in Kerang, in the Gannawarra Shire.
There are also four active cases in Greater Bendigo, four active cases in Mount Alexander, 20 active cases in the Macedon Ranges, and 67 active cases in Mitchell Shire.
The demand for Covid testing has exploded as more than 20 businesses are flagged as Tier 1 and 2 exposure sites.
The Bendigo Salvation Army Thrift Shop, Endeavour Hills Early Learning Centre, Fusion Room of Hair and Fruit Shack at Ironbark, were all flagged as Tier 1 sites.
Anyone who visited these location during the exposure periods must get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from the exposure.
A Bendigo restaurants, hairdressers, playgrounds and recycling centres have all been flagged as Tier 2 sites, with customers urged to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.
Bendigo Health said its McLaren St Screening Clinic reached capacity for the day by 3.30pm on Wednesday.
Those needed tests were turned back and asked to return later.
“If you have visited an exposure site, please go home, isolate and present for testing tomorrow,” Bendigo Health said.
The health service has separated high priority cases, including truck drivers and healthcare workers, for early testing on Thursday morning.
“Testing will be open from 8.3am to 10am tomorrow for healthcare workers, trucker drivers and pre-operation tests, walk-in only,” it said.
“Drive-through and walk-in testing will be available to the general public from 10am to 5.30pm.”
On Monday the State Government thanked rapid Covid testing teams for their work in county Victoria, as the regional caseload grew by 12 new cases.
Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar extended his thanks to the mobile testing teams who were called to meet the surge to demand for testing across the regions.
On Monday Mr Weimar said the teams were called to deploy to new areas of concern every few days in a massive campaign to track the regional cases.
He said the mobile testing units were active in Bendigo, Kyneton, Wangaratta, Traralgon, Warrnambool, Shepparton, Ballarat, and Geelong.
Mr Weimar today confirmed there were 12 new regional cases across regional Victoria, a decreasing case load compared to the weekend figures.
On Monday health authorities recorded 705 new cases across the state, with six new cases in Central Victoria.
There were four new cases in the Macedon Ranges, all were household close contacts of a known Covid case.
Two people tested positive for Covid in the locked down Mitchell Shire.
One of the Mitchell Shire cases was an electrician from Wallan who had worked in metro areas.
The other new case was a known close contact.
Mr Weimar said there were no new cases in Bendigo and Shepparton.
There was a new case in Ballarat, a partner of a known case, one new case in Baw Baw and two new cases in Geelong, both known household contacts.
On Sunday, health authorities are desperately trying to test all contacts of a Bendigo construction worker infected with Covid and out in the community.
Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar confirmed there were no new cases of Covid in Bendigo, after a construction worker tested positive on Thursday.
On Friday Mr Wiemar said the infected Bendigo construction from Melbourne had many workplace close contacts and a significant number of exposure sites.
Mr Weimar said there were 27 new cases across the regions, including a new case in Ballarat who was out in the community while infectious.
Mr Weimar said there were 13 new cases in Central Victoria, including a new Macedon Ranges case, three new cases in Campaspe, and a further nine cases were confirmed in the locked down Mitchell Shire.
The new Macedon Ranges case was a transport worker and was likely connected to a known Melbourne cluster.
One of the Campaspe cases is still under investigation.
It comes as infections appear across regional Victoria, with one new case in Baw Baw, five new case in Geelon with two of those known close contacts of existing cases, one new case in Shepparton, two new cases in Moorabool, one new case in Wangaratta and two new case in Wandonga, both household contacts of a known case.
A new case in Moira Shire is still under review to determine if it is a true positive.
Mr Weimar said while some regional centres like Bendigo were leading the vaccination race, there were concerns about regional local government areas with lower protection rates.
A Kyneton Chinese restaurant has been declared a Tier 1 exposure site as more cases are detected across Central Victoria.
The Department of Health said a Covid positive case visited the New Garden Chinese Restaurant on High St from 4.45pm – 9.00pm, Saturday 18 September and from 5.15pm- 7.41pm, Sunday September 19.
Anyone who has visited the restaurant during the exposure times must get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days.
It comes as the health experts list a new exposure site at the Wallan Woolworths, from 11.00am – 11.45am Wednesday, September 15, 4.30pm – 5.15pm Friday September 17, 11.30am – 12.00pm on Monday September 20.
The shopping centre was deemed a Teir 2 exposure site after a Covid positive person visited three times, on Wednesday, Friday and Monday.
Anyone who has visited this location during these times should urgently get tested, then isolate until confirmation of a negative result.
It comes as a new Covid case was detected in Bendigo on Thursday as Victoria records its worst coronavirus case spike to date with 766 new infections overnight.
On Thursday health authorities confirmed eight new cases in the locked down Mitchell Shire, five cases in Macedon Ranges, and one new case in Bendigo.
Mr Weimar said was one case under investigation in Bendigo and it would be updated in the chief health officer's release later in the day.
He said the Bendigo case remained under investigation and more information would be provided on Thursday afternoon.
A Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit spokesman said the new Bendigo case acquired the infection from elsewhere in the state and was isolating.
"The primary close contacts associated with this case have been identified and are quarantining," he said.
The health service said any public exposure sites related to this case would be published on the Department of Health website.
The new Bendigo case comes days after testing clinics were overwhelmed by Central Victorians heading to get tested after an exposure site impacted a major shopping centre, the Bendigo Marketplace.
More than 1200 people were tested the day after the exposure site was revealed, with testing clinics forced to turn back residents within an hour of opening on Monday.
Regional Victoria recorded a total of 21 cases, with other case in Ballarat, four in Bacchus Marsh, one in Mildura, and one on the Surf Coast.
The Ballarat case is a known primary contact who has been isolating for their entire infectious period.
It comes as Ballarat celebrates their first day of freedom after its targeted lockdown, with the city to join the rest of regional Victoria under the eased restrictions.
Ballarat came out of a seven-day lockdown at midnight on Wednesday.
"My thanks to the whole community of Ballarat for their superb work over the past seven days," Mr Weimar said.
The spike in infections comes as four people with Covid died.
It comes the day after health authorities confirmed five new Covid cases in Central Victoria on Wednesday.
Deputy chief health officer Deb Friedman said there were 11 new cases in regional Victoria on Wednesday, including four cases in the locked down Mitchell Shire and a mystery case in the Macedon Ranges.
Two of the new Mitchell Shire cases were household close contacts, while another two mystery cases are still being investigated.
Another case in the Macedon Ranges is still being investigated to see how the virus was acquired.
There were two cases in Moorabool Shire, one in Wangaratta which has been connected to a Melbourne outbreak.
Two Geelong cases were reported, however one is being investigated to confirm it is a true positive.
One case was recorded in East Gippsland, however Dr Friedman said this was the address of a patient who was still based in New South Wales.
On Tuesday, more than 60,829 Victorians turned up for a Covid test, while 73.5 per cent of eligible Victorians had received one dose of the jab, while 44.7 per cent were double-jabbed.
Dr Friedman said a Wyndham woman in her 50, a Wyndham man in his 70s and a Darebin man in his 80s were among the latest Covid deaths.
On Tuesday health authorities have linked four new Central Victorian Covid cases to the growing Melbourne outbreak, as testing demands blow out wait times in Bendigo.
chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton confirmed there were 10 new cases in Regional Victoria on Tuesday, including three cases in the locked-down Mitchell Shire and another new case in the Macedon Ranges.
Prof Sutton said there were currently 25 active cases in Mitchell Shire, and the new cases were all known close contacts of the previous positive Covid patients.
He said health experts were investigating the link between the Macedon Ranges case and a known Melbourne cluster.
Ballarat has recorded a new mystery case, which has not yet been linked to the current regional cluster.
Prof Sutton said there were 18 active Ballarat cases across six households, with a further 350 close contacts across the district.
He said a new case in the Bass Coast was detected, with all four active cases linked to one household.
A further three cases were recorded in Bacchus Marsh, while another case was recorded in Geelong.
The new cases and connected exposure sites has caused testing wait times to blow out across regional Victoria as residents race to get tested.
Huge wait times were predicted after testing demand overwhelmed Bendigo Covid clinics within an hour of opening on Monday.
More than 1200 people were tested on Monday after five new Central Victorian cases and 15 exposure sites were confirmed.
Bendigo Health was forced to close the testing lines and turn people away within 45 minutes of the drive-through and walk-in clinic opening.
Extraordinary wait times are again predicted for Tuesday, with the health service reminding people to prepare for long waits.
“We do not have toilet facilities at either site and while we understand it‘s not ideal, it helps reduce the threat of Covid spreading,” Bendigo Health said.
“Evidence from previous outbreaks across the state have shown toilet facilities at testing clinics can become exposure sites.”
Following large demand for testing we will open drive through testing from 8.30am - 6pm tomorrow and walk in at McLaren St from 10am-6pm. Please note there are no toilet facilities at the Showgrounds. You only need to be tested if you were at an exposure site. Thanks
— Bendigo Health (@Bendigo_health) September 20, 2021
Bendigo Health announced extended hours at the Bendigo Showgrounds drive-through testing site, running from 8.30am to 6pm, and the McLaren St facility from 10am to 6pm.
The surge in testing comes after a major Bendigo shopping centre was listed as an exposure site.
Covid commander Jeroen Weimar confirmed two cases of Covid in the Mount Alexander and Macedon Ranges on Monday.
Mr Weimar said the Mount Alexander case was linked to a number of Bendigo exposure sites.
He said the patient worked in Melbourne but lived in Mount Alexander.
Mr Weimar said there was the new case in the Macedon Ranges that was under investigation.
There were zero new cases recorded in Greater Bendigo.
Another three new cases were also recorded in the Mitchell Shire.
Bendigo Health said testing wait times had blown out to more than six hours after 15 businesses across Bendigo, Kyneton and Woodend were identified as exposure sites on the weekend.
The health service said there was a four to six hour wait for the drive through testing clinic at the Bendigo Showgrounds while the McLaren St centre had a two-hour line-up.
“Due to the large number of people in the line for testing at both sites we are now closing the lines to new people so we can test the people already waiting,” Bendigo Health announced on Monday morning.
“We are looking at how we can increase testing capacity.
“If you are impacted please isolate at home and try again tomorrow.”
Due to the large number of people in the line for testing at both sites we are now closing the lines to new people so we can test the people already waiting. We are looking at how we can increase testing capacity. If you are impacted please isolate at home and try again tomorrow
— Bendigo Health (@Bendigo_health) September 20, 2021
The showgrounds testing facility was specifically opened after Tier 2 exposure sites were listed across Central Victoria on Sunday.
The Department of Health has released a list of five Kyneton, seven Bendigo and three Woodend addresses identified as Tier 2 sites after a Covid case the businesses.
Anyone who has visited this location during these times should urgently get tested, then isolate until confirmation of a negative result.
Health authorities said everyone should continue to monitor for symptoms, get tested again if symptoms appear.
It comes as Geelong, the Surf Coast and Mitchell Shire were plunged back into lockdown after new Covid cases emerged on Sunday.
The snap seven-day lockdown began at 11.59pm on Sunday with a 10km travel limit and four hours of exercise and outdoor social interaction allowed each day.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced the lockdown after four cases were identified in Geelong and the Surf Coast and seven in Mitchell Shire.
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