Coronavirus Melbourne: Mercy Hospital for Women staff member tests positive
Coronavirus has invaded another Melbourne hospital with a perioperative nurse testing positive overnight.
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A hospital in Melbourne’s northeast is facing a “significant reduction” in its perioperative nursing team after a worker tested positive for coronavirus.
Mercy Hospital for Women issued the warning to staff on Thursday, with chief executive Jason Payne advising the Heidelberg hospital was taking “an extremely cautious approach”.
Any staff members considered to be close contacts have been notified and will undergo coronavirus testing today.
The affected areas have been deep cleaned.
In a staff email seen by NCA NewsWire, Mr Payne said the hospital’s perioperative team would be significantly reduced while staff wait for COVID-19 test results.
“Emergency surgery will continue, however we are currently reviewing our rostering for the elective surgery list tomorrow (Friday),” he wrote.
The Studley Rd hospital is just the latest in a string of hospitals to be invaded by the wildly infectious coronavirus.
Nineteen cases have been linked to an outbreak at the Northern Hospital in Epping, while 16 cases have been linked to the Alfred Hospital and another 16 positive cases at Brunswick Private Hospital.
It comes after Victoria broke a grim record on Thursday with the state recording 317 new infections.
It marked the largest increase in Victoria or any Australian state or territory since the pandemic began.
Despite the high number, Victoria’s chief health officer said case figures would soon plateau.
“We‘re seeing an increase, but it’s relatively slow,“ Professor Sutton said.
“The rate of increase that is being modelled, it’s also coming down close to one where we expect that plateauing of cases, so they’re all good signs. I think they’re a measure we’re getting it under pretty significant control.”
Premier Daniel Andrews also quashed rumours a leap to stage four restrictions was imminent.
“We are preparing for every contingency, but right now it’s too early to be moving to a whole new stage,” he said.
“But if you want to move out of these restrictions as fast as possible then that is entirely up to all of you.
“We’ve got to keep following all these rules, I know they’re challenging, but if we pretend this is over because we want it to be over this will result in more deaths and more cases.”
Originally published as Coronavirus Melbourne: Mercy Hospital for Women staff member tests positive