Coronavirus cases rise in Colac Otway, Geelong
Coronavirus cases are jumping in Colac amid another outbreak in the city, with Australian Defence Force members assisting as residents are urged to follow public health advice.
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CORONAVIRUS cases are spiking in Colac amid another outbreak in the city, with Australian Defence Force members assisting as residents are urged to follow public health advice.
Two further staff members from Bulla Dairy Foods have tested positive, taking the number from the company to six.
Barwon Health spokeswoman Kate Bibby confrirmed there were about 20 active cases in Colac.
She said the current COVID-19 outbreak in Colac is unrelated to the Australian Lamb Company abattoir, where an outbreak emerged in July.
The latest outbreak has affected multiple businesses in the community.
“We are encouraging people with even the mildest of symptoms to be tested, with testing capacity increasing and information about clinics available on Colac Area Health’s website and Facebook page,” Ms Bibby said.
“It is critical for people in the community to continue following the DHHS guidelines, as we need everybody to comply with the public health measures over the coming weeks.”
A Defence spokeswoman said there were currently 22 ADF personnel deployed to Colac on Operation COVID-19 Assist.
“These personnel are supporting Department of Health and Human Services Authorised Officers and the local Incident Management Team with community engagement, door knocking and public messaging,” she said.
Bulla’s Connor St site in Colac has been deep cleaned and is closed until further notice.
“At this stage, we await further instruction from the Department of Health and Human Services on final testing results and next steps for our Connor St site,” Bulla Dairy Foods CEO Allan Hood said.
Five new cases were reported for Colac Otway on Friday, taking the area’s active count to 22.
Greater Geelong recorded two new cases, while active cases remained steady at 38.
No new cases were reported for the Surf Coast, where active cases remained stable at two.
The Borough of Queenscliffe and Golden Plains remained free of active cases.
There were five inpatients with coronavirus at Geelong hospital on Friday.
Statewide, 81 new cases were reported on Friday.
There were 59 further deaths from COVID-19 reported.
The reported deaths include 50 people from Victorian aged care facilities who died in July and August.
Of the remaining nine deaths, three were reported earlier than Thursday.
Eight of those nine deaths were linked to known outbreaks in aged care facilities.
Victoria’s coronavirus death toll stood at 650.
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Originally published as Coronavirus cases rise in Colac Otway, Geelong