Coronavirus Melbourne: Cluster identified at Royal Children’s Hospital

At least five workers who work at a single Melbourne hospital have contracted COVID-19 as another worrying healthcare cluster emerges.

Five workers at Melbourne's Royal Children’s Hospital have tested positive to COVID-19.

It opens another worrying new dimension to Melbourne’s coronavirus outbreak, with it adding to the list of hospitals to report infections. More than 20 Melbourne hospital staff have now been diagnosed.

Outbreaks in hospitals are of particular concern as, just like in aged care facilities, they can strike patients who are already vulnerable.

Last night, the Royal Children’s Hospital said investigations so far suggested all five staff members contracted the virus separately and it was not circulating within any one group of workers.

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The latest cases have cropped up at the Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital. Picture: Nicki Connolly.

In a statement, the hospital said seven other employees were self-isolating. No patients at the hospital had COVID-19.

“The RCH has restricted all patient visitors except parents/guardians since April. This includes siblings and extended family and exemptions are only allowed in the most extreme circumstances,” she said.

The RCH is one of the most important children‘s hospital in Australia and regularly treats some of the country’s most in-need kids.

A restaurant located within the children’s hospital was closed last week by the franchisee after a back of house worker tested positive to COVID-19.

“As this is a private retail tenancy, contact tracing is being managed by DHHS. The RCH has received no advice to any risk to patrons however took the measure of advising all staff as soon as we became aware and also placing advisory notices,” a hospital spokeswoman said.

The children’s hospital is one of many Melbourne hospitals to have recorded staff testing positive.

The Broadmeadows Hospital has also seen cases. Picture: Hamish Blair

The Northern Hospital in Epping, the Bundoora Centre and Broadmeadows Hospital have seen 21 cases between them. In addition, staff at the Box Hill Hospital, the Alfred Hospital and Brunswick private have also tested positive.

Chief medial officer Professor Brett Sutton said earlier this week that the need to quarantine other staff at the hospitals was “challenging” for the healthcare system.

Yesterday, Victoria recorded 238 new coronavirus infections with the state‘s death toll rising to 27 following the death of a women in her 90s. More than 100 Victorians are in hospital with the disease.