Nine new local coronavirus cases; Covid patients at Geelong hospital double
Nine new Covid cases have been identified across Geelong and the Surf Coast. Barwon Health has confirmed a patient at the McKellar Centre has tested positive.
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The number of Covid patients at Geelong hospital has doubled in just one day, amid nine new cases being identified in the region.
Barwon Health chief executive Frances Diver confirmed a patient from the Inpatient Rehabilitation Centre at the McKellar Centre tested positive on Thursday.
“The Barwon Health Infection Prevention team has undertaken a thorough investigation of this case and are confident in the infection prevention measures that have been put in place,” Ms Diver said.
The patient was transferred to Geelong hospital.
“The Public Health Unit identified staff, other patients and families who may have been in close contact with the patient and requested them to get tested and isolate,” Ms Diver said.
“We are able to easily identify any visitors to the facility connected to this case and they have also been contacted and are undergoing testing.
“It remains our highest priority to maintain a high level of care for our patients and staff.”
Barwon Health had 12 Covid positive inpatients on Thursday, and spokeswoman Kate Bibby confirmed there were 24 on Friday.
Twenty-two were from Melbourne, one from Geelong and one from Colac.
Eight of the Covid patients were in ICU.
“Most patients have not been vaccinated or only had one dose,” Ms Bibby said.
Ms Bibby said nine new Covid cases had been identified in the Geelong and Surf Coast region.
It’s understood not all the new cases had been in isolation. Some of the cases were primary close contacts who had been.
The health department also reported two new cases for Colac Otway.
Multiple new local tier two exposure sites were published by the health department on Friday in suburbs including Lara, Norlane, Newtown, central Geelong and Grovedale.
Ms Bibby said all testing sites in Geelong experienced high demand on Friday.
Victorian COVID-19 exposure sites by suburb updated every 15 minutes
On Thursday night, Westfield Geelong was listed as a tier two exposure site on September 27 between 12pm and 4pm.
People at the major shopping centre in that time were told to get tested urgently and isolate until a negative result was received.
The Body and Balance massage therapist in Westfield has been listed as a tier 1 exposure site.
Anyone at the venue on September 27 between 1pm and 3pm needed to get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from exposure.
Corio Bay Health Group at 283 Latrobe Terrace, Geelong was also listed as a tier 1 site on September 25 between 9.50am and 11.30am.
Victoria reported 1143 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 on Friday.
There were also three more deaths among people with Covid.
Premier Daniel Andrews said they included a man in his 80s from Hume, a woman in her 70s from Alphington and a man in his 70s from Moreland.
For information on exposure sites visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/case-alerts-public-exposure-sites
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Originally published as Nine new local coronavirus cases; Covid patients at Geelong hospital double
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