Coronavirus: Victorian health workers infected outside
Coronavirus cases among healthcare workers in Victoria has risen over 100 in a single day with health officials speculating community transmission the cause.
The number of healthcare workers battling coronavirus in Victoria has jumped by more than 100 cases in a single day, with the nation’s top public health official saying more cases are linked to community transmission than via work.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly flagged on Friday updated advice on personal protective equipment for healthcare workers would soon be released, with “live discussions” within the national decision-making body Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC).
He said Victorian health workers were contracting the disease through community transmission instead of via work settings.
“What we do know about many of the healthcare worker cases in Victoria, that’s come from the community rather than at work, it appears, and we’re seeking more information from our Victorian colleagues on that aspect,” he said.
“But in terms of the specific question about P2 or N-95 masks … there’s a live discussion in AHPPC at the moment, they’re meeting now and they’re looking to finalise … an update to that.”
On Friday, there were 911 active cases of coronavirus among healthcare workers in Victoria, which is a daily increase of 101.
The number of active cases in the state increased by 450, bringing the total number of active cases to 13,867.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said among the healthcare worker cases, more nurses than doctors had contracted the highly infectious disease, with the source of infection not always clear.
“Some of it will clearly be in the hospital setting or in the aged-care setting (and) some of it is outside,” he said.
“But it’s not always easy to make a final determination, because people don’t necessarily know if they’ve been in contact with a positive case.”
Victoria’s coronavirus death toll rose by 11 on Friday, bringing the total to 181, with seven of the deaths linked to aged-care and a woman in her 50s among the deceased.
Professor Kelly said a man in his 30s who died in Victoria on Wednesday, the nation’s youngest coronavirus victim, suffered from a pre-existing condition.
“I’m not going to talk about an individual case, but only to say that … all deaths are tragic.”
“But it does actually stress what I said before, this is not only an old person’s disease.”
There are 1548 active COVID-19 cases linked to aged-care spread across 110 facilities, according to health department data.
Of these, 878 are residents, 722 are staff and 332 are contacts. There are 109 deaths linked to the sector.
Of the worst outbreaks at aged-care homes in Melbourne, Epping Gardens recorded three new cases for a total of 172, while St Basil’s Home for the Aged recorded one new case, bringing the total to 161.
In Melbourne’s coronavirus hotspot areas, the local government area of Wyndham in the far southwest recorded four new cases, bringing the total active cases to 910.
To the northwest in Brimbank, the number of active cases increased by 36, bringing the total to 849.
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