Hundreds of people in isolation across Melbourne’s northern suburbs, 73 close contacts at Preston college

Hundreds of people have been forced into isolation across Melbourne’s north after a student at a school tested positive. Here’s how it unfolded.

Victoria’s deputy chief health officer has hinted at using one coronavirus case manager per household – as opposed to one per every family member – in a bid to avoid confusion and more infections.

It comes as 16 cases are now related to six households across the northern suburbs, with 73 close contacts now in isolation from East Preston Islamic College after a student attended the school and then tested positive.

It’s been revealed two older siblings had tested positive to coronavirus, but on October 17, the family received clearance from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to send the two siblings back to school, with no mention of the third sibling.

So the family sent him back to school, but on Tuesday the DHHS notified the school the third sibling should have still been self-isolating despite testing negative up until that point.

When questioned about individual family members dealing with separate contact tracers, deputy chief health officer Allen Cheng said a one person per family approach would be adopted in future.

“I think that is an approach we will take about case managing the family rather than each person having a case manager,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“It is understandable there can be confusion when there are multiple people in the family … it is unfortunately one of those things.”

Deputy chief health officer Allen Cheng says it is understandable there can be confusion when multiple contact tracers are dealing with one family at the same time. Picture: David Crosling/NCA NewsWire

Dallas Brooks Primary School was also closed on Wednesday as a precaution after a close contact of the East Preston Islamic College student was identified there, while up to 120 people living in a social housing block in Broadmeadows are in isolation after a positive cause emerged in a household.

There is now a testing blitz across Dallas, Roxburgh Park, Broadmeadows, Preston and West Heidelberg, with all residents encouraged to get tested.

DHHS testing commander Jeroen Weimar says 500 people across the northern suburbs are in isolation. Picture: David Crosling/NCA NewsWire

DHHS testing commander Jeroen Weinmar said the northern suburbs clusters had affected 36 people until the student attended school, where 500 were now in isolation.

“That is a big step up,” he said.

“We have a lot of work to do over the coming days to ensure they are OK, we understand which of them are currently positive.

“As we go through a process we may be able to release some of them, that will be a great result, and if not, we will have to ask them to isolate for the wider community.”

Originally published as Hundreds of people in isolation across Melbourne’s northern suburbs, 73 close contacts at Preston college