Northern Bay College battles Victoria’s worst Covid outbreak

A Geelong school is battling the worst Covid outbreak in Victoria — exposing a myriad of factors behind some suburbs’ slow uptake of vaccines in eligible populations.

A Covid outbreak at a Northern Bay P-12 College campus in Corio is the worst in Victoria, according to health department data.

With 54 active cases, the figures showed the Wexford campus cluster had the highest number of active infections among current Victorian outbreaks.

The campus, attended by preps to grade eights, closed on October 24 and is expected to reopen next week on Monday.

Barwon South West public health unit deputy director Associate Professor Daniel O’Brien said low vaccination rates were the main driver, but mainly among ineligible people.

“What we’re dealing with is mainly primary school kids who are not able to be vaccinated,” Prof O’Brien said.

Mt First Year - Northern Bay Wexford

“What we really need is vaccination for kids, which is hopefully not that far off.

“There’s transmission at school but also transmission within family groups.”

Prof O’Brien said there were issues around vaccine uptake in lower socio-economic and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations, with a myriad of factors behind that including ability to access a site or information.

He said the health unit had worked hard to address these issues.

The 3214 postcode, which includes Corio, has experienced lagging vaccination rates.

Between 70 and 75 per cent of eligible people aged 12 and up in the postcode were double dosed, figures released by the state health department this week showed.

Measures to bolster rates included a pop-up clinic at Corio Village on Thursday, hosted by the public health unit and Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative.

The clinic experienced strong walk-in numbers.

Wathaurong RN Skye Duncan hands out lolly pops after giving sisters Destiny and Sapphire Collett their Covid vaccination at Corio Village Shopping Centre. Picture: Alison Wynd

Another Covid outbreak at Northern Bay P-12 College’s Goldsworthy campus, attended by year nine to 12s, had 16 active cases.

The outbreaks were linked, Prof O’Brien said, through sibling and cultural group connections.

Prof O’Brien said a striking aspect of school outbreaks in the region was 70 per cent of cases were students and only 6 per cent staff.

“We’re dealing with a virus now which basically finds unvaccinated people then affects their households,” he said.

He said having all parents vaccinated would protect primary schools.

Diversitat chief executive Joy Leggo said the organisation was working very closely with Northern Bay College and Barwon Health to offer as much support as possible around the outbreak.

“The current outbreak has presented a clear need for language support, and Diversitat bilingual support staff are working with Barwon Health to provide support to members of local CALD communities directly impacted by the current outbreak,” she said.

Hamlyn Views School, which caters to students with disability and is located in Hamlyn Heights, was also affected by an outbreak, and had 12 active cases linked to it on Thursday.

The school closed on October 22, and reopened on Monday.

Dozens of schools in the region have been touched by Covid recently, but Prof O’Brien said in the vast majority of instances exposure had not led to a significant outbreak.

Originally published as Northern Bay College battles Victoria’s worst Covid outbreak