Victoria Covid-19 cases dip to 177, but experts warn 'it may not be our peak' as aged care clusters grow
Victoria recorded 177 new Covid-19 cases overnight as a significant aged care cluster emerged and the state government launched an online mental health program for young people.
There are now 1,612 active cases in the state with 72 Victorians in hospital and 17 in intensive care.
While there was a lower number of cases reported on Monday than previous days, chief health officer Prof Brett Sutton said it was too soon to say if Victoria’s lockdowns had successfully reduced infection rates.
“[It’s] clearly lower than the maximum number that we’ve had on any one day … it’s great it’s lower than our peak,” Sutton said.
“But it may not be our peak yet. So I would like to see a week of decreasing numbers before I come and say I have greater confidence about the direction we’re going in.”
A number of clusters increased significantly overnight, including the Menarock Life aged care facility in Essendon, which grew by 15 cases to 26. It is now the largest Victorian aged care cluster ever.
“[It’s] a big outbreak, a number of staff and residents have been infected at that outbreak,” Sutton said.
“That’s been intensively managed, including the transfer of some residents to acute care. It is a reasonably even split between staff and residents … it is a concern.”
Federal health minister Greg Hunt on Monday said federal authorities were involved in the management of this outbreak.
“This is a very important case ... [the] home has seen federal authorities ensure that all staff and all residents have been tested. Those that have been tested positive, where hospitalisation is recommended are being provided hospitalisation. Otherwise, there is immediate isolation and separation being put in place.”
He confirmed there were 35 aged care services in Victoria hit by the virus.
“The latest advice that I have is that there are 35 services, whether it’s an aged care residence or in some way shape or form a home care residence where there has been either a staff member or a resident identified and having been tested positive.”
Other aged care homes affected include the Glendale facility in Werribee and Japara Central Park aged care home in Windsor.
“Aged care [is] not surprisingly represented in outbreaks,” Sutton said.
“The vast majority have involved one or sometimes two staff, and no residents. That’s a measure of staff identifying themselves as soon as they become unwell and very extensive testing of residents in lockdown. They’re critically vulnerable and we need to manage them as closely as we possibly can.”
The Summerville meat works cluster has also grown to 12, and the AlTaqwa College outbreak to 144, including 28 staff and 76 students.
Victoria’s chief health officer confirmed a worker at a hotel housing refugees in Preston had also tested positive.
“I’m aware of a case in the Mantra,” Sutton said.
“One of the workers there has tested positive but had not been infectious while at work. There are refugees held in that facility. They’re a significantly vulnerable population … but my understanding is there’s been a significant clean of that facility.”
It’s understood no detainees or staff have been identified as close contacts.
The Victorian minister for mental health, Martin Foley, on Monday announced the launch of the Orygen youth mental health services’s online therapy platform called “Most”.
“It’s not an app, it’s a real-world provision of services that meet the needs of mildly or acutely unwell young people to get the support they need in a safe and indeed sometimes quicker way than any other measure,” Foley said.
The online platform was the result of a $6m investment in Orygen by the state government as part of the wider pandemic mental health response.
Foley said this would be rolled out in the north and western suburbs of Melbourne, with a special focus on young people living inside government housing towers in Flemington and North Melbourne, some of whom are still in hard lockdown.
“[The platform] will be there to take young people through all the supports they need,” the minister said.
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews on Monday admitted “human error” was behind incorrect text messages being sent from the health department to close contacts in home isolation.
Various media outlets reported text messages were sent stating people’s self-isolation period was complete several days before it actually ended.
“It’s a very big team,” the premier said.
“They’re making contact with an even larger number of people each and every day. From time to time, human errors will be made.”
Andrews suggested he had only been informed of people receiving texts accidentally extending their quarantine period rather than reducing it.
“The report I had, it was the other way around. People were told they were negative but they should stay at home. It’s a small number. I’m not entirely sure of the exact number. But it’s in the order of 100,” he said.
Andrews said that the government hadn’t ruled out imposing stricter stage four restrictions if case numbers continued to rise.
“We’re not there yet [but] I can’t rule out further limits placed on people’s movement – I can’t rule that out.
“That’s in the hands of hard-working Victorians … If you don’t want a stage four, if you don’t want the lockdown to last a moment longer, then please follow the rules.”