The south-west Victorian city of Warrnambool is on edge after a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases.
Key points:
- Warrnambool's local health authority has recorded 12 new COVID-19 cases
- It is believed the outbreak started when a person returned a positive test in Melbourne and went home to Warrnambool to isolate
- There are 17 active cases in the south-west Victorian city spread across four households
Local health authorities announced 12 new cases on Thursday, taking the total in the city to 17 active cases.
The state's COVID commander, Jeroen Weimar, only announced four new cases in Warrnambool in Thursday's press conference but the remaining eight are expected to be included in the next day's numbers.
South West Healthcare chief executive Craig Fraser said the 17 total cases were across four households, but it was unclear at this stage how the virus had spread between them.
"Obviously things are changing fairly rapidly in Warrnambool," Mr Fraser said.
Warrnambool's IGA supermarket is a new exposure site, and Mr Fraser said more were likely to follow.
In the meantime, Mr Fraser urged people to behave as if they were in lockdown.
"Stop discretionary travel where you can, wear your masks, observe hand hygiene, don't visit other people's residences — it is really important at the moment," he said.
Origins unclear
The outbreak in Warrnambool began when a resident tested positive in Melbourne and returned home to Warrnambool to isolate.
Mr Fraser said the four infected households had all behaved appropriately.
"When households have become aware [they are COVID-positive] they've stopped moving straightaway and started isolating," he said.
Warrnambool police told the ABC they were not aware of any breaches but said it was the state health department's job to check on and monitor people who were supposed to be isolating.
Mr Fraser said he was expecting more cases in the coming days.
"That's why this is really serious where we are at the moment for Warrnambool and surrounds," he said.
"Seventeen [cases] is a significant number. This can rapidly move.
"I'm concerned because until we get to a point where the positives stop coming through we're not really sure how far it's spread."
Mr Fraser said they were looking at opening a second pop-up testing site to deal with the large numbers of people getting tested at a facility set up last week at Warrnambool's Friendly Societies' Park.
Any COVID cases requiring hospitalisation would be transferred to a hospital in Geelong, he said.
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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiS2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIxLTA5LTMwL3dhcnJuYW1ib29sLWNvdmlkLW91dGJyZWFrLzEwMDUwMzA4ONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMDA1MDMwODg?oc=5
2021-09-30 05:23:00Z
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