Victorian health authorities say they're working quickly to contain the state's largest coronavirus outbreak, outside of aged care, in Melbourne's south-east, as three patients linked to the cluster are admitted to hospital.
Key points:
- Three people linked to the Casey outbreak are in a stable condition in hospital
- Monash Health says the five families involved are isolating as required
- Health officials are urging people in Casey to get tested
The first positive test in the Casey cluster was recorded just over two weeks ago, on September 4, and it has since grown to 34 cases.
In a statement, Monash Health said it was caring for three patients in relation to the Casey community outbreak.
All were in a stable condition on Friday night, with one of the three patients testing positive for COVID-19 so far.
Victorian health authorities confirmed yesterday that the cluster was spread across five households in the suburbs of Hallam, Clyde, Narre Warren South and Cranbourne North, which are all within the City of Casey local government area.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said members of the five households had visited houses beyond the 5 kilometre radius permitted under metropolitan Melbourne's stage 4 restrictions.
The chief executive of Monash Health, Andrew Stripp, said local community health care services were working closely with the DHHS and the Casey community to contain the "significant" cluster.
But he said the area's infection prevention team and good local contacts were aiding a quick response to the outbreak.
"The community's responding very well, the families themselves are isolating, so I think it's travelling in the right direction," Mr Stripp told ABC Radio Melbourne.
"Our community health services have been working with the local community very closely … and were able to respond and be on the ground and visit the houses and have what are sometimes difficult discussions, very personal discussions, in relation to the contact tracing process in a very successful way."
Afghan community leader says CHO 'singled out' residents
Earlier this week, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton offered to speak to multicultural groups in the Casey area.
"Having been to Afghanistan a couple of times over the years, I want to be able to reflect on my cultural experiences and the fact I know that there are universal motivations that every family has: to do the right thing, to protect their families," he said.
Some local community leaders have expressed concern the remarks singled out the Afghan community, and warned the comments may make some community members feel "ashamed".
Afghan community leader, Homaira Mershedi, said her community had been unfairly "singled out" over the Casey outbreak.
She also said she was concerned about the future when restrictions eventually started to ease, saying she feared Afghan businesses could suffer and children from the community could be bullied at school.
But Mr Stripp said Monash Health had been working with all community leaders to ensure they knew the risks posed by COVID-19 and he urged people even with only the mildest of symptoms to get tested.
"Our team have been working with this particular [Afghan] community closely … we're aware that in some areas that people are concerned that if they go into a testing station they're more at risk of being infected.
"That's not the case … we provide a safe environment for people to be tested," he said.
Focus on Fountain Gate Shopping Centre visits
More than 4,000 people have been tested in the Casey area in the past week, and 11 testing sites are open including drive-though clinics in Dandenong and Cranbourne as well as other testing sites in Clyde, Hallam and Noble Park.
Other community support workers, including Leanne Petrides from the Cranbourne Information and Support Service, said everyone across the municipality was working to get the message out to people to get tested.
"[We] keep pushing the message, particularly over the next couple of weeks as it's going to be absolutely vital," she said.
Ms Petrides declined to mention the Afghan community, instead stressing that all people from across the entire Casey community were doing their best to stop the spread of the virus.
"I wouldn't want to pick out any one community," she said.
"We've seen people from many different communities, including, dare I say, my own Australian community who have been going out there and breaking some of the guidelines and rules that the Chief Health Officer has put down for us."
Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said yesterday there was a focus on testing people who had visited the Fountain Gate Shopping Centre in Narre Warren.
"We think that most of the cases are linked to contact between these households but there have been visits to Fountain Gate," he said.
Ms Petrides said while Fountain Gate was a large shopping complex, people needed to stay within their 5km radius and not go out in groups.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA5LTE5L3ZpY3RvcmlhLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWNhc2V5LWNsdXN0ZXItdGhyZWUtaW4taG9zcGl0YWwvMTI2ODAyMjLSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTI2ODAyMjI?oc=5
2020-09-18 21:25:00Z
52781069200416
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Three people in hospital as Victorian authorities race to contain Casey coronavirus outbreak - ABC News"
Post a Comment