The growing outbreak has renewed pressure on Victoria’s hotel quarantine system, with more than 950 workers now in isolation.As well as the Holiday Inn outbreak, a worker at the Grand Hyatt was infected and a resident caught the virus from a family quarantining across the hall at the Park Royal. A Holiday Inn food and beverage attendant developed symptoms on Saturday. But she was only tested on Tuesday, after being notified she was a close contact of another case.The worker visited seven sites in Sunbury, including a Bakers Delight, a Cellabrations and a sushi store, with other patrons now being ordered to get tested and isolate for 14 days.Seven of her 13 social and household contacts have tested negative, with the others’ results still pending.EXPOSURE SITE LOCATIONS GROW The latest cases have sent contact tracers scrambling to identify any exposure sites and close contacts.Shoppers who visited Sunbury Square Shopping Centre last Friday afternoon are being urged to get a COVID-19 test.The updated advice was issued by health officials on Wednesday night.The warning was specifically for anyone who was at the shopping centre between 3.40pm and 4.30pm that day, the Department of Health said.Victorian COVID exposure sites
The Department said it was “taking a precautionary approach” after several businesses at the shopping precinct were listed as exposure sites.“Individuals who attended the shopping centre outside of this timeframe are not considered at risk, but should monitor for symptoms and immediately present for testing if they become unwell,” the Department’s statement said.
Forty-eight residents were evacuated from the Holiday Inn on Wednesday and moved to the Pullman Hotel.Those scheduled to finish their quarantine in the next three days will be required to stay another three, with authorities considering extending that for another fortnight.The Holiday Inn will now undergo “terminal cleaning” as authorities brace for more positive cases.Mr Andrews defended Victoria’s system, a day after dubbing it the best in the nation, saying: “There are no private contractors, we are ripping up carpet for heaven’s sake and replacing it with vinyl in a range of common areas. We test everybody every day.” Opposition spokesman David Davis slammed the quarantine program. “Gold standard, it is not,” he said. “Daniel Andrews is a spin merchant.”On Wednesday afternoon, just before the latest cases emerged, South Australia’s Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said he planned to order the Victorian border closed from midnight — but said a final decision depended on advice from SA Health.He said anyone who had been in greater Melbourne would not be allowed into SA after midnight unless they had an exemption, were a returning resident or were relocating. They would need to quarantine for 14 days.AMA VIC CHIEF SLAMS USE OF NEBULISERSThe chief of the Australian Medical Association in Victoria has slammed the use of the device thought to be responsible for the latest COVID-19 outbreak.The state’s chief health officer Brett Sutton revealed on Wednesday a nebuliser – a device that vaporises liquid into fine mist – was believed to be behind the spread of coronavirus at the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn quarantine hotel.The outbreak has now infected eight people after two new cases were announced on Wednesday afternoon.The cases include a food and beverage worker and authorised officer based at the hotel, three other workers and three residents.
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The Splash
DRIVER KILLED IN HORROR SMASH ON VICTORIAN-SA BORDERA multiple truck collision has led to the death of at least one driver on the Western Highway on the Victoria-South Australian border at Serviceton on Thursday morning.Police said a truck crashed into the rear of a stationary truck just before 2.30am on Thursday, with the stationary truck then colliding with a third truck in front of it.The border was closed to anyone travelling from the Melbourne area by the South Australian government at midnight due to the COVID outbreak at the Holiday Inn.All three trucks caught fire and the driver of the first truck, a man who is yet to be identified, died at the scene.Emergency crews are still on scene and police have launched an investigation into the incident.Police say the Western Highway is expected to be closed for an extended period of time, with traffic diversions in place.Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said she was aware of the crash reports and that accidents were tragic under any circumstance.The government are now seeking more detail.“I haven’t received any update in terms of what would be the cause of that accident, I would have to leave an update until we have that advice,” she said
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