Keep your distance and check in

Bass Coast Health is reminding people to maintain good hygiene and social distancing to help protect the community from Covid.

CEO Jan Child said some experts believe it is “not a case of if, but when” the third wave will hit Australia.

“We have so far been so lucky, compared to other countries, but things can change quickly. Gippsland is not immune from COVID-19 and this pandemic is not over,” Ms Child said.

She stressed that vaccinations will help protect the community but the other Covid measures still applied.

“You still should socially distance where you can. You still need to maintain your hand hygiene.

“Get tested if you have any symptoms and isolate yourself from others. Do not go outside your home if you have symptoms and get yourself tested as soon as you can at Wonthaggi Hospital or the Urgent Care Centre in Cowes.”

Ms Child recommended wearing a mask in a crowd if you can’t maintain social distancing.

“And please get vaccinated because that is going to protect you, your family and all of us here in the Bass Coast."

She also urged people to rely on reputable sources of information to keep informed and up-to-date about COVID-19.

“The Government websites such as Health.gov.au and Department of Health (dhhs.vic.gov.au) have up-to-date and trusted information.”

Check yourself

Dr Dan Crompton, Clinical Director of Emergency Services at Bass Coast Health, urged people to use the check-in system for the safety of the community.

“Currently there are no community cases in Victoria, but it only takes one person to have COVID-19 for it to spread rapidly,” he said.

“That’s why people attending public places need to check-in because it makes contract tracing easier and quicker. Contract tracing allows us to contain an outbreak of COVID-19 quickly and effectively.”

Dr Crompton said there had been many recent examples where it had taken contact tracers days to identify a case because the person had not checked in through a QR code or booklet

“In that timeframe of a few days, contacts, if exposed, will have spread it to their loved ones, workmates and community members. Some of those people will be vulnerable members of our community, eg older people, and for people like that who are unvaccinated, it will be deadly.

“With these new strains, the virus will move about quicker than ever because it is contagious.”

Victorians are being asked to download the Service Victoria app to make checking in simple and efficient.

The government said by checking in, it will make it possible for contact tracers to contact you if you’ve been in a venue declared an exposure site.

Information on the app is deleted 28 days after check-in, unless it is required by contact tracers.

For more information on the free Victorian Government QR Code Service, visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/about-victorian-government-qr-code-service