Regions targeted for testing

Bass Coast hasn’t had an active case of COVID-19 since late August.

To help keep it that way, the state government is introducing a range of new measures, to stop anyone from Melbourne visiting regional areas – lawfully or otherwise – spreading the virus.

Regional businesses must now check that customers are not from metropolitan Melbourne or risk a potential $9,913 fine. Businesses are being told to ask customers for ID, such as a driver’s licence.

However if a business is doing the right thing but is deliberately misled by a customer, it won’t be fined.

Melburnians are legally allowed to visit regional Victoria for a range of reasons (including work, caregiving, visiting an intimate partner), but they must still abide by the Second Step restrictions in place in Melbourne.

This means, they can order takeaway, but cannot sit down for a drink or meal. Shopping should only be for food or essential items. Individuals who are caught deliberately ignoring the restrictions face a $1652 fine. Any resident of Melbourne found in regional Victoria without a valid reason face fines of up to $4957.

From midnight on October 11, all Victorians must wear a fitted face mask when they leave home. The Chief Health Officer advised the mask must be fitted and cover the nose and mouth, and recommends a mask with three layers. You are no longer permitted to wear a scarf, bandana, loose neck warmer or loose snood instead of a mask.

Testing and contact tracing up

As of Monday, there were only five active cases in regional Victoria, and these were all based in Mitchell Shire.

With the rest of regional Victoria enjoying Covid-free status, the state government said it would ramp up surveillance testing and preventative contact tracing measures in regional areas.

This included workplace testing and establishing five Local Public Health Units. Jan Child, CEO of Bass Coast Health said her team was already working closely with the Gippsland Public Health Unit, hosted by Latrobe Regional Health (LRH).

“To date, this has included taking a local role in testing, tracing, and support to private and not-for-profit residential aged care facilities.”

Ms Child said she believed there were eight high-risk industry sites in Gippsland, and all needed to have a testing plan in place this week.

“To date, we have not been contacted by the workplaces,” she said.

“It is our understanding that the Department of Health and Human Services will follow up with any outstanding companies this week.”

Although there were currently no active cases recorded in Bass Coast, Ms Child urged the community not to get complacent.

“We ask the community not to risk complacency about cold and flu symptoms, or brush off mild symptoms as a bit of hay fever, or something that will be better by the end of the day,” Ms Child said.

“Staying at home and getting tested, no matter how mild the symptoms, is still arguably the most important thing we can do to beat this virus. We need to maintain and increase testing numbers and testing of our vulnerable community members.”

Bass Coast Health works with DHHS and LRH to provide mobile testing to those vulnerable community members who are not able to get to the testing sites.

In addition, BCH has already started doing asymptomatic testing for elective surgery, for food processing and transport and other high-risk industries including their own health care workers.

“This asymptomatic testing will continue to be a feature of our strategy going forward,” Ms Child said.

“We are working alongside Wonthaggi Medical Group to make sure there is seven days per week testing access for our community and we will continue to adjust hours of access based on demand.”

She stressed that BCH was well prepared to deal with the current situation and said people should not put off seeking medical care.

“Not only are we prepared to safely care for any COVID or SCOVID patient, we are better prepared than ever to deliver safe care to the rest of our community.

“The community can feel very confident that there is no risk in attending health services. We know some people think it’s safer to sit on their minor medical illnesses, rather than seek treatment. This is not the safest thing to do at all.

“We encourage everyone to maintain their medical appointments, or book a new one if required, so that those minor illnesses or niggles don’t result in something that could be life changing or life ending.”

The state government also announced additional measures with contact tracing, requiring close contacts of people with Coronavirus to get tested on day 11 of quarantine. Any close contact who refuses the day 11 test will have their quarantine extended.

The Premier said it was likely there would be further easing of restrictions for regional Victoria announced at the end of the week, including business requirements.