"Stay vigilant"

With numbers trending down in Victoria and no active cases currently recorded in Bass Coast, now is not the time to become complacent warns Bass Coast Health CEO, Jan Child.

“We must stay vigilant,” said Ms Child.

“I am adamant that it is too soon to relax any rules. Our new way forward will need to be cautious and carefully planned. It will have to be gradual and steady because having made significant progress together to curb the spread, we do not want to find ourselves back at exactly the same place we were.

“We want to do everything we can to defeat the second wave properly, and we need to do everything we can to avoid a third wave.”

Ms Child said adhering to Stage 3 restrictions was the best way to reduce the likelihood of contracting COVID-19.

“This includes staying at home at every opportunity and avoiding personal contact which is the key source of community transmission. Avoid crowds; avoid lining up for coffees; avoid anything that puts you in touch with large numbers of people.”

She said good hygiene was essential – washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water, including the webbing of hands and underneath fingernails.

“Practise physical distancing by keeping at least 1.5m distance between you and others. DO NOT hug, kiss and shake hands. When out in the community, avoid touching things that others touch and sanitise your hands wherever you can.”

She urged people to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of COVID. These include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, and loss of sense of smell or taste.

“If you have even the slightest hint of being unwell, stay at home and arrange to be tested, even with the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms.”

Keep testing

Testing rates locally have fallen in the past three weeks, from a peak at the start of August, when BCH conducted 1096 tests in one week. By last week, that number had dropped to 409. Test numbers at the Phillip Island Health Hub have also fallen dramatically. In the first week of August, 165 tests were conducted at the Hub, compared to 92 last week.

Premier Dan Andrews stressed that testing was a critical part of the strategy for dealing with Covid, saying it gave the government a “more complete picture of how much virus is out there”. He urged anyone with symptoms to get a test as soon as the symptoms appeared.

As of August 31, there were 154 active cases in regional Victoria, with 2620 active cases in the state.

Lockdown relief?

The current lockdown and stage 3 restrictions will be in place until September 13 and the Premier said the government will release a re-opening roadmap on September 6 outlining the steps for coming out of lockdown.

He spoke of establishing a “new Covid normal” saying this could last for months.

Any easing of restrictions for business and industry would be based on public health advice and four key principles.

• ensuring physical distancing, including following density requirements, making sure staff work from home wherever possible, limiting the total number of staff and customers in an enclosed area, and stopping carpooling
• wearing a face covering at all times in the workplace and ensuring full PPE is worn in high-risk settings
• requiring hygienic workplaces, with high-touch points regularly cleaned, staff regularly washing their hands, and hand sanitisers available for all staff and customers
• continuing to act quickly if staff become unwell by having a strict policy that supports them to stay home and get tested, even if they have mild symptoms. All places of work need to have a plan to act immediately if there is a confirmed case and records must be kept of all staff, customers and visitors.

The government has committed to tailoring guidance to different industries and is encouraging workforce bubbles wherever possible, to limit the number of staff who have prolonged and close contact with each other.

It is also recommending businesses avoid lunch breaks and meetings in enclosed spaces wherever possible and open windows and doors rather than relying on recirculated air conditioning.