At least one, ‘possibly two’, residents of an aged-care home in Melbourne’s west have tested positive to COVID-19 as Victoria’s outbreak grew by five more infections on Monday.
No cases were detected in hotel quarantine.
Authorities are particularly concerned about a “mystery case” linked to Arcare Maidstone, an aged-care worker in her 50s.
Contact tracers are yet to uncover how the worker caught the virus.
Local MP Bill Shorten told ABC News Breakfast on Monday morning that one and possibly two Arcare residents had been conformed with the virus.
Both residents had had one shot of a coronavirus vaccine, he said.
“It just emphasises to me, and I think to everyone listening, that two vaccinations is what we need,” he said.
The state government and Arcare are yet to confirm the new cases.
Tweet from @VicGovDH
The Altona woman, one of five local cases reported on Sunday, tested positive despite receiving her first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on May 12. She was possibly infectious last Wednesday and Thursday.
Two more nearby aged-care centres – the Royal Freemasons Footscray and Coppin Centre – were also in lockdown on Monday.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Victorian branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick told ABC radio Melbourne she understood the Arcare Maidstone worker did shifts at both those locations.
The Maidstone facility was locked down and residents were placed into self-isolation on Sunday the woman’s positive test.
Only a third of Arcare Maidstone’s 110 staff and 53 of 76 residents have so far had even single vaccine shots. The federal government has brought forward scheduled second doses to Monday.
“We are encouraging all the residents and families of those who have not provided consent to reconsider,” federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said.
He said 85 per cent of residents in private aged-care facilities and 100 per cent in Victorian residential facilities had been vaccinated.
The latest came as leading epidemiologist and member of the World Health Organisation’s health emergencies program expert advisory panel Professor Mary-Louise McLaws told Melbourne radio 3AW the aged-care “mystery case” was “the most concerning part” of Victoria’s latest virus outbreak.
She said the state’s seven-day lockdown – scheduled to end at midnight on Thursday – should be extended for another week.
With the addition of Monday’s cases, Victoria’s outbreak has reached 45 infections.
“We always expect, in small clusters, to have at least 14 days or twice an average incubation period of zeros to ensure you’ve flushed out every possible case,” Professor McLaws said.
“I would have wanted another week.”
“Sadly, I would expect at least another case or two because these residential carers have multiple people they care for … and you can’t keep your distance when you’re caring for people,” she said.
Ms Fitzpatrick said vaccination rates at the Maidstone home demonstrated Canberra’s “go-slow culture” on aged care.
“The hindsight of almost 2000 Victorian aged-care residents contracting COVID-19, 655 resident deaths and more than 1600 aged care workers infected was not enough to motivate the Morrison government into urgent action,” she said.
The Arcare home was one of 40 locations added to the state’s list of exposure sites on Sunday. Others include a soft drink factory in Thomastown, bus routes in Melbourne’s north and west and shops at Chadstone shopping centre.
- See an updated list of Victorian exposure sites here
Craigieburn’s Willmott Park Primary School was closed on Monday, with nearby Mount Ridley College listed as an exposure site after a pupil tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.
Acting Premier James Merlino said no decision had been made on whether the Victorian lockdown would end on Thursday night as planned.
“This is something that is evaluated every hour of every day,” he said on Sunday.
State Treasurer Tim Pallas accused the federal government of failing to aid stood-down Victorian workers, as he announced a $250 million business support package.
-with AAP
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