A DEDICATED public health team will be set up in Ballarat to tackle the region's coronavirus response with community knowledge.
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Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the first of such teams had been set up in Geelong and works were underway to develop one for Ballarat, led by the city's nurses, doctors and public health physicians to more effectively trace and track people with the virus.
The premier said low, controlled COVID-19 case numbers in regional Victoria, with an effective localised public health response, were vital at this stage in the pandemic. This could open up the chance for further easing in restrictions in regional Victoria.
Premier Andrews said there was no rule book for when to trigger a lockdown but it was seeming less likely restrictions would tighten in regional areas.
In speaking to regional media on Friday, Premier Andrews reinforced the importance of testing.
This comes as Ballarat Community Health confirmed late on Friday it would open a secondary COVID-19 testing clinic in a central location from Saturday morning. This will operate in partnership with City of Ballarat and Ballarat Health Services.
The location will only be disclosed to people eligible for screening who call via the clinic line 1800 054 172.
The UFS-led Lucas fever clinic has been the city's sole public testing site the past two months and on Monday will open a fifth screening room with extended hours. This will increase the clinic's capacity to at least 300 people per day.
UFS chief executive officer Lynne McLennan this week voiced concern there were gaps in Ballarat and the surrounding region for asymptomatic testing, particularly in screening high-risk people or those concerned they have had contact with an infected person.
At the moment, this can only be done when a person is officially notified to get tested by the Victorian health department.
Premier Andrews said this could become more likely in coming weeks, for example, in aged care homes were staff were increasingly introducing the virus without knowing it.
BHS confirmed on Friday one of its staff members for aged care residence Bill Crawford Lodge had tested positive for COVID-19 after being cautious and self-isolating with symptoms from Tuesday.
As it stands, Premier Andrews said health experts recommended focusing on testing people with even the mildest coronavirus symptoms in regional Victoria.
"You could argue that given the threshold to get tested when you have symptoms...In many international metrics that would be considered an asymptomatic test," Premier Andrews said.
"There is a really important place for asymptomatic testing but we did about 24,500 tests (on Thursday), we're at about 1.25 million tests and asymptomatic has been a feature of that but the vast major are people with symptoms - and they're the tests that are most reliable where you get the most reward for effort."
The premier did not rule out increasing asymptomatic testing as a tool in future easing of restrictions.
Anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms is urged to book a COVID-19 test via Lucas, online ufs.com.au/test or phone 4311 1571. Or, via the Ballarat Community Health-led clinic in central Ballarat, phone 1800 054 172.
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