Medical and nursing student placements have been withdrawn from Ballarat Health Services' emergency department and health students told they cannot complete clinical placements at BHS unless they remain in a stage three zone for their entire clinical placement as the health service tightens its COVID-19 controls.
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"Students make a valuable contribution to Ballarat Health Services, and continuity of student clinical placements is important to the function of our health system," a statement from BHS said.
"At the advice of our ID (infectious disease)physicians, Ballarat Health Services is introducing additional measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
"New restrictions on student placements will mean that all students who are not able to reside and remain within a stage 3 zone for the entirety of their clinical placement will have their placement deferred. Placements for students who are able to meet this criteria will continue."
The change applies to all students at BHS including medical, nursing, midwifery, dental, and allied health placements.
In addition to the clinical placements across the service, student placements have been temporarily withdrawn from the ED following additional PPE requirements in the area.
"This change is necessary in order to protect those who are most at-risk in our community," the statement read..
It is believed the changes will impact only a small number of students and BHS and the universities who provide the placements will work to reschedule placements for those students impacts.
The decision to limit student access to BHS came after local GPs and the Ballarat and district subdivision of the Australian Medical Association raised concerns with BHS chief executive Dale Fraser on Monday about the risk posed from students on placement from Melbourne and other COVID-19 hotspots.
Last week two nursing students from Ballarat, one of whom had been working at BHS, tested positive to COVID-19. Staff who were exposed to the student who had been on placement at BHS are now self isolating.
The other student had travelled throughout the region, staying with friends and in a Federation University residence at Mount Helen before returning to Melbourne where she and her boyfriend tested positive.
"The welfare of our community, staff, patients, residents and clients continues to be at the forefront of our response to COVID-19. We will continue to enforce strict infection prevention and control measures, along with visitor restrictions and screening at all Ballarat Health Services sites." BHS wrote in their statement.
The doctors said the issue of students travelling from Melbourne to Ballarat was part of a broader concern around commuters across all industries travelling between areas of high COVID-19 prevalence under stage four lockdown, and regional areas with lower case numbers living under stage three restrictions.
"This is not just about health care because one in five people with coronavirus are asymptomatic for the duration of their illness, meaning that person going up and down to Melbourne with no symptoms may be spreading the virus," said local GP Dr Shantini Thevathasan.
"What is at risk is if we get an outbreak we will probably have to move to stage four and nobody wants that, nobody wants an outbreak in aged care like Melbourne, and nobody wants hundreds of health care workers isolated on furlough."
On Wednesday, Premier Daniel Andrews urged people to reconsider travelling to and from regional Victorian centres as coronavirus cases grow - citing the increasing number of cases in Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong of particular concern.
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"They are very low numbers but coming off such a low base, any additional cases are of concern to us," Mr Andrews said.
"But even at low numbers, we've just got to have that vigilance across the board so we can keep them low and, indeed, drive them down even further."
BHS reiterated the importance that anyone with even the mildest of symptoms be tested for COVID-19, and stay home until they can be tested, and until they receive their results. Appointments can be made at UFS Lucas clinic on 03 4311 1571 or the Ballarat Community Health clinic on 1800 054 172. Anyone showing symptoms must self-isolate until they receive their test results, and until their symptoms resolve.
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