A NEW coronavirus cluster forming in Colac sounds a warning for how fast the deadly virus can take hold as regional Victoria awaits an easing on lockdown laws.
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Leading epidemiologist Catherine Bennett says looking ahead, everyone needs to carefully consider how they go about their lives and most particularly, how they socialise and who they socialise with.
Professor Bennett said this was regardless of what changes Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews might announce impacting Ballarat on Sunday.
Almost 600 Victorians have died with the virus as new active cases bobbed back up to more than 100 on Thursday.
Victoria's health department is investigating at least 10 COVID-19 infections emerging in Colac the past week, the latest ones to hit the Bulla dairy factory. This comes one month into stage three restrictions.
Professor Bennett, who is Deakin University's epidemiology lead, has long maintained all it could take was one individual in the wrong place, like a work site or close extended family, for a cluster to form.
Colac, now with 17 active cases, shows this still stands. It was only a fortnight ago the premier deemed Ballarat a regional hotspot concern with outbreaks linked to a butchers' shop and bakery.
City of Ballarat now has four active infections, having been as high as 28 active cases little more than two weeks ago.
"Going ahead, we need people being conscious of their own bubbles of who they mix with and keeping numbers down to key people in their life no matter what the restrictions might be," Professor Bennett said.
"Even if it gets to a point where in Ballarat masks are no longer mandatory, we know keeping masks on can prevent coronavirus cases. That's a legacy to think about, particularly in regional centres opening up."
we need people being conscious of their own bubbles of who they mix with and keeping numbers down to key people in their life no matter what the restrictions might be.
- Catherine Bennett, Deakin University epidemiology lead
Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton said it was likely mask wearing would remain "in one form or another" for at least another month as restrictions eased across the state.
UFS chief executive officer Lynne McLennan told The Courier on Wednesday testing would also be likely to continue. Her team, which leads the Lucas fever clinic, is preparing for a rise in common cold symptoms when children returned to school which was probably in October.
Professor Bennett said there limitations needed to remain in place, even if in a stepped approach like the household visitation restriction on the greater Geelong region with Golden Plains that led into stage three restrictions.
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While lockdowns have helped contain the virus enough for contact tracers to get a better grip on the spread, Professor Bennett said a lot would also come back to individuals taking personal responsibility for the long term.
"People just can't go to work with any symptoms anymore, particularly those who have sick leave. No-one is indispensable," Professor Bennett said. "This doesn't mean you have to take the day off, especially while things are in place to keep people out of the work place."
Ballarat Health Services' Rapid Response Testing Team remains on standby to help contain outbreaks like the one unfolding in the Bulla factory.
The RRTT can act on testing requirements across the Grampians region within a six-hour window. The team has just completed screening at high-priority meat works sites in Ararat, Horsham and Nhill and led pop-up testing for major Ballarat employers earlier this year.
Aged care outbreaks have also been a major concern for health authorities in the pandemic but Professor Bennett said Ballarat had a good case for containing one quickly. Four cases were linked to a staff member in Bill Crawford Lodge who unknowing introduced the virus before symptoms.
There were 126 known active COVID-19 cases in regional Victoria on Thursday.
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