Local COVID cases grow, eight hospitalised

THE number of active cases of COVID-19 in the Ballarat municipality has increased by hundreds overnight to five hundred and thirty-one.

There are eight positive cases in the Ballarat Base Hospital, but none are in intensive care, and 60 people in the region are receiving care in their own home through the BHS @ Home program.

Grampians Health acting interim CEO Ben Kelly said although that situation could change dramatically, it presently reflects the nature of the Omicron variant.

“It isn’t having the same severity, in terms of requiring ICU admissions. None in ICU in Ballarat today, here and now, is a real positive,” he said.

“That rings true with the broader pattern of how Omicron’s playing itself out.”

Ballarat Health Services “welcomes” the change to rapid antigen tests as the frontline form of COVID-19 testing.

BHS will continue to ration their stock of RATs amongst their staff until they have more.

“The PCR situation is a challenge at a state level, if not a national level. Those changes are common sense approaches,” Mr Kelly said.

“We encourage our community to continue to partner with us in playing their role to continue to look after themselves, their families, and minimise the likelihood of them exposing themselves to this virus which is obviously very prevalent in all of our communities.

“The prevalence [of the virus] has increased dramatically, but still, hand hygiene, masks and reducing exposure to busy environments is still an important…frontline response.”

Mr Kelly said fast-rising case numbers will put pressure on the hospital, while all other health issues, including cardiac and neurological emergencies, continue to present to the Base.

People who have the virus, or suspect they may be COVID-positive, are asked to stay away from the emergency department unless they have significant emergency respiratory symptoms.

“We discourage people from coming there looking for a test… but if they have significant symptoms, it may be necessary,” Mr Kelly said.

“If people have emergency symptoms that require hospitalisation, we’ll help them.

“If you can’t get a test, work on the theory that you are positive and isolate yourself for seven days.”

All BHS staff can access their booster shot, and all residents within Grampians Health aged care facilities have received their boosters. The unit is supporting private facilities where they can.