COVID alert issued for Ballarat university

BALLARAT has its first COVID-19 exposure site in months after Australian Catholic University and Ballarat Health advised a positive case attended the ACU campus last Wednesday.

A letter sent by AUC critical incident controller Dr Stephen Weller this afternoon said the exposure site was a nursing laboratory at the Ballarat campus between 3.30pm and 6pm on Wednesday, 1 September.

“All staff and students who were present during the exposure period are required to get tested immediately and self-quarantine until they receive a negative result,” the letter said.

That advice is consistent with a tier two exposure site, however the letters also said, “Some staff and students may be identified as primary close contacts (Tier1); they will be required to quarantine for 14 days.”

“The Department of Health and Human Services will contact these people directly to provide this advice.”

While the university, or the exact exposure site are yet to be listed on the DHHS exposure site list, the notification was subsequently confirmed by BHS on social media.

Although it is not clear how the positive case came to be at the ACU Ballarat campus, the letter from Dr Weller said that some people had exemption to travel from outside the city.

“The campus has been open for a limited number of practical classes,” the letter said.

“This is consistent with the Victorian public health orders, which allow people to travel for work or study that cannot be carried out at home.”

According to Dr Weller the university is working with DHHS on cleaning and safety, including a deep clan of the affected building.

Read the letter from ACU here.

A list of local COVID testing sites can be found here.