GovHub site of new cluster

THE GovHub budling on the corner of Mair and Armstrong Streets has become the site of the first non-household COVID-19 transmissions in city’s current outbreak.

While Ballarat only recorded one new case of the disease in the 24 hours to 12pm today, it’s linked to GovHub.

A second case was also found to be linked to the location, but that person is from Melbourne and will be counted here.

While there had been no unknown or public transmission sites in the city so far, health authorities were concerned about the GovHub site

“This isn’t someone going to the local Woolworths and getting a positive test,” said BHS and Grampians Public Health Unit infectious diseases expert Dr Aaron Bloch.

“This is within a defined workplace. I’d be pleased if I’m wrong but I’d imagine we may have more cases from this worksite.

“If we can contain them to that worksite, that’s a real positive.”

GovHub was listed as a tier two exposure site yesterday for Tuesday, 14 September between 7.55am and 5.10pm, heath authorities said more exposure time at a higher teir lever would be posted on the Department of Health and Human Services website soon.

Meanwhile, wastewater testing was again a focus after the North Ballarat treatment site recorded its first positive result last Friday.

Subsequent testing showed no result and infected people working or visiting that catchment, that accounts for 20 per cent of the region’s population, was given by Dr Bloch as a reason for the one-off hit.

More detailed wastewater testing was conducted in Redan and Delacombe outside of areas of known infection, and positive results for COVID-19 in those locations led Dr Bloch to suspect there may be undetected cases in those communities.

“I’d really encourage anyone in those suburbs with even the slightest of symptoms to come forward and get tested,” he said.

As of Tuesday the Ballarat region has reached 76.8 first dose vaccination levels and 50.1 second dose, with health authorities confident the city would hit the 80 per cent initial jab milestone by the weekend.

Visit our ongoing and constantly updated COVID-19 in Ballarat story for a list of exposure sites, testing location locations and information.