AN airline cabin crew member has tested positive for coronavirus after travelling on flights across three states while potentially infectious, Victorian health authorities say.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, 16,000 secondary close contacts will be released from quarantine over the weekend, as health teams try to manage escalating COVID-19 case numbers.<\/p>\n
Victoria reported another record-breaking daily case number with 1965 new locally acquired COVID-19 infections in the 24 hours to Saturday.<\/p>\n
Another five deaths were reported, including two from Moreland, a woman in her 90s and man in his 70s, a Banyule man in his 60s, a Hobsons Bay man in his 60s, and a Hume man in his 50s.<\/p>\n
There are 578 Victorians currently in hospital with COVID-19, of whom 117 are in ICU and 83 on ventilators.<\/p>\n
Deputy Health Secretary Kate Matson told reporters on Saturday a Virgin Australia cabin crew member had tested positive, after routine surveillance testing by the airline.<\/p>\n
“They worked whilst infectious from 4 to 6 October, and there were six flights in or out of Melbourne that were affected,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Fellow crew members on those flights have been deemed close contacts. Most do live in Melbourne and will be contacted by the department.”<\/p>\n
The six flights included return trips from Melbourne to Adelaide, Sydney and Newcastle, with passengers on affected flights to be contacted by their state health bodies.<\/p>\n
Ms Matson also announced secondary close contacts will no longer be “actively managed” by public health teams, in response to rising case numbers across the state.<\/p>\n
She said this was happening in Melbourne, and will now occur statewide.<\/p>\n
It means about 16,000 secondary close contacts across the state will receive a text message over the weekend, releasing them from quarantine.<\/p>\n
“This just recognises the changing risk and the changing environment that we’re in,” she said.<\/p>\n
“We are no longer chasing COVID-zero in Victoria, and we have 17,000 active cases in Victoria.”<\/p>\n
While secondary close contacts will no longer have to isolate, primary close contacts will be asked to isolate away from the rest of their household.<\/p>\n
Secondary contacts are still encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 if they show any symptoms.<\/p>\n
A virus outbreak in Mildura has grown to 37 active infections, after the regional border town was plunged into a seven-day lockdown on Friday night.<\/p>\n
Ms Matson said the next seven days “will be crucial” for the region.<\/p>\n
“We are particularly concerned about Mildura because of this rate in case growth and we believe there may be additional cases out there yet that we have not found,” she said.<\/p>\n
Mildura will be under the same stay-at-home rules as Melbourne, excluding the curfew, with a 15-kilometre travel limit and a ban on visitors at people’s homes.<\/p>\n
Health authorities say 41,177 vaccine doses were administered across the state on Friday, as well as\u00a073,000 virus tests.<\/p>\n
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