Authorities prepare for COVID surge

KEY Bendigo organisations have outlined how they will manage COVID-19 in the region as they prepare for increased cases in line with eased restrictions.

Bendigo Health CEO Peter Faulkner said the service’s focus needed to be on testing the primary close contacts of positive cases, people who have symptoms, and those who have attended an exposure site during specified times.

“Previously, contact tracers have really looked at both the inner rings and the outer rings of contacts in trying to eliminate the virus but as we move into this realm of high vaccination and low restrictions, we really are looking at the inner circle of contacts,” he said.

“Clearly we are moving from a context of eliminating the virus to a context of living with and managing it in an epidemic.”

It comes as Bendigo Health reopened an additional testing site at their McLaren Street location last week to meet significant public demand.

Moving forward, the hospital has capacity for two 28-bed COVID wards and chief medical officer Dr Diana Badcock said residents should make sure they’re able to isolate properly in their own homes if required.

“We need people to be prepared so that they do have the capacity in their home to actually isolate themselves as much as possible,” she said.

“Very often, with the new COVID variant, people infect their entire family.”

Over 100 people, including 14 children, were involved in the Hospital in the Home program as of last week, undergoing virtual home monitoring.

Dr Badcock said most of these people would keep well because they were fully vaccinated and she urged the community to continue rolling up their sleeves.

“If we can do anything it’s to please have a plea out to people, friends, those that you love to get vaccinated because in the end we all want our loved ones with us at Christmas, not either unwell and isolating or unwell in the hospital,” she said.

Meanwhile, the City of Greater Bendigo’s message was for residents to be prepared to come into contact with the virus.

CEO Craig Niemann said it was inevitable municipal sites and services would be affected by future exposure and subsequent staff shortages due to mandatory isolation.

He said this was the case with the City’s maternal and child health service run in the same building as Shine Bright early learning centre in Maiden Gully, which was identified as a tier 1 site earlier this month.

“Recent changes in isolation requirements will help to reduce the impact on services and the length of time staff are unable to attend work, but there will also be more incidents like this which will affect how we deliver services, particularly those that are public-facing,” Mr Niemann said.

“Our commitment is that we will either liaise directly with affected clients or share broad community messaging via the media and social media where there is a large-scale impact.

“As much as we can, we are preparing for how we will respond but in some instances you can only plan so much and we will then have to consider the reality of whatever situation we find ourselves in.

“We thank our community for their understanding and patience when these instances do arise. They will be out of our control, but we will work as quickly as possible to put in place alternate plans and re-instate full-service delivery.”