A SEX worker in Melbourne’s southeast suburbs has tested positive for COVID-19.<\/p>\n
Health Minister Martin Foley said the sex worker, who lives in St Kilda, tested positive in recent days.<\/p>\n
“I stress there is no evidence of transmission having occurred because of this person’s sex work occupation but out of caution we are asking that if you have employed a sex worker in the St Kilda area, you need to come forward and get tested,” he told reporters on Wednesday, 18 August.<\/p>\n
He said several of the sex worker’s close contacts had been tested and returned negative results.<\/p>\n
Authorities have been urging anyone with COVID-19 symptoms in the Bayside, Glen Eira and Port Phillip areas to come forward for testing, due to a high number of cases that cannot be linked to known outbreaks.<\/p>\n
There have been six mystery cases linked to the St Kilda area in recent days, while there are more than 50 exposure sites stretching from South Melbourne to Brighton.<\/p>\n
“There is no connection bar anything apart from geography,” COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said.<\/p>\n
“We have within that cluster accountants, we have architects, we have a sex worker, we have members of the Orthodox Jewish community and a pizza guy who works in a pizza shop.<\/p>\n
“It is a very broad and disparate range of people. The only thing that connects them at this point in time is some association, particularly in that St Kilda area.”<\/p>\n
A drive-through and walk-up testing centre has been set up at the St Kilda Palais Theatre car park.<\/p>\n
Victoria has recorded 24 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, including four cases under investigation. Eighteen were in isolation for their entire infectious period.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Victoria Government will launch a new ad campaign urging people with cold and flu symptoms to get tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n
According to new data, less than half of those with symptoms get tested as they assume they do not have the virus.<\/p>\n
There are 12 people battling the virus in hospital, including two in intensive care, though they are not on ventilators.<\/p>\n
Melbourne is 13 days into its sixth lockdown, which was extended on Monday this week until September 2.<\/p>\n