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General News

14 July, 2022

New advice issued to stay safe against COVID in winter

Central Goldfields Shire residents are being urged to help keep the community safe as new strains of coronavirus continue to spread, with new government recommendations introduced this week to help Victorians stay well over winter. The updated...

By Christie Harrison

New advice issued to stay safe against COVID in winter - feature photo

Central Goldfields Shire residents are being urged to help keep the community safe as new strains of coronavirus continue to spread, with new government recommendations introduced this week to help Victorians stay well over winter.

The updated public health recommendations came into effect from Wednesday and while no mandates have been introduced, the State Government is strongly recommending mask wearing in indoor and crowded settings, and is requesting employers consider work from home arrangements.

The recommendations come after a 53 percent increase in the number of Victorians in hospital with COVID-19 over the last two weeks, with the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the virus expected to continue to cause increases in new cases, reinfections and hospital admissions.

With winter well underway, there has also been an increase in respiratory illnesses like cold and flu.

Victorian Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas went against advice from the Chief Health Officer who recommended introducing mask mandates, telling media on Tuesday she had opted to strongly recommend mask wearing instead.

“I made a decision based on the advice that I had received that further mandating masks was not the most effective way to get the message out about the importance of mask wearing,” she said.

Other changes brought in by the State Government this week include that a person is only exempt from testing and isolation requirements for four weeks after they test positive to COVID, reduced from 12.

The changes have been implemented in line with Australian Health Protection Principal Committee advice due to emerging evidence that new variants of the virus can evade prior immunity gained from infection.

Positive cases are still required to isolate for seven days from the day they returned a positive result, but an additional reason to leave home has been added — positive cases can provide transport for a household member to obtain food, if essential. The infected person must remain in the car and wear a face covering at all times.

The Maryborough District Health Service (MDHS) is encouraging locals to be aware of the changes to health advice, and associate director of nursing — acute services Heather Blazko said this is particularly important as new variants emerge.

“When it comes to COVID-19 there’s never a time to be complacent,” she said.

“Flu and COVID circulate all year round but winter is particularly bad for the spread of illness. This comes at a time when new variants of COVID-19 have hit Victoria, and health services and GPs are still under pressure due to the ongoing pandemic.

“Recent public health data shows new Omicron subvariants are now dominant in Victoria. This means we can expect to see more people infected or re-infected with COVID-19, at a time of the year when we tend to spend more time indoors.

“We have seen that COVID-19 can be a serious illness for people of all ages, with lasting effects on health and wellbeing, and even death. That’s why we’re urging our local community members to stay well and continue to follow the steps we know well by now.”

MDHS recommends keeping a 1.5 metre distance from others, wear a good quality mask in shared indoor or crowded settings or when you can’t physically distance, cough or sneeze into your elbow, keep up your hand hygiene and ensure your rooms are well ventilated, and stay up-to-date with COVID-19 and flu vaccinations.

“It’s also important to stay updated on the latest public health advice, which is constantly changing as we learn more about the virus,” Mrs Blazko said.

“A winter dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is now recommended for adults aged 50 years and over, and is available to adults aged 30 years and over as an option.”

PCR testing is no longer available in Maryborough after the MDHS-run drive through testing clinic closed at the start of the month due to a decrease in demand.

Mrs Blazko said it is important for everyone to help protect the community.

“While our testing services recently changed, we’re still monitoring patients at home through the COVID Positive Pathways program and face continuous challenges with rostering due to COVID-19,” she said.

“We need everyone to help reduce the load and protect the health of our community — you, your family, friends and neighbours — by taking simple steps to stay well this winter.”

For more information on the latest health advice visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au

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