Community transmission and seeding of virus causing outbreaks – Chief Health Officer

Community transmission and staff working across multiple facilities are contributing to the Victoria’s spike in aged care outbreaks, according to the state’s Chief Health Officer.

Professor Brett Sutton addressed the media in a conference with Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday, where he was asked why there were so many outbreaks in aged care.

“We have got a bigger volume of community transmission that’s happening in Melbourne through this phase, compared to the first one,” Prof Sutton said

“We’re seeing staff members, especially in the higher transmission areas, being exposed to the virus. As we really ramp up the stay at home directions, we’re hoping their exposures are limited to the fullest extent possible. They still have to do that work.”

Prof Sutton also noted there has been seeding of the virus caused by casual aged care staff who work across multiple facilities, noting that there are guidelines in place to minimise risk.

“We know some wouldn’t be able to function if they didn’t have that flexibility in place. It’s a risk and we need to manage it as best we can,” Prof Sutton added.