Goya Dmytryshchak
Two new COVID-19 cases linked to the Arcare Maidstone Residential Aged Care facility will be added to Monday’s official figures.
Arcare chief executive Colin Singh Arcare said the new cases were another resident and nurse.
“One is a 79-year-old resident who lives in close proximity to the first two residents diagnosed,” he said.
“The second is an agency Registered Nurse (RN) who last worked at the residence [Saturday].”
He said the resident, who has had both doses of the Pfizer vaccine, was asymptomatic but was transferred to hospital for public health reasons, co-ordinated by the Department of Health.
The RN had not worked at other facilities, had received the first dose of the vaccine and was asymptomatic, Mr Singh said.
Further testing will take place every two days, including today, while the outbreak is managed.
Viral fragments of COVID-19 have been detected in a wastewater sample taken from the sewer catchment on Thursday, serving several inner west and north suburbs in Melbourne.
The “unexpected detections” may be due to someone who has had COVID-19 that is no longer infectious continuing to shed the virus or it may be due to an active but undiagnosed infectious case, the Department said.
Residents of and recent visitors to the suburbs of Footscray, Maribyrnong, Aberfeldie, Essendon, Essendon West, Flemington, Kensington, Moonee Ponds, Parkville and Travancore are urged to monitor for symptoms and get tested if any symptoms develop.
The department said it had increased wastewater testing in the area and would closely monitor the situation.
