Residents of south-west Victorian towns Warrnambool, Terang and Camperdown were today rallying in response to their first real threat from the COVID Delta strain.
South West Healthcare learned late Friday the region had gone from no exposure sites to more than 30 across the three centres, including shops, restaurants, public transport and an antiques market.
Within hours, work had begun at football ovals on pop-up COVID-19 testing sites to accommodate thousands of people, and today long lines of cars queued at them.
ABC South West Victoria: Emily Bissland
)At a press conference at the South Warrnambool football ground testing site today, South West Healthcare CEO Craig Fraser and COVID-19 coordinator Sue Anderton said the region was ready.
“The amount of planning that we’ve done and redone and scenario testing has been at the next level over the last few months,” Mr Fraser said.
ABC South West Victoria: Emily Bissland
)“With the Delta strain, this is the first time we have been at such a risk. But I’m also really confident that if we do get cases, we will shut it down, and we’ll get back to zero.”
Nevertheless, Mr Fraser issued a warning.
Mr Fraser said he was grateful for the leadership of Ms Anderton who had “planned this to within an inch of it occurring, before it occurred”.
ABC South West Victoria: Emily Bissland
)“I’ve been ready for this day for a long time,” Ms Anderton said.
“You should have seen the response yesterday when we got the call. My team leaders had these (testing sites) up and going within an hour or two.”
Ms Anderton said she considering bringing in a DJ to entertain people waiting patiently to be tested in hundreds of cars.
They said the local population had embraced vaccinations, which stood the the region in good stead.
“We’ve led the state both in first dose and second dose, and people are frustrated because they still can’t book in,” said Mr Fraser.
“That gives us a lot of comfort at South West Healthcare and the other health services because we know unvaccinated people are more likely to present to hospital.
“Once you have vaccinations, it’s very unlikely you’ll be you’ll be hospitalised.”
No talk of snap lockdown
There is one confirmed case in the region, in Corangamite Shire.
Mr Fraser commended the person for coming forward after receiving their positive COVID-19 test.
“The person is at home isolating and I think it’s great that that person identified themselves, was tested, and immediately that person is isolating,” he said.
Mr Fraser said the person was not in hospital, in stable health and would be monitored.
ABC South West Victoria: Emily Bissland
)While there is so far no talk of a snap lockdown, South West Health has imposed new restrictions on its facilities.
An aged care unit in Camperdown is in lockdown, and no visitors are allowed at South West Healthcare hospitals there and in Warrnambool, except for visits related to end of life, births (one partner) and one parent of an ill child.
Ms Anderton said she expected in the next few days that hundreds of people across the south-west would be tested.
Those tests would be taken by couriers to Melbourne and Ms Anderton believed people could expect results in six to 12 hours.
Mr Fraser said that, despite his confidence in the frontline response, there was no room for complacency.
“Any person that comes through for a test today, tomorrow or Monday may be a positive. We have to keep that in the back of our mind,” he said.
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