Victoria recorded 50 new locally acquired cases overnight on Monday, with seven linked to the Shepparton outbreak – bringing its total cases to 44.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there were more than 70 exposure sites in the Shepparton area and none in Echuca.
More than 500 people were tested over the weekend at the COVID-19 testing site at Echuca’s Rotary Park, and a site high of 269 tests were completed on Monday.
It’s a significant increase on the previous weekend when 125 tests were completed.
“We are asking the Echuca-Moama community to remain vigilant to the current outbreak in Shepparton and keep across current exposure site information and follow tier exposure site requirements if you have been exposed to COVID-19,” ERH chief executive Nick Bush said.
“Please ensure you are able to act quickly so we don’t see the outbreak reach our community.
“The best way to support yourself and our community is to follow advice from the chief health officer in terms of mask wearing, getting tested if you have any symptoms, and checking in at all places to ensure efficient contact tracing can be completed.”
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Echuca Regional Health has now administered 10,000 COVID-19 vaccinations and Mr Bush said they welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement of the eligibility of 16 to 39-year-olds for the Pfizer vaccine from Wednesday, August 25.
“At this stage, our booking timeslots are governed by our access to state supply,” he said.
“From Thursday onwards, 16 to 39-year-olds will be eligible for Pfizer at our clinic, importantly however, bookings must be made through the link available on our website.
“First dose bookings are available for the coming two weeks and additional spaces will continue to be made available, as the vaccine supply is assured.
“We encourage the community to keep an eye on our social media and website for the most up to date information and booking availability.”
The Shepparton outbreak has now been linked through genomics to the Glenroy cluster.
The outbreak is also connected to the Royal Melbourne Hospital cluster.
There are 3840 primary close contacts in Shepparton, and more than half have returned a negative test.
There were 16,612 primary close contacts and 14,400 secondary close contacts across Victoria as of Tuesday morning.
There are 34 Victorians in hospital, nine in intensive care, and seven on a ventilator.
Victoria is managing 522 active cases across the state, with 113 cases among children up to nine years old, 101 cases in people between the ages of 10 and 19, and 92 cases in adults between the ages of 20 and 29.
To book a Pfizer vaccination appointment at ERH’s vaccination clinic, located at 238 High St, visit erh.org.au/covid-19-vaccinations
For a list of Victoria’s exposure sites, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites
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