Victoria Covid-19 outbreak fears after DHHS tweets ‘indeterminate result’

Fears are mounting Victoria could break its Covid-19 free spell after a test came back with an ‘indeterminate result’.  

Department of Health and Human Services took to Twitter to make the announcement on Sunday.

‘DHHS received a notification of an indeterminate result last night,’ the tweet read.

‘Follow up tests are underway and precautionary public health actions are being taken. There will be an update on the case later today.’ 

Department of Health and Human Services took to Twitter to make the announcement on Sunday

The country has not recorded a locally acquired case of Covid-19 for two weeks, with the last case identified in New South Wales.

It is 25 days since Victoria last had a new confirmed local case.

There are now 20 active cases and there were 10,681 test results to midnight on Saturday. 

Meanwhile, the state government has issued more than one million travel permits since virus border restrictions were imposed just over six weeks ago.

As of late Saturday 1,014,787 permits had been granted for travellers to enter Victoria, an average of almost fifteen permits for every minute of every day since restrictions were imposed on December 16.

More than 20,000 applications were received in the 24 hours to Saturday evening.

But while plenty of visitors are being granted permits to enter the state, authorities have detected evidence of virus fragments at six different locations. 

The fragments were found at Castlemaine, Cowes and Pakenham on January 27.

The department of health is urging residents and anyone who has visited these areas from January 25 to 27 to get tested if they have symptoms of the virus.

It says the virus detections at each of the locations were weak, and could be due to people who have recovered from COVID-19 continuing to shed the virus.

Fragments were also detected in wastewater in Gisborne, Hamilton and Leongatha.

Meanwhile Victoria’s chief health officer will allow up to 30,000 people to attend the Australian Open in Melbourne each day, about half the usual attendance numbers (pictured, Australian Open accredited personnel leave hotel quarantine in Melbourne on Friday)

The last Australian Open players and participants still in the hotel quarantine system are expected to leave on Sunday (pictured, accredited personnel leaving Melbourne hotel quarantine on Friday)

The department says people who were in Gisborne from January 24 to 26, in Hamilton from January 25 to 27 or in Leongatha from January 17 to 19 should also get tested if they have symptoms.

The health department is urging residents and visitors to these locations to get tested if they have even mild symptoms.

On Saturday, the WA government announced Victorians can travel to WA quarantine-free from next week.

Meanwhile Victoria’s chief health officer will allow up to 30,000 people to attend the Australian Open in Melbourne each day, about half the usual attendance numbers.

The update from the Victorian Government (pictured above) following Saturday’s development

The last players and participants still in the hotel quarantine system are expected to leave on Sunday.

Pharmacies across the nation are also being asked to assist with the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine in the coming months.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said he will be issuing an expression of interest to the 5,800 community pharmacies to voluntarily participate with the rollout as they do with the flu jab.

‘They are experienced, they are trained in dispensing medicines, and … that means more points of presence for Australians in terms of where they can receive their COVID-19 vaccine,’ Mr Hunt told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday.

Pharmacies would participate from what is known as Phase 2A of the rollout, which starts with vaccinations of people in their 60s.