Melbourne doctor tests positive for coronavirus at the city’s biggest hospital
A doctor at one of Melbourne’s largest hospitals has tested positive for coronavirus as the city enters its first day of lockdown.
The doctor reportedly worked at St Vincent’s Hospital, in Melbourne’s inner-city suburb Fitzroy, before he was swabbed on Monday.
A spokesperson from St Vincent’s Hospital told Daily Mail Australia: ‘A doctor in one of the acute medical teams at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne has tested positive to COVID-19.’
A doctor at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus after attending work on Monday. Pictured: A pop up hospital in Melbourne on Tuesday
‘There has been no operational impact on our services.’
’15 employees are in precautionary quarantine, as a result of potential exposure,’ the spokesperson said.
Health authorities have also begun contract tracing to identify anyone who may be infected.
‘We are working closely with the Department of Health and Human Services and our Infection Control team is providing support,’ the spokesperson explained.
St Vincent’s hospital is one of the many sites across Melbourne that offers coronavirus testing.
The news comes as the greater Melbourne area prepares to enter a six week coronavirus lockdown at midnight on Wednesday.
Victoria recorded an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases with 191 new cases reported on Tuesday.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced Victoria’s move to stage 3 lockdown on Tuesday afternoon.
‘The public health team has advised me to reimpose stage three stay-at-home restrictions, staying at home except for the four reasons to leave, effective from midnight tomorrow night for a period of six weeks,’ he told reporters.
The stay-at-home order will see residents confined to their homes unless they have an essential reason to leave.
These four reasons include shopping for essential items, exercise, attending work or school and providing care.
The New South Wales-Victoria border has also been closed indefinitely for the first time in a century and was shut at 12.01am on Wednesday.
Road closures are in place across the borders and people travelling from Victoria are now required to have a permit and self isolate upon entering NSW.
More to come