Box Hill Hospital outbreak grows to 10 cases

        Coronavirus cases at a Melbourne hospital have more than doubled overnight, with Melburnians unlikely to see lockdown lifted anytime soon. Infections connected to an outbreak at a Melbourne hospital have more than doubled. Victoria’s chief health officer professor Brett Sutton revealed on Saturday the cluster at the Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs had grown to 10 cases.

“There are five cases from a family being added today, so the outbreak comprises three staff, one patient and now six household contacts,” he told reporters on Saturday morning. All close contacts of the Box Hill staff have been quarantined, with all staff in the hospital’s COVID ward asked to get tested and isolate pending those results.

Prof Sutton said contact tracers were still investigating the source of the outbreak, which first came to light on Wednesday. In a statement on behalf of Box Hill Hospital Eastern Health chief executive David Plunkett assured the hospital had taken a “proactive approach” in limiting the spread of the virus.

“Having confirmed our plan and processes with experts within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) we are asking a specific group of staff connected to BHH Ward to attend for asymptomatic testing,” he wrote.

“The infectious nature of COVID-19 demonstrates how quickly things can change and means we need to continue applying COVID-safe practises; maintain physical distancing, ensure hand hygiene and wear the appropriate PPE which in the case of patient-facing-areas includes eye-protection.”

It comes as the Premier revealed a grim lockdown warning for Melburnians after the state recorded 14 more infections on Saturday.

“The tale of this second wave was always going to be stubborn and that is exactly the way it is panning out. I think it unlikely that we will be able to move as fast as we would like to have done next Sunday,” Daniel Andrews said.

“We will take steps next Sunday, and (we) will spend an enormous amount of time this weekend and throughout the week determining exactly what those next steps can be.”