Shock outbreak puts state on watch

State health authorities have highlighted Colac’s current COVID-19 outbreak as indicative of why restrictions must recede slowly.

Premier Daniel Andrews is concerned about the number of infections in Colac; Colac Otway has the largest number of active cases outside Melbourne.

There are currently 24 active COVID-19 cases in Colac Otway; DHHS reported one new case in the municipality for the 24 hours to yesterday, and six in the 24 hours to Saturday.

Mr Andrews yesterday confirmed that Colac Otway’s current cases had been linked to the first case of the current outbreak, which DHHS recorded on August 26.

Barwon Health confirmed on September 1 that the source of the original infection was from outside of Colac.

Health authorities said on Friday that the case was linked to a Melbourne-based health service.

Mr Andrews said the Geelong corridor, which includes Colac, was under the “close watch” of public health officials.

“If we look at the experience in Colac over just the last few days, one case has led to 24 people in just a few days in one town experiencing this virus,” Mr Andrews said.

“If anyone listening or watching right now needed any further evidence…one person, one case, in less than a week in one country town, 24 people have got this; it does spread like fire.”

Colac Otway’s first ever COVID-19 case, a contractor who had worked at ALC, was reported on July 17. The number of active cases in the municipality peaked on August 6 at 92, and had been declining since August 8 as people recovered and the community rallied to stop the virus’s transmission.

The number of active cases in Colac Otway dropped to eight on August 25, while the number of total cases during the pandemic was 97. But yesterday’s DHHS data showed Colac Otway had 121 since the pandemic began; this is 24 new cases in the past 13 days.

DHHS added Bulla Dairy Foods to its outbreaks list in yesterday’s daily update. It has the third-highest number of outbreak-linked active cases, 15. Bulla has confirmed six of them are employees.

Colac Otway has the largest active case number outside metro Melbourne, with Greater Geelong the next closest at 19.

With just 98 cases in Victoria outside of metro Melbourne according to yesterdays DHHS data, Greater Geelong and Colac account for almost half of the state’s active regional cases.

Colac Otway mayor Jason Schram urged the community to continue diligently following the State Government’s COVID-19 restrictions.

His calls come as news emerged on Friday evening that multiple gatherings in breach of COVID-19 restrictions occurred across the weekend of August 28 to August 30 in Colac.

“You’ve got to keep at it – as tough as it can be, the reasons at the moment that numbers are low and recoveries are so high are these measures, there’s no reason to get complacent,” Cr Schram said.

Colac police Senior Sergeant Ken Slingsby said police wouldn’t hesitate to fine people breaching restrictions.

“A large majority of our people are doing the right thing, it’s just the small minority that aren’t – but it only takes a minority to spread, we’ve seen how easy it is,” Sgt Slingsby said.

“It’s just irresponsible and people being a bit self-centred and not thinking about the rest of the community.”

Victoria recorded 76 new cases in the 24 hours to Saturday and 11 deaths, and 63 cases in the 24 hours to yesterday and an additional five deaths.