By Cam Lucadou-Wells
No further Covid cases have been linked to a Noble Park man who worked in hotel quarantine and tested positive to Covid-19 on 3 February.
With the 14-day incubation period coming to a close, the ‘Grand Hyatt’ hotel “cluster” remains at one case – despite more than 1300 primary close contacts.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health has removed 14 locations from the list of the state’s Tier 1 high exposure sites.
Many of the sites were in Melbourne’s South East including Springvale, Keysborough and Noble Park.
Victoria remains in stage-4 lockdown with two primary household contacts linked to the Holiday Inn hotel quarantine cluster testing Covid-positive in the past 24 hours (16 February).
The family members had tested negative several days ago. They had remained in isolation when they returned positive tests days later.
There are 40 high-exposure sites in Melbourne’s north and west currently linked to the Holiday Inn, with 1300 primary close contacts.
Premier Daniel Andrews said on 16 February that “we are well placed” to ease Covid restrictions at midnight on Wednesday 17 February.
“The next 24 hours will be crucial.”
At the time, there were 25 active Covid cases in Victoria – including another two infected travellers in hotel quarantine.
The 26-year-old Noble Park man tested negative on his last shift on “hallway duty” as a Covid-19 Quarantine Victoria (CQV) employee at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on 29 January, according to health authorities.
His positive test was returned five days after his last shift.
As a residential support officer, he worked on the same hotel floor as several Covid-19 cases. But the Department of Health says “it is not clear how he became infected”.
None of the 1318 identified primary close contacts of the man have so far tested positive.
All of his 21 social and household primary close contacts tested negative, as did 661 workplace contacts.
More than 710 contacts at the sites were tested and quarantined.
Anyone who visited the Tier 1 sites is urged to immediately isolate, get a Covid test and remain isolated for 14 days.
At the time, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the man’s testing showed a probable “high viral load”.
“For his very close contacts there is a risk that they could potentially become cases.”
In response, Greater Dandenong residents queued up to three hours at Covid-testing stations.
Noble Park fire station temporarily closed after a brigade social function was attended by the man – who was also a CFA volunteer.
“All identified contacts of the confirmed case followed DHHS direction with respect to isolation and testing requirements,” a CFA spokesperson said.
“Alternative arrangements are in place between neighbouring brigades to ensure community safety and emergency response isn’t compromised.”
The station is expected to re-open this week.
