By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Greater Dandenong’s Covid vaccination rate is lagging behind other parts of Victoria, according to official stats.
As of the ABS data on 27 August, 43 per cent of the council area’s residents 16 and over had received their first jab.
And just 24 per cent had a second dose.
It is well behind the rest of the state’s figures as of 29 August, which are 55 per cent with a first dose and 34 per cent fully vaccinated.
Neighbouring municipality Casey is also significantly behind the state average with 48 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.
It comes despite efforts to roll-out more vaccines at Sandown Racecourse, such as a recently-opened drive-through centre.
Monash Health south-east public health unit director Professor Rhonda Stuart said the drive-through was convenient for people with mobility issues.
It also allowed for up to four people in a car to be vaccinated at the same time.
“For some people, the convenience of being able to drive straight in off the Princes Highway and to get vaccinated without leaving the car might be enough of a motivation to finally make that booking.
“Whatever the reason, bookings are now open at our Sandown Racecourse drive-through vaccination clinic for both Pfizer and AstraZeneca, and the sooner everyone can get vaccinated, the sooner we can get back to normal.”
Victoria and the rest of Australia are still months away from fully-vaccinated targets of 70 per cent and 80 per cent of eligible people.
The state recorded 92 locally-acquired cases on 29 August – its largest of the current outbreak. The State Government has announced that the current lockdown will be extended indefinitely.
Statewide, the largest unvaccinated cohorts are under-40s, which have only recently been eligible for Pfizer shots.
It is also the largest cohort for active Covid infections in Victoria, with 483 out of the state’s 778 active cases (62 per cent).
Four of the active cases are in Greater Dandenong, as of 29 August.
A Dandenong North GP clinic and Monash Medical Centre’s emergency department are among the state’s 890 exposure sites.
An infected case attended the ED’s ‘fast-track’ clinic waiting room at Clayton on Saturday 21 August, 3.35pm-6.30pm.
Anyone at the waiting room at that time must get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from the exposure, the Department of Health states.
Also the ED’s triage waiting room is listed as a Tier 2 site, with some individuals classed as Tier 1 contacts being contacted directly by the health department.
Anyone at the Tier 2 site at 3.20pm-3.35pm on Saturday 21 August is urged to get tested immediately and quarantine until a negative result is confirmed.
Greater Dandenong’s only Tier 1 site is a GP clinic in Dandenong North.
A Covid-infected person attended Dr Tawfik Massarany’s surgery at 19 Brady Road on Friday 20 August between the times of 8.50am-1.20pm and 3pm-6.30pm, according to the Department of Health.
Anyone at the surgery at those times is being told to get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from the exposure.
Tier 2 exposure sites include Coles supermarket at Princes Highway, Dandenong on Monday 16 August between 7.35pm-8.18pm, and Sunday 15 August 7.01pm-7.35pm.
Chemist Warehouse in Lonsdale Street, Dandenong was recently added due to an infected case visiting on Tuesday 17 August 3.30pm-4pm.
Also on Monday 16 August, Samios Plumbing Supplies in Kitchen Road Dandenong at 10.15am-10.45am, Springvale South milk bar in Darren Street at 11.35am-11.50am and North Dandy Bottle-O Shop at Dunearn Road, Dandenong North at 7.15pm-7.45pm were visited by an infected case.
Others on the list are a 7-Eleven outlet on Cheltenham Road, Keysborough on Tuesday 17 August 11.30am-11.50am, and a milk bar at 48 Beau Vorno Avenue Keysborough on Thursday 19 August 2.40pm-3pm.
A construction site at Waverly Gardens shopping centre, Police Road Mulgrave was also listed for Tuesday 17 August 8.30am-4pm. Tier 1 contacts at the site were to be contacted directly by the Department of Health.
Others are Woolworths at The Village, Princes Highway Dandenong South on Sunday 15 August 2.45pm-3.15pm and IKEA Springvale on the same day between 4.10pm-4.35pm.
Those who visited Tier 2 sites at these times are being advised to urgently get Covid-tested and to quarantine until they obtain a negative result.
The updated list of exposure sites in Victoria is at coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites
