By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Covid infections in the South East are mounting despite a surge in vaccination rates.
As of 26 October, Casey (167 new cases) and Greater Dandenong (143) had the most daily cases of Victorian council areas.
There are now nearly 4500 active cases in the two municipalities.
Meanwhile new clusters have been listed at Casey Hospital’s emergency department Tier 1B, Inghams Chicken Warehouse in Lyndhurst and Dandenong North Primary School.
Three aged care homes Belvedere in Noble Park (36 infected residents, eight staff) Arcare in Keysborough (20 residents, 11 staff) and Regis in Dandenong North (22 residents, three staff) still have active clusters.
Two residents at Belvedere and one at Regis have died with Covid.
Postcode hotspots are Dandenong (72 new cases, 935 active), Cranbourne (57, 781), Narre Warren (27, 445), Noble Park (23, 396), Hampton Park (29, 292) and Keysborough (24, 230).
In recent weeks, Greater Dandenong’s lagging vaccine rates have surged.
Public health researcher and Greater Dandenong councillor Rhonda Garad says “anti-vax groups” within the region were “flipping” due to a lot of Covid illness in the community.
“Seeing is believing. They’re not convinced (Covid is a danger) until they see a lot of people sick.
“That’s been flipping a lot of them over.”
Latest figures show 90 per cent of Greater Dandenong residents 16-and-over have at least a single dose, with 67.9 per cent fully vaccinated.
In Casey, more than 95 per cent were single-dosed and 74.5 per cent with two doses.
Vaccine rates in the Doveton and Dandenong postcodes have been significantly lower, however.
