Coronavirus: Melbourne aged care worker among five new local cases in Victoria

Authorities have been unable to uncover how an aged care worker at a Maidstone home caught the virus, making it the first “mystery case” of the current outbreak.

The worker is among five new local cases in the State, bringing the outbreak to 30.

She is believed to have been infectious when she worked on May 26 and 27, before developing symptoms and getting tested on Friday.

The worker, a healthcare provider, has only had one dose of vaccine.

About one-third of staff and more than half of residents at the centre have been also received a jab.

Victoria’s COVID commander Jeroen Weimar said the Federal Government was responsible for vaccinating residents and staff in this aged care home.

He said there was “no statutory requirement” for aged care workers to be vaccinated before they go to work.

“We have, of course, had a requirement within the hotel quarantine system operated by the state whereby any staff member in that sector has to be vaccinated, and they have a 100% vaccination record,” he said.

A testing blitz of staff and residents is taking place at the facility in Melbourne’s northwest on Sunday.

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“(An) aged care positive case is an extreme concern to us – for two reasons,” Mr Weimar said.

“It is our most vulnerable and sensitive setting that we have and that is why we have put such an important response into this since late last night.

“I am concerned that at this point in time we don’t have an original acquisition source.

“At this point in time, this is the first mystery case we have seen in this particular outbreak.”

Arcare chief executive Colin Singh said in a letter that the facility was in lockdown, with residents confined to their rooms.