Date published:
Audience:
General public
Today, Professor Kelly has extended the current Hotspots for the purposes of Commonwealth support for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and for Greater Melbourne, City of Greater Geelong, Moorabool and Golden Plains, until 11:59pm on 2 September 2021. The Hotspots will be reviewed on, or before this date. Increasing case counts, with many cases infectious in both the ACT and Melbourne areas, poses an exposure risk to the people within these respective communities.
Professor Kelly asks people in these areas to continue to follow their local Health Department directions and to book their vaccinations.
Declaring a hotspot for Commonwealth support triggers, if required:
- provision of PPE from the National Medical Stockpile
- actions for aged care facilities including PPE, single site workforce supplement and integration of an aged care response centre into the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre
- assistance with contact tracing
- asymptomatic testing via General Practitioner led Respiratory Clinics
- reprioritisation of vaccine supplies, if required
- access to COVID-19 Disaster Payment, if eligibility criteria are met
- two Medicare Benefits Schedule items for telehealth consultations for patients in COVID-19 hotspots.
Read more about listing areas as COVID-19 hotspots.