By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The Covid toll continues to mount at Belvedere Aged Care in Noble Park.
A further two residents had reportedly died with Covid, according to a Department of Health update on 3 November.
A total of eight have died since a “regular visitor” attended while infectious on 5 October.
Thirty-nine residents and eight staff have been since infected.
Belvedere had recently stated that it had entered a “recovery period” with no new cases for four consecutive days.
Most residents and staff were nearing the end of their 14-day quarantine period, as of 31 October.
There were hopes that the Public Health Unit would grant a “full facility clearance” by 9 November.
The initial infected visitor had complied with testing requirements, providing a negative result within 48 hours prior to arrival, according to Belvedere.
Two days after their visit, they informed Belvedere of their positive subsequent test.
The home was then deep-cleaned, infected staff were sent into home quarantine and staff working in designated wings to minimise transmission risks.
Belvedere stated it was the first instance of Covid entering the home.
Three other aged care facilities in Greater Dandenong have been struck by Covid outbreaks.
A resident has also died in a Covid outbreak at Regis Aged Care in Dandenong North. Twenty-three residents and five staff have been infected.
Arcare in Keysborough (21 residents, 12 staff) and Rosewood Downs in Dandenong (15 residents) also have active outbreaks.
Meanwhile, the cluster at Australian Meat Group Abattoir in Dandenong South has grown to 20 active cases.
Listed clusters are also at KingKids Early Learning Centre in Hallam (12 active cases), CREST Children’s Sanctuary in Dandenong (11) and Dandenong South Primary School (10).
Keysborough Primary School and Wooranna Park Primary School are among listed Covid-related closures on 4 November.
The march of Covid cases in the South East has slowed as full vaccination rates rise above 76 per cent in Greater Dandenong and 82 per cent in Casey.
On 3 November, active cases in Greater Dandenong and Casey were down by 250.
There were still more than 150 new cases and a combined 3400 active cases in the two council areas.
Dandenong postcode has the state’s most active cases (770 – down 63).
Other hotspots are Cranbourne (570), Narre Warren (310), Noble Park (266), Clyde (248) and Hampton Park (208).
