PATIENTS at Swan Hill District Health will have noticed the return of masks across the town’s hospital and health services, as SHDH attempt to quash a rise in COVID-19 cases.
SHDH have “strongly encouraged” the wearing of masks for visitors across their numerous sites, including the town’s emergency department and hospital.
Those attending SHDH’s health services can find disposable face masks available to them as they enter the hospital and emergency department.
SHDH chief executive Peter Abraham said the rise in cases had hit their staff particularly hard.
“Our health services are currently experiencing a surge in the cases of COVID-19,” Mr Abraham said.
“That’s particularly the case in our staff at the moment, so the community will notice that we have returned to the practice of wearing masks at this time.
“We are hoping this is just an interim measure, and it’s just an attempt to ensure we can control any further spread so we can keep as many of our staff on the floor as possible.
“All of our services continue as normal.”
Victorian Department of Health data showed the number of those hospitalised with COVID-19 had increased across the state between May 6 and 10.
The weekly Victorian COVID-19 Surveillance Report released on May 10 showed an increase in the 7-day average to 208 hospitalisations, up from 160 the previous week.
The report also showed that wastewater measures indicated an increase in SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in Victorian wastewater across regional and metropolitan catchments.
Victoria has seen a small decrease in the number of deaths in which COVID-19 listed as a primary or contributing cause of death on the medical death certificate in the last 28 days.
In the last 28-day period between March 27 and April 23, Victoria saw a total of 60 deaths, down from 69 between March 20 and April 16.
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