SUNRAYSIA families are being forced to spend Christmas in isolation over a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases detected in schools.
The principal of Ranfurly Primary School, where 35 cases have emerged, has described the situation as “just awful”.
Dennis Mitchell, who is now working to help the Health Department with contact tracing, said he knew of several other schools facing similar situations and that the post-lockdown infection period was “probably the worst” period of the pandemic for school communities.
Students are now on Christmas holidays, but close contacts of the infected children must now isolate.
“With what all the kids have been through and families have been through, this is just awful,” Mr Mitchell said.
“Families of close contacts are now having to isolate over Christmas.”
GP shortages, meanwhile, have been blamed for the closure of Sunraysia Community Health Service’s COVID clinic next year.
The service announced that its GP respiratory clinic would be closed from December 22 and not reopening in 2022.
The government-funded clinic had struggled to recruit GPs and was not able to secure a steady workforce for the new year.
Barratt and Smith Pathology will now be the only COVID-19 testing site in Mildura.
Frustrated Sunraysia residents took to Sunraysia Daily‘s Facebook page to voice their concerns after the announcement this week.
Tarz Lam said: “As usual, rural communities are left to their own devices.”
Brooke Allen posted: “This is going to be a massive issue for many – including my family! Please rethink the opening days/times, especially around New Years.”
The service announced it would operate a pop-up clinic on December 26 and 27, from 10am to 12pm.
The service said it would continue to operate pop-up clinics when demand is high, but vaccinations would be the priority in 2022.
Mildura recorded nine new cases on Thursday, bringing the number of active cases in the local government area to 90.
Victoria recorded 2005 new cases on Thursday, and 10 deaths.
Almost 400 infected people are being treated in Victorian hospitals, 72 of them in intensive care.
