MILDURA’S first positive COVID-19 case in more than a year is a “bloody big wake up call” not to become complacent during the pandemic, according to Member for Mildura Ali Cupper.
Ms Cupper yesterday said that while the region had been “relatively lucky and survived unscathed” for about 15 months that things could change “very, very quickly”.
She said she hoped that additional resources would now become available in the north west of the state now that the situation had changed “considerably”.
“If it’s from the MCG cluster and it sounds like it is, then it’s the Delta variant and we know that epidemiology evidence is pretty clear that this one is particularly contagious and particularly dangerous and is affecting more young people,” Ms Cupper said.
“That’s not particularly great for a community that has not had a great deal of available supplies of Pfizer for younger people.
“Now we have a positive case of the Delta variant in Mildura and a whole lot of young people, despite their best efforts, are not vaccinated.”
“I have no reason to doubt that the government would deploy all of the resources that are available and that are necessary to help us here in the north west.”
Ms Cupper said she had begrudgingly accepted that the Mildura region was not at the front of the queue for a vaccination centre in the early stages of the pandemic due to the lack of cases in the north west.
“Those other regional areas where there had been hot spots — not just one but a couple — where they tended to have a higher level of vulnerability, I accepted that if there were scarce supplies then it did make sense for the government to start there in terms of the vaccinations,” she said.
“That can’t be said for Mildura anymore because we’ve now gone from almost 15 months since we’ve had a case to now having a current case.
“This really does change things considerably and it probably vindicates efforts over the past week to week and a half to encourage people to not drop their guard in terms of masks and QR codes.
“Those things are clearly vitally important.”
Member for Mallee Anne Webster said the news of a positive COVID-19 case in Mildura highlighted the need for everyone in the community who has even the mildest symptoms to get tested and isolate and for everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated.
Dr Webster said the news of a case in Mildura was disappointing after so long without a case.
“The detection of a positive COVID case in Mildura … highlights the need for everyone in the community to do the right thing,” Dr Webster said
“If you have the mildest symptoms please go and get tested and isolate.
“While not yet confirmed, there is a very real risk this person was in the community while contagious.
“I would also encourage anyone else who has been to Melbourne in the past two weeks to go and get tested, even if asymptomatic, to minimise the risk to our community.
“While the current lockdown will slow the spread, I want to encourage everyone in the community who is eligible, to book a vaccine.
“Once the vaccine uptake is higher, the threat of the virus is significantly diminished and the risk of lockdowns is removed.”
Dr Webster said the supply of Pfizer would be increased in the coming weeks, and there was significant availability of AstraZeneca in Sunraysia.
