ACT healthcare workers who have visited COVID-19 hotspots in Melbourne will be told not to come into work for two weeks, as new cases in Victoria continue to surge.
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The advice will extend to any employee who has visited one of the 10 postcode areas in Melbourne, announced by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, that will be forced into lockdown from Wednesday night.
Staff, volunteers and visitors in high-risk settings in the ACT such as hospitals, residential aged-care facilities, correctional facilities and residential accommodation that support people for close personal care will be among those affected by the health advice.
However, public health directions banning all ACT residents from travelling to Melbourne altogether are not being considered.
An ACT Health spokeswoman said while the advice for health staff did not extend to other parts of Melbourne or Victoria that were not forced into lockdown, those who had been to other areas were told to monitor symptoms.
"People who have returned to the ACT are asked to carefully monitor their health," the spokeswoman said.
"All people who have recently been in Melbourne are asked to carefully monitor their health for symptoms of COVID-19 for a period of 14 days after leaving Melbourne and to get tested should they develop any symptoms, no matter how mild."
The lockdown orders will be in place across the 10 Melbourne postcodes for at least four weeks.
New coronavirus cases in Victoria have continued to surge with another 64 reported in the state on Tuesday. However, that figure decreased slightly from the 75 new cases reported on Monday.
Australian Medical Association ACT president Antonio Di Dio said the call made by ACT Health to restrict work for staff who have visited Victoria was the right decision.
Despite the order, he said staffing levels were not expected to be impacted.
"There's at least more than 7000 people employed by ACT Health, and the number of people who have recently been to Melbourne would be a small fraction of that," Dr Di Dio said.
"It sounds eminently sensible. It's exactly the kind of thinking that's needed with the fortunate situation the ACT has with the low number of cases we have."
The association's president said localised outbreaks as seen in Melbourne were to be expected.
"All it takes for one person to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it can happen anywhere, which is why contact tracing is important," he said.
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The Royal Australia College of General Practitioners spokeswoman and Melbourne-based GP Lara Roeske said she supported the decision for further lockdowns.
"What we need to do is be incredibly cautious and sensible and we don't want the figures to escalate," Dr Roeske said.