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- The cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to the Holiday Inn hotel quarantine program in Victoria has grown to 10
- The two new cases were diagnosed today, both close contacts of one of the original hotel quarantine workers to contract COVID-19
- The Holiday Inn’s quarantine program has been closed, and all of the residents moved to another hotel after the outbreak was confirmed
- Victorian officials are closely monitoring the situation, with the original outbreak linked to a medical device used in quarantine
- The ten individuals are all believed to have contracted the highly contiguous U.K. strain of COVID-19.
The cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to the Holiday Inn hotel quarantine program in Victoria has grown to 10.
Another two new cases were diagnosed today, both of whom were close contacts of one of the original hotel quarantine worker who contracted coronavirus.
Two further individuals linked to the Holiday Inn Airport outbreak have tested positive to coronavirus (COVID-19). Both are household primary close contacts of currently confirmed Holiday Inn staff cases.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) February 11, 2021
The Holiday Inn’s hotel quarantine program in Melbourne was shut yesterday, to allow for deep cleaning.
All of the residents quarantining in the venue have now been moved to the Pullman Hotel in the CBD.
Meanwhile, the two additional cases linked to the cluster comes as Victoria’s Chief Health Officer revealed the outbreak may be linked to a medical device.
Brett Sutton explains a nebuliser, a device used to deliver medication, may have helped spread COVID-19 from room to room within the hotel
“It vaporises medication or liquid into a very fine mist,” the State’s Chief Health Officer explained.
“We think the exposures are all related to that event, the use of a nebuliser whereby the virus was carried out into the corridor and exposed the authorised officer, the food and beverage service worker and also the other resident,” he said.
The ten individuals are all believed to have contracted the highly contiguous U.K. strain of COVID-19.
Health officials have now placed all close contacts of those infected into isolation, while warnings have been issued for several venues across Melbourne which are now considered hotspots.
