Michaela Meade
The state government has partnered with Northern Health and Royal Melbourne Hospital to deliver two medi-hotels to cater for COVID-19 patients who require lower-level care.
The move will ease pressure on Victoria’s hospital system, as many urge patients to save triple-0 and the emergency department for emergencies.
Hotel quarantine sites will be transformed into medi-hotels – which provide accommodation and hotel services for self-caring patients accessing acute hospital services – and from Monday will have capacity to provide care for over 300 patients at a time.
Acting health minister James Merlino said the medi-hotels would provide an “extra buffer” while COVID-19 case numbers and related hospital admissions were rising.
“Patients will receive high-quality care from health professionals in a hotel setting, making even better use of the resources we have available,” Mr Merlino said.
“The CQV workforce stand ready and able to assist their fellow frontline workers in the ongoing efforts against COVID-19, helping keep Victorians safe.”
It comes as a Hume postcode has once again recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
According to new health department data, postcode 3064 – which includes Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Kalkallo, Mickleham and Roxburgh Park – has 3074 active cases of the virus as at Friday, January 14.
There were 753 new cases reported for the area today.
The Hume municipality continues to record high case numbers, with 1158 new cases reported today.
This brings the total number of active cases in Hume to 5776, according to the data.
Neighbouring municipality Whittlesea recorded close to 1000 new cases today, with 954 reported.
According to the data, there are currently 4849 active COVID-19 cases in the municipality.
Postcode 3754 – including Doreen and Mernda – have recorded the highest number of cases in Whittlesea, with 172 new cases today, pushing the total active cases to 737.
