The challenge of protecting hospital staff from contracting COVID-19 while caring for infected patients has again been brought to the fore after two healthcare workers at the Northern Hospital in Epping were diagnosed with coronavirus.
Dr Stephen Warrillow, the hospital's head of intensive care, who also sits on the board of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society, said the increase in localised outbreaks was of great concern but not unexpected.
Dr Warrillow said Victoria had the benefit of months of preparation during the peak of the pandemic earlier this year, when there were fears that hospitals could be overrun with critically-ill patients. Front-line staff at Sunshine Hospital and Footscray Hospital, which are close to the western suburb hotspots that have been hit with tough stay-at-home restrictions , are also preparing for a potential surge of patients presenting with coronavirus.
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