Fake COVID-positive text message no joke as local cases rise - ABC News

A practical joke has put unnecessary strain on the local health department and anxiety within the community. 

Key points:

• A border resident received a fake text advising they were COVID-positive
• Albury has recorded six new cases and more exposure sites
• Two new cases have been reported in Myrtleford

The ABC understands a border resident received a fraudulent text message advising them they had returned a positive COVID-19 result.

The individual had been to an exposure site and was tested before receiving the message.

"It would be quite confronting for someone to receive a text message to say they're COVID-positive when in actual fact they're not," Murray River Police District Detective Chief Inspector Mick Stoltenberg said.

The text message was not sent by the Health Department.(Supplied)

"With the way everyone's stress levels are heightened at the moment … I have no doubt [receiving the message] would tip them on their head."

Murrumbidgee Local Health District's director of public heath Tracey Oakman said COVID was not a joking matter.

"I don't think it's funny to text your mates to tell them they're positive. It is not a joke," Ms Oakman said.

"It is a very wasteful and expensive joke on the community and it's not funny at all."

She said the impact had been felt throughout the community.

"It does take a lot of our resources to investigate those things and it does waste a lot of time that we could be putting into productive investigations," Ms Oakman said.

"It also can have flow-on effects to businesses that can shut down when they think they may have had a case or an exposure at their venue."

Catch up on the main COVID-19 news from October 15 with a look back at our blog.

Albury cases rise

Six new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Albury.

Three are household contacts of a previously confirmed case and three remain under investigation.

"At the moment, we don't know where our initial source of infection has come from so it'll be an ongoing investigation to try to determine that," Ms Oakman said.

"Hopefully someone who returns a positive will fit the puzzle together for us."

Several exposure sites have been listed as a result with the list expected to grow.

• Zed Bar Albury — Friday, October 8, 5:30pm–11:15pm
• Jamaica Blue, Myer Centre Point — Sunday, October 10, 12:50pm–1:50pm
• Kmart Albury — Sunday, October 10, 12:45pm–1:10pm
• Bonds Shop, West End Plaza — Sunday, October 10, 12:50pm–1:35pm
• Platypus Shop, West End Plaza — Sunday, October 10, 1:25pm–1:45pm
• Moama Bowling Club — Sunday, October 10, 12:00pm–3:30pm
• Kinross Woolshed, Thurgoona — Sunday, October 10, 5:15pm–7:55pm
• Coles, Lavington — Monday, October 11, 12:45pm–1:30pm
• Woolworths, Lavington — Tuesday, October 12, 8:45am–9:45am

Anyone at these venues during times of concern is considered a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.

Murrumbidgee Local Health District director of public health Tracey Oakman says all Albury cases are being cared for at their homes.(Image supplied: Murrumbidgee Local Health District.)

Northside Hotel in Albury has confirmed a positive case attended the Bistro and gaming area on Sunday, October 10, 5:30pm–8:30pm.

And Whitehouse Motorcycles said a positive case attended the store on Wednesday, October 13, 3:00pm–4:00pm.

Both sites are yet to be formally listed but have closed for deep cleaning.

Staff are being tested and anyone there during those times is also being urged to get tested.

Jindera school closed

Meanwhile, St John's Lutheran School in Jindera has closed after a year 5 student tested positive to COVID-19.

"As per NSW protocols, the Department of Education is working with the school to identify any children who may have been at risk," Ms Oakman said.

"The general advice is anyone who was in a class with that child will be a close contact and anyone else at the school is generally a casual contact depending on their activities — whether there was a crossover or not."

Close contacts will be contacted by the Department of Health but anyone who develops symptoms is being urged to get tested.

Victorian border on high alert

With case numbers growing and the exposure sites of significant concern, Albury Wodonga Health was closely monitoring the situation.

"This is without a doubt the highest level of COVID-related activity we've seen across our communities for quite some time," director of public health Lucie Shanahan said.

"People intermingle and work across both communities and certainly access their daily living needs across both communities.

"We haven't yet seen any reports of additional exposure sites across Albury and Wodonga but as we know contact tracing does take a bit of time."

Albury Wodonga Health's executive director of public health Lucie Shanahan.(ABC Goulburn Murray: Mikaela Ortolan)

Two new cases of COVID-19 have emerged in Myrtleford today.

Dr Shanahan said one of the cases was a primary close contact of a known positive case in the Wangaratta LGA.

The second was a household contact of the first case.

"There are other people who live in the house so we are expecting possibly more household contacts given we do know that COVID has a very high strike rate across household contacts," she said.

As reported yesterday, there are two cases in Wodonga.

One of the cases travelled from Northern NSW to provide care to a family member and the other case has acquired the virus in Melbourne and returned to the region.

Currently, there are no links between cases in North East Victoria and Albury.

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Recycling the waste COVID-19 has created(Emilia Terzon)

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Fake COVID-positive text message no joke as local cases rise - ABC News
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