THE Wimmera Health Care Group has clarified how people who test positive for coronavirus are deemed to have recovered from the illness.
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People that test positive must isolate in their homes immediately unless admitted to a hospital or other facility for medical care.
They must quarantine for two weeks after testing positive, but could stay for longer if told to by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Director of Medical Services Dr John Gallichio has told the Mail-Times the decision to deem a case inactive rested with the DHHS.
"With the majority of cases, at day 11 or 12 they will be asked to take a further test to confirm they are no longer positive," he said in a statement.
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"Anyone with a chronic illness contracting the virus will go through the same quarantine period and await the follow-up test to confirm they are no longer positive."
Dr Gallichio said some of the cases detected at the healthcare group were people with chronic health conditions, but that contracting COVID-19 would be unlikely to exacerbate their existing conditions.
He also said the healthcare group did not know if the two remaining active cases in Horsham Rural City were actually in the region.
The DHHS assigns active cases based on the residential address people provide when they test positive. It stresses the municipality may not be where the person was infected or where they are currently isolating.
A DHHS spokeswoman said it did not provide details about individual cases unless it was in the interests of public health.
Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
