COVID-positive Vic sex worker went 'AWOL'
A sex worker in Melbourne's southeast suburbs went missing for hours after testing positive for COVID-19 as health authorities waited to interview her.
The St Kilda woman, who is homeless, presented to an emergency department earlier this week where she returned a positive test for coronavirus.
A close contact also tested positive and both have been moved into quarantine. It is still not known how the duo contracted the virus.
Victoria's COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar confirmed there was a short window when contact tracers did not know where the woman had gone.
"One of those individuals did go AWOL for little time but came back to the ED (emergency department) and since then has been securely cared for," he told reporters on Friday.
Mr Weimar allayed fears her absence would lead to further exposure sites, assuring the public authorities knew where she had been in those "short hours".
He expressed sympathy for the sex worker, saying it was understandable some infected people found it difficult to divulge intimate details to contact tracers.
"No one wants to be COVID-positive. No one wants to be in a situation where suddenly the lights are all upon you and you're asked to explain what you've been doing and where you've been," he said.
"It's incredibly distressing and you have a dangerous illness. It's a bad place to be.
"Of the 300 people now active with COVID, we can only send them our sympathy and encouragement they get better."
The St Kilda woman is among four cases linked to the Fitzroy Street, St Kilda outbreak, with a further two infections announced on Friday.
Four more cases also emerged from an illegal engagement party in Caulfield North last week. That outbreak, known as the St Kilda East cluster, has infected 11 people.
Authorities are continuing to urge anyone who has visited one of the more than 20 exposure sites in St Kilda to come forward for testing.
