Ballarat Base Hospital has cautiously lifted its code yellow, less than a week after two patients tested positive for COVID-19 outside of its COVID ward.
The code yellow, which signifies an internal emergency that allows a hospital to adopt care models outside its typical models, was lifted on Tuesday afternoon after coming into effect last Thursday.
Grampians Health Ballarat executive director of acute operations Ben Kelly said the hospital was returning to business as usual, albeit with the continuing pressures of the pandemic.
However, several wards remain in quarantine and visitor restrictions remain in place.
Hospital outbreak
The introduction of the code yellow led the health service to ask Ballarat residents to consider all other options before presenting at the hospital.
At the time, there were 17 patients in the hospital's COVID-19 ward and one in intensive care.
But two patients in non-COVID wards tested positive to the virus last week, putting two wards in quarantine.
As a result, a further 32 patients were being monitored for COVID-19 but had not tested positive.
Ballarat has been experiencing a spike in COVID cases. For the week ending April 10, the city's daily average was above 200 for the first time since late January.
According to the latest state health data, there were 232 cases recorded last Wednesday, the day before the code yellow was introduced.
Similar codes have been triggered at other regional Victorian hospitals in the past month, including in Albury Wodonga, Wangaratta, and Shepparton.
Health organisations and experts have raised concerns that a recent change to rules around masks, vaccination statuses, and close contact isolation will put further strain on a health system that is already under extreme pressure.
Above and beyond
Mr Kelly praised Ballarat hospital staff for their efforts during the "COVID outbreak management phase".
"The efforts of each part of the workforce to deliver the care and the practical actions to keep our patients and staff safe has been commendable."
