Update 2.31pm
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North East Health is asking Wangaratta residents to save visits to the emergency department for serious emergencies.
"With the patient in our hospital we've had to limit access to our hospital and we've got very limited access to our ED today," Ms Shanks said.
"So of course, if they're having a very serious health emergency they should come to us and there's safe access to do that, but low level emergency care, we're asking people to call their GP's.
"We're asking people not to call the hospital for information in relation to any risks or exposures, they need to call the COVID hotline."
The Victorian COVID hotline is 1800 675 398.
The National Coronavirus Helpline is 1800 020 080.
Ms Shanks said the community should be reassured North East Health had increased testing capacity.
"We encourage people if they've got symptoms gets tested," she said.
"We've a direct case now in our community and the community needs to be really, really vigilant around their own symptom management.
Anyone with any COVID-19 symptoms should get tested.
Wangaratta COVID-19 Screening clinic is open from 9am - 3pm, seven days a week, with no appointments needed.
The clinic is at 53-61 Tone Road, with access via Vincent Road.
When attending the Screening Clinic residents are asked to please remain in their vehicle at all times and follow staff instructions.
People can also complete an online COVID-19 Testing Registration form to receive a unique registration number that is valid for 90 days and can be used for multiple tests.
Pre-registering for your unique registration number will help you to save time at the testing site.
Update 2.17pm
Ms Shanks said 23 hospital staff were isolating.
"Our staff rehearse for these [instances], we've been planning for this for a very long time so all of the appropriate COVID-safe procedures and protocols have been followed, however, regardless of all of the protocols being in place, there are still impacts to our staff and our Emergency Department," she said.
"We've got a number of staff who are furloughed at the moment.
"We do put those staff out for 14 days at a minimum at this point in time, while we go through and review everything.
"At the moment, they're all waiting on calls from the public health unit who will clarify their contacts, their exposure, their risks and give them the clarity around what type of contact they are.
"At the moment that has taken out 23 staff from our ED who are currently isolating awaiting advice from the health department."
Update 2.10pm
North East Health interim chief executive Fiona Shanks said the positive case was not a Wangaratta resident and would be transferred to Melbourne later today.
She said the case, a man, was transported by ambulance from another health service's emergency department and was showing symptoms, but didn't test positive until he arrived at the Wangaratta hospital.
"But they were treated as [positive] prior to their arrival and they are currently in isolation," she said.
"We're following all of the appropriate COVID-19 procedures."
Ms Shanks said she was unable to answer if or how long the man had been infectious in the community.
"I think the most important thing is that the patient is in really good spirits, he's being cared for," she said.
Earlier
North East Health has recorded a positive COVID-19 in Wangaratta on the weekend, but is yet to release further details.
Wangaratta Mayor Dean Rees told The Border Mail a positive case had been detected in a person tested at the Wangaratta Hospital, but who is believed to be from Mansfield.
He said he didn't have any details about the case yet.
"I believe there was a positive case presented to the Emergency Department yesterday," he said.
"All I heard was that someone did present with flu like symptoms and was tested and was positive.
"It was just a matter of time before it came here and we just stress to everyone to be careful, and be safe and wear masks, and even get your children to put masks on."
Mr Rees said people should stay home if they could.
"Try not to take all your family out to the supermarket if you need to get out, stay away from people and wear your masks where possible," he said.
"Even start to train your children into wearing masks, we don't want it going through our children.
"Apart from the normal restrictions, if you can, you should, you must stay at home."
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Mr Rees told people to not congregate while drinking coffee.
"I'm very adamant on that type of thing," he said.
"I've just been up the street to grab a cup of coffee myself and there's lots of people standing around talking, including me and I need to limit that risk and then that's going to limit the risk of transmission.
"I stress to anyone who feels like they might have flu like symptoms go and get tested and let's get this and nail it before it becomes major."
He said he wasn't concerned about Wangaratta Health Services struggling to cope if the cases spread.
"I know our health department up there led by the acting CEO Fiona Shanks is on top of everything, they're ready to go," he said.
"We have a great swabbing clinic here, a drive through swabbing clinic so you don't even have to stand in line, so I'm rest assured that our hospitals will recover or cover the whole project extremely well and I know they're 100 per cent geared up and ready to go for a major outbreak."
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