Positive COVID-19 test forces Royal Melbourne Hospital staff into isolation, later shown to be a false positive

A positive COVID-19 result from a female patient at the Royal Melbourne Hospital prompted immediate action on Saturday.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne. Source: AAP

As many as 30 staff at the Royal Melbourne Hospital have come out of self-isolation after an initial positive COVID-19 test result was shown to be a false positive.

The Department of Health and Human Services says the initial low positive test result for the female patient was reviewed by the Expert Review Panel.

A department spokesperson says the second test returned a negative result.

Staff were sent immediately into isolation as a precautionary measure upon news of the initial positive result.

Zero cases and deaths were recorded in the daily tally released today, from 5,848 test results.

Victoria has maintained its track record of zero locally acquired cases for more than eight weeks, or 58 days, but there are 10 overseas-acquired cases in hotel quarantine.

People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your jurisdiction's restrictions on gathering limits. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.

News and information is available in 63 languages at 

Please check the relevant guidelines for your state or territory: 


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Published 27 December 2020 8:04am
Updated 27 December 2020 8:14am
Source: SBS News



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