Sexually transmitted infections? COVID-19 outbreak in a sleepy Australian town may have been sparked by a SWINGERS party
- An illegal gathering may have sparked Colac's second coronavirus outbreak
- Police have since issued two fines in relation to the August 29 gathering at home
- Active cases in town grew from eight in late August to 25 on September 8
- There's local speculation the illegal gathering in question was a swingers party
- Remains unclear whether the gathering and the town's new outbreak are linked
A swingers party may have sparked a second coronavirus outbreak in a Victorian country town.
Police have issued fines following investigations into an illegal gathering that took place at a home in Colac, 150km south-west of Melbourne, late last month.
A second outbreak of coronavirus rocked the town soon after, with the number of active cases in the Colac Otway Shire growing from eight in late August to 25 on September 8.
The spike in cases occurred weeks after an earlier cluster at a local abattoir sparked almost 100 cases.
Word on the street according to angry locals is the illegal gathering in question was a swingers party, the Herald Sun reported.
Home to 12,000 residents, the country town of Colac was hit with a second coronavirus outbreak earlier this month. Pictured is the main street
It's unclear whether there's any connection between the gathering and the fresh outbreak of new cases.
ABC reported earlier this month the town's second outbreak after a resident contracted the virus while being treated in a Melbourne hospital.
He returned home and unknowingly passed the virus to his family, which spread into the community.
Victoria Police confirmed they had been investigating a private gathering at a Colac home on August 29.
A spokesman added police were unaware of the incident until days later.
The town's second outbreak came weeks after an earlier cluster spread to 92 cases. Pictured are Colac healthcare workers at a pop up testing clinic in July
'Police did not attend the address on the day of the gathering, and only became aware of the potential breach of Chief Health Officer directions after they were alerted in the days following,' the police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.
'Once the reports were received Victoria Police investigated and two fines for $1652 were issued to the homeowners.'
Department of Health and Human Services is also aware of the illegal gathering but declined to comment on the specific case.
'We respect the privacy of patients and we do not provide details about individual cases, unless it is necessary to do so in the interests of public health,' a spokeswoman said.
'There are strict procedures in place to protect the public whenever someone tests positive to coronavirus.'
Speculation was rife that the illegal gathering being investigated by police in Colac was a swingers party (stock image)
Home to 12,000 residents, Colac's first outbreak originated at the local Australian Lamb Company abattoir, which grew from two cases on July 17 to 92 by August 6.
The outbreak prompted a community campaign which involved videos of local teachers, students, nurses, football coaches and business owners spreading a safety health message.
The number of active cases is now down to five in Colac,
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