Bass Coast Health (BCH) has backed calls from the state government for people to get vaccinated this winter.

As well as receiving a Covid booster, Victorians are being urged to get a flu vaccination, ahead of an expected spike in flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases during winter.

CEO Jan Child said Covid cases in the shire are up and they were seeing more coming through the door as patients.

“We know there are much less people doing tests and notifying the health department, but numbers are increasing,” Ms Child said.

According to state government figures, there were 62 new cases reported in the shire last week.

With Rapid Antigen Tests only offering around a 50 per cent accuracy rate, and PCR tests hard to get, Ms Child believes there are many more cases in the community.

She urged people to keep testing, to wear masks to protect themselves, and to stay home if they were feeling unwell, even if a RAT test was negative.

“People have it in their head that you only have to stay home and isolate if you have a positive RAT test.

“But if you have any symptoms, please stay home. If you are sick, stay at home.

“This winter there are many viruses about and we are seeing more cases of the flu and RSV coming through the ED and the Urgent Care Centre in Cowes.”

For information on flu vaccinations, visit: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/flu-influenza-immunisation

For Covid vaccinations visit: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/get-vaccinated