By Luke Voogt
Four COVID-19 exposure sites in Anglesea have prompted health authorities to issue a warning for some locals to get tested and isolate immediately.
Barwon South West Public Health Unit director Eugene Athan this morning issued a public health message detailing the four exposure sites.
The sites relate to a Melburnian who travelled to Anglesea between last Tuesday and Thursday (May 25 to 27).
“We’ve been made aware in the last 24 hours of the potential COVID exposure in the Anglesea area, in particularly, the important dates and times that relate to May 25,” he said.
Professor Athan urged anyone who visited Anglesea Golf Club Bistro between 6pm and 7.30pm last Tuesday, May 25, to get tested and to quarantine at home for 14 days.
“This is thought to be a significant exposure time,” he said.
Along with the ‘Tier 1’ exposure site, Barwon Health listed three other ‘Tier 2’ exposure sites.
These include:
• Anglesea Landfill and Transfer Station between 9.20am and 9.35am on May 25,
• IGA Anglesea between 10.15am and 11.00am on May 27, and
• Oaks Bakery Café between 10.30am and 11.00am on May 27.
People who visited these sites between the hours specified must get tested and quarantine until they receive a negative result, Professor Athan said.
Barwon Health this morning announced that it would establish a “pop-up testing site” at Anglesea and would provide further details on this later today.
“If you have any symptoms, please go and get tested for COVID,” Professor Athan said.
“We will improve and enhance the testing arrangements locally in your area.”
Prior to announcing the pop-up testing site, the Barwon Health website listed Torquay Community Health Centre as the closest testing facility.
“The important messages to you [are] that we are aware of this and to go to the Department of Health website for clarity around the specifics of those exposure times,” Professor Athan said.
“It’s very important that you adhere to these recommendations and stay calm.”
In a statement today Barwon Health said it was working closely with the Department of Health to test, trace and isolate the contacts of a newly-identified positive case.
“The individual is from Melbourne, who was asymptomatic at the time, and travelled to Anglesea from May 25 and May 27,” the health provider said.
Details on where to get tested: barwonhealth.org.au/coronavirus/where-to-get-tested
