By Luke Voogt
UPDATE: The Department of Health declared the case a false positive after the Independent went to press on June 3.
Anglesea locals “turned up in droves” for COVID-19 testing, according to Barwon Health, after authorities announced four exposure sites in the town from last week.
Two-hundred and eighty-two people lined up and got tested at Barwon Health’s newly-opened pop-up testing site at Anglesea Senior Citizens Club from 1pm to 8pm on Wednesday.
About 250 more visited the testing site between 8am and 1pm today, Barwon Health confirmed.
This is almost 10 per cent of the town’s population based on the 2016 census.
“The Anglesea community have turned up in droves and are to be commended for their commitment to keeping their community safe,” Barwon Health public affairs director Kate Bibby said.
The community response comes after Barwon South West Public Health Unit director Eugene Athan on Tuesday announced the newly-identified exposure sites.
The sites relate to a Melburnian who recently tested positive, but was asymptomatic when they travelled to Anglesea between last Tuesday and Thursday (May 25 to 27), Professor Athan said.
He urged anyone who visited Anglesea Golf Club Bistro between 6pm and 7.30pm on May 25, to get tested and to quarantine at home for 14 days.
Along with that ‘tier one’ exposure site, Barwon Health listed three other ‘tier two’ exposure sites.
These include:
• Anglesea Landfill and Transfer Station between 9.20am and 9.35am on May 25,
• IGA Anglesea between 10.30am and 11.15am 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.
“If you have any symptoms, please go and get tested for COVID,” he said.
“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.”
Barwon Health is working with the Department of Health to test, trace and isolate the close contacts of the newly-identified positive case.
Testing sites: barwonhealth.org.au/coronavirus/where-to-get-tested
