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A PERSON who tested positive to COVID-19 is understood to have started experiencing symptoms the same day they visited a store in the Bendigo Marketplace.
The Department of Health and Human Services has not confirmed the store in question, saying it did not provide details about individual cases unless necessary in the interests of public health.
A department spokesperson said public exposure sites were contacted and provided with advice about transmission risks and any cleaning required as part of contact tracing.
"There are strict procedures in place to protect the public wherever someone tests positive to coronavirus, including close contacts being identified and notified that they need to self-isolate and seek testing," the spokesperson said.
Bendigo Health is understood to be doing contact tracing for the Bendigo region as part of the roll out of Regional Public Health Teams.
Criteria for "close contact" identification include spending 15 minutes interacting with an infected person face-to-face and/or spending two hours in the same enclosed space.
4.45pm
BENDIGO Marketplace building management has confirmed a store has closed after contact tracing found a person infected with COVID-19 visited last Friday.
Colliers International Real Estate Management said a tenant closed as a matter of precaution while staff underwent testing.
The store would re-open when cleared of infection.
A sanitary deep clean would also be conducted.
Colliers International did not confirm the store in question.
"Bendigo Health advised that they don't have any current concerns for the centre as the infected person visited over seven days ago," Colliers International said in a statement.
The statement confirmed Bendigo Health contacted the Marketplace as a result of contact tracing.
"The health and safety of our tenants is our number one priority and we will remain in contact with Bendigo Health and continue to apply all current and future recommendations," it said.
Earlier
A STORE at Bendigo Marketplace is believed to have been closed for cleaning and staff advised to get tested for COVID-19 after a positive case visited the centre.
A statement, purportedly from the building manager, said Bendigo Health reported a confirmed case of the virus to building management on Wednesday.
Confirmation has been sought from Colliers International, which manages the centre.
The statement said staff working at the impacted store, and their close contacts, had been advised to get tested for COVID-19 and isolate pending results.
"The advice from Bendigo Health was no further action was required, given the time elapsed since the person visited the centre," the statement said.
"The store has closed and will be cleaned overnight."
More news:
Cleaning ought to have taken place by this morning.
"The building will remain operational until a time in which further contrary official advice is issued by the authorities," the statement said.
"The health and safety of our tenants is our number one priority and we will continue to follow the instructions and guidelines provided by Bendigo Health and the Department of Health and Human Services."
A worker at the Marketplace, who requested to remain anonymous, was concerned about a lack of transparency from the centre's managers.
The worker said they had received no information from centre management.
The worker had seen the statement from building management, but had not received one themselves.
Other workers at the Marketplace seemed to be in a similar predicament, according to the source.
"Some staff are casual like myself and have other commitments that include being around the elderly and in the hospital," they said.
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