Health / COVID-19

Brunswick COVID exposures hit double figures

Barkly Square shops among new sites announced

Three shops at Barkly Square are Tier 2 exposure sites.

Staff reporter
Wednesday, August 18, 2021


Updated August 19: A further two Tier 2 exposures were announced late on Wednesday night. They were both at Barkly Square on August 15. The entire shopping centre between 2pm and 3.30pm is considered an exposure site, while Rex Espresso is a specific exposure location between 1.55pm and 2.30pm.

THE number of Brunswick exposure sites in Melbourne’s current COVID-19 outbreak have hit double figures, with three shops at Barkly Square added this afternoon.

The new exposures are at Coles, McDonald’s and Chatime. The Centrelink offices in Moreland Road have also been identified as an exposure location.

All 10 Brunswick locations are tier 2 sites, which means anyone who has visited this location during the exposure times should urgently get tested, then isolate until confirmation of a negative result. They should also continue to monitor for symptoms, and get tested again if any appear.

A Tier 1 exposure site in Coburg was also announced on Wednesday. A worker at Old School Pizza on the ground floor of a large apartment complex at 14-20 Nicholson Street, near the corner of Moreland Road, has tested positive. Anyone who picked up takeaway from the store between 5.30pm to 11pm on Friday must get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from exposure.

In a statement, Old School Pizza said it would also be closing its Westmeadows store as a precaution.

“We’ve been very forthcoming to the Department of Health to assist with their contact-tracing efforts and wish everyone in the Old School family who now has to isolate, the very best!

“The positive staff member who worked is doing well and we’re so appreciative of the community support over the last 24 hours.”

All three exposures at Barkly Square took place during a similar time period between 2pm and 3.15pm on Sunday afternoon. The exposure at La Manna occurred between 2pm to 3pm last Friday, August 6.

The Centrelink offices in Moreland Road were visited by a COVID-positive person between 10.11am and 10.51am last Friday.

In a note, the Department of Health added that some individuals may be Tier 1 contacts required to quarantine for 14 days, in which case they would be contacted directly by the department.

Over the weekend, the A1 Bakery in Sydney Road was also added to the exposure list. The store was closed on Sunday for a deep clean and while staff were tested, and then reopened on Monday with all staff testing negative.

The exposure at A1 occurred between 9.45am and 10.25am on Saturday.

Other earlier exposures have been at La Manna Fresh in Sydney Road on August 6, Woolworths in Albert Street on August 6 and 10, Petbarn in Weston Street on August 6, and Foodworks on Melville Road on August 9.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 552 exposure sites in Melbourne.