Bundaberg Bunnings staff isolate after Covid exposure, test numbers soar

Bundaberg Bunnings staff have been forced to isolate after being exposed to Covid last week. Here’s what we know.

A number of Bunnings staff members have been told to isolate and get tested after being exposed to a positive Covid case who visited Bundaberg last week.

The Bundaberg store was identified as a low risk Covid exposure site at the weekend after a person who visited the store between 9-10am on December 15, 2021, tested positive for Covid.

A small number of team members who were working that day were identified as close contacts and have been instructed to isolate and get tested, as well as wait for guidance from Queensland Health.

Another small number of team members were identified as casual contacts and will be able to return to the store once they test negative to the virus.

Cars pack the Bundaberg TAFE vaccination clinic.

Bunnings area manager Andy Stewart said all Bunnings stores were deep cleaned daily.

“We have been advised by Queensland Health that a customer who visited our Bundaberg store on 15 December has since tested positive for Covid-19. This visit has been deemed low-risk by Queensland Health,” he said.

“The health and safety of our team members and customers is our absolute focus. We have got incredibly comprehensive Covid-19 protocols in place for hygiene and cleaning across our whole store network which were developed in conjunction with advice from health authorities.

“This includes extensive physical distancing measures and deep cleaning of all stores daily, as well as undertaking regular cleans throughout the day.”

Bunnings has also brought in measures to help protect staff and customers at its stores, including increased cleaning of surfaces, trolleys and baskets, monitoring and limiting customers in store and acrylic register guards.

The company has offered a product finder app that lets customers search for products before they leave home and create a shopping list that shows which aisle items are located in.

Covid testing numbers around the region have also escalated following two positive cases in Hervey Bay last week.

WBHHS fever clinics have experienced a spike in people getting tested after two cases were detected in Hervey Bay last week and Bundaberg's Bunnings was listed as a low risk exposure site.

Acting WBHHS Chief Executive Fiona Sewell said there had been a “huge increase” in the number of people presenting to public fever clinics.

“On Wednesday, December 15, our clinics tested about 160 people across our WBHHS facilities,” she said.

“We’ve seen this figure quickly grow throughout the week with WBHHS testing more than 500 people a day for each of the past three consecutive days (December 18-20).

“If people are planning on using our testing sites, please be prepared that there may be a bit of a wait and we ask that they bring along their patience and kindness to our staff.

“As we do in summer, we’re also experiencing some warm days so it’s a good idea for people to bring a bottle of water, snacks, phone charger, any medication they need and their Medicare card.”

As of Tuesday afternoon there were 106 active quarantine notices across the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service region.