Eastside IGA in Alice Springs shut after nine staff return positive Covid-19 RATs

Nine people rostered onto the same supermarket shift have reportedly tested positive to Covid.

UPDATE FRI 8AM: NINE people rostered onto the same supermarket shift have reportedly tested positive to Covid.

Lhere Artepe Supermarkets representative Sally McMartin confirmed nine workers had returned positive tests after working together at the Eastside IGA, Alice Springs on Sunday January 2.

Ms McMartin told the ABC the store had been deep cleaned and was expected to reopen on Friday, but due to staff shortages it was only expected to open its doors at noon and close at 7pm.

“We are struggling to get enough staff to operate during that time,” she said.

“Staff are coming from some of the other stores.”

She assured customers that health measures were in place to keep everyone safe.

Ms McMartin said the cluster was detected on Wednesday when a staff member called in sick and later had a positive rapid antigen test.

“Within a short period of time, two other staff had contracted the same thing,” she said.

“So we realised we were in some bother.”

The store was closed on Thursday, and operators were in communication with NT Health officers.

Ms McMartin said contact tracing was underway to test workers and customers.

She said the infected staff were very distressed, and urged any customers who were feeling unwell to get tested.

Ms McMartin said she was surprised that her supermarket still had not been listed as a public exposure site on Secure NT.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the positive results were from rapid antigen tests, and they were waiting to act until a PCR test.

“They’ve absolutely done the right thing and gone into isolation,” Ms Fyles said.

Ms Fyles said the decision to close the ICA was not a direction from NT Health, but by the store owners.

INITIAL THURS, 12.30PM: EASTSIDE IGA in Alice Springs has shut and cleaning is under way after multiple staff members returned positive Covid-19 rapid antigen tests (RATs).

Lhere Artepe Supermarkets chief executive Temba Ncube oversees the operations of three of Alice Springs’ IGA supermarkets.

Mr Ncube confirmed four staff members had returned positive RATs since Wednesday afternoon and he expected more to follow.

“On Wednesday around 3pm, one of our staff members was not feeling well and phoned in sick. We encouraged her to take a RAT and the result came back positive,” he said.

She did not attend work that day.

Eastside IGA was shut on Thursday morning with a cleaning company van parked out front. Picture: Lee Robinson.

“Then, on Wednesday around 4pm, another staff was not feeling well – she took a RAT and was also positive,” Mr Ncube said.

“(On Thursday) morning, we have had two other staff test positive.

“We made the decision not to open Eastside IGA and phoned the Centre for Disease Control (CDC).”

It is understood Eastside IGA will be listed as an exposure site on the NT government’s coronavirus website.

Mr Ncube said he was currently working with the CDC and contact tracing is under way, while staff who returned a positive RAT await results of a PCR test.

He said he had provided the CDC a list of all the staff who had worked at the store over the last three days, at the CDC’s request.

It is not yet know when the store will reopen, Mr Ncube said.

MORE TO COME.

Originally published as Eastside IGA in Alice Springs shut after nine staff return positive Covid-19 RATs