Shoreline shock: Work halted after possible Covid link

Workers at a major Coffs Harbour development have been tested and sent home after reports a visitor to the site tested positive in Sydney.

Work has halted at one of Coffs Harbour’s biggest developments after a worker who visited the site last week tested positive for Covid-19.

On Tuesday morning workers at The Shoreline construction site were seen lining up to receive Covid tests from NSW Health staff who had been sent to assist.

The $150m Shoreline is touted as being the largest privately-funded development in Coffs Harbour and General manager of the Bachrach Naumburger Group, Steve Gooley, confirmed that “for absolute precaution” the site had been shut down.

“Quite possibly the site will be open again (on Wednesday) or the day after but for absolute precaution the site has been shut,” he said.

A Coffs Harbour construction site has been shut after a visitor to the site tested positive to coronavirus in Sydney. Workers at The Shoreline received Covid tests on site by NSW Health staff. Photo: Tim Jarrett

Mr Gooley said the precautionary measures were the same as those taken by Park Beach Plaza, which the organisation also owns, when it decided to deep clean the centre following suggestions on Monday that it was a potential Covid exposure site.

That information, released on Monday morning by Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh and distributed widely by news organisations, proved to be unfounded and late on Monday night NSW Health confirmed that at this stage just the Hoey Moey bottle shop was an exposure site.

It is now confirmed Woolworths and Big W in the Plaza were not visited by a person who was infectious with Covid-19.

Despite the tense situation the city finds itself in, the Shoreline workers were taking it in their stride.

Leaving the site after being tested, Coffs Harbour electrician Noah Ross said his co-workers were upbeat and he hoped they would be back at work once the tests came back.

Coffs Harbour Shoreline worker Noah Ross leaves the site after being tested. Photo: Tim Jarrett

Another worker, who didn’t want to be identified, wasn’t too concerned about the Covid risk and said he was confident they would be “all good”.

“We all know everything is being looked after and we are following the rules,” he said.

“And the people that are running the shop are following the rules and regulations to the best they can.”

The first two stages of The Shoreline development include the construction of a 120-bed care facility, 74 independent living units, a resort-style community centre and a large pool, expected to be complete in mid 2022.