The Peel Hotel: Partygoer receives Covid text at 8.26pm Christmas Eve

A person who attended a popular hotel in Melbourne has revealed they got a text on Christmas Eve saying they were possibly exposed to Covid.

A person who attended a popular hotel in Melbourne nearly a week ago has revealed they got a text on Christmas Eve saying they were possibly exposed to Covid.

The man attended The Peel Hotel in Collingwood last Sunday and said they were sent a text on Christmas Eve at 8.26pm alerting them to the fact a positive person had been at the venue.

“If you are a customer/patron that has visited this venue you are required to get a Covid-19 PCR test within 24 hours of receiving this notice and immediately isolate until you receive a negative result,” the text read.

The patron, who wished to remain anonymous, said he checked into the venue on December 18 but the date of exposure was listed in the message as the Sunday – possibly referring to after midnight.

“It was a really ambiguous text … (and) there was no time the infected person was there. They didn’t give that clarity,” he said.

“I am going to get tested …

“I thought ‘what were the chances of it being an exposure site this weekend. Probably pretty slim’ and look what happened.”

Patrons who visited The Peel Hotel in Collingwood were alerted that a positive Covid-19 was at the venue. Picture: Supplied

The hotel the person attended had previously been listed as an exposure site. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

This latest scare for The Peel Hotel comes after it was listed as an exposure site on December 10 due to a person infected with Omicron going there between 11.30pm and 3am.

At the time, The Peel Hotel owner Tom McFeely said the isolation rule meant the pub would likely be closed for a week during one of the busiest periods of the year.

“If your staff have to isolate – you can‘t open,” he told 3AW.

“It basically means we have to shut down.

“I thought we were learning to live with this damn thing and now this happened.”

This latest instance of a Covid visit was so brief it didn’t warrant the hotel being classified as an exposure site, a Victorian health department spokesperson said.

“A number of patrons were directly and privately messaged to alert them to potential exposure at the premises and to advise a PCR test,” they said in a statement.

“There are many such exposures and advice messages sent across Victoria every day, and these do not necessitate broad publication.

“If you were at the venue and didn’t receive a message, then like all Victorians, you should monitor for symptoms and get tested if any develop.”

Victoria recorded 2108 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

On Saturday Victoria recorded 2108 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of active cases to 17,599.

There have also been six deaths recorded on Christmas Day.

The state also has 361 people in hospital while 71 are in intensive care, 42 of them on ventilators.

There were also 83,456 tests conducted.

Now, more than 92 per cent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated.

There were 2095 new Covid-19 cases and eight deaths reported on Christmas Eve.

Victorians had an indoor mask mandate introduced on Friday in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant within the community.

Residents as young as eight are required to wear one in all indoor settings except for private homes.

It was also recommended that hospitality venues stick to seated service and people work from home if able to.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said reintroducing masks would have a “terrific impact on transmission”.

“Please bear that in mind. Mandating wearing masks indoors, with the usual exceptions, is really critical,” he said.

A mask mandate is in place for all indoor settings with the exception of private homes. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Originally published as The Peel Hotel: Partygoer receives Covid text at 8.26pm Christmas Eve