Victoria’s chief health officer confirms links between infections across abattoirs and small goods factories
Health authorities are aware of links between infections at abattoirs and small goods factories as COVID-19 batters the meat industry.
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Victoria’s chief health officer has confirmed links between infections at abattoirs and small goods factories as coronavirus spreads across the state’s meat industry.
Somerville Retail Services abattoir in Tottenham is at the centre of one of Victoria’s largest outbreaks at 95 COVID-19 cases, while the nearby JBS Australia facility in Brooklyn has 71 confirmed infections.
There is another major outbreak at an abattoir in Victoria’s southwest where 47 cases have been recorded at Colac’s Australian Lamb Company.
There are 47 cases at Bertocchi Smallgoods in Thomastown, eight infections at Diamond Valley Pork in Laverton and six cases at Don KR Castlemaine.
Chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton said health authorities were aware of links across the sites.
“We are aware of links and it’s because some of them are family members who work in both of those settings, and so that’s the linkage,” he said.
Prof Sutton had previously described abattoirs as “intrinsically difficult” to manage.
“People who have more insecure work and are really obliged to come to work, obviously, are more likely to turn up with symptoms,” he said.
“We have to reach into all these communities in order to understand how best to support them for the things we know that will work, the isolation and quarantine. It is critically important not to come to work even with the mildest of symptoms.”
Premier Daniel Andrews said people attending work when ill continued to drive up cases as Victoria recorded 503 new infections on Monday – the highest daily increase since the start of the pandemic.
“As it stands there are too many people right now attending work with symptoms. Do something we’ll be grateful for. Don’t go about your normal business, don’t attend work with symptoms, get tested,” he said.
Originally published as Victoria’s chief health officer confirms links between infections across abattoirs and small goods factories