Marvel Stadium security guard tests positive to COVID-19
Marvel Stadium has been cleaned ‘to within an inch of its life’ and has been given the all-clear to host AFL matches this weekend after a security guard tested positive to COVID-19.
AFL News
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A security guard who worked at Marvel Stadium earlier this week has tested positive for COVID-19, sending yet another scare through the competition.
The guard last worked at the stadium on Monday, with the stadium being thoroughly cleaned five times since his positive test was confirmed.
The Victorian Government has given the AFL clearance to play Thursday night’s match between St Kilda and Carlton as planned.
St Kilda chief executive Matt Finnis said he was notified of the incident early on Thursday but had no concerns about his team playing after the extensive cleaning had been completed.
“It’s been signed off by the Government,” Finnis told Channel 9.
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“The AFL took all steps this week. It looks like it’s been cleaned within an inch of its life, the facility, so we’re very confident that there will be no risk to any of our people tonight.”
The AFL said the contractor worked a shift patrolling a service entry and had no contact with sealed football-related areas.
The stadium is Covid-safe cleaned daily using Government-approved disinfecting chemicals.
As per the AFL’s match-day protocols the stadium received another Covid-safe sanittation clean on Thursday morning , and it received another full clean on Thursday afternoon.
“The Department of Health and Human Services wrote to the AFL (Thursday) afternoon saying they were satisfied that the stadium had undertaken all risk management protocols and deep cleaned the stadium in accordance with procedure and gave the go-ahead to the game proceeding at Marvel Stadium tonight with no significantly increased risk,” the league said in a statement.
“The AFL also took steps to ensure that no one who worked the same shift on Monday with the confirmed case would be working at the Stadium this weekend.”
The scare comes a day after the AFL forced players and club staff out of Victoria’s lockdown suburbs as it strives to keep the season alive.
All Victorian clubs are poised to move into interstate hubs next week as Victoria’s coronavirus outbreak shows no signs of slowing down.
Essendon’s Conor McKenna was this week released from self-quarantine after becoming the first AFL player to record a positive COVID-19 test.
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