Cleaners called in to clean, disinfect CBD building in coronavirus scare

WORKERS dressed in full personal protective equipment have been called in to clean a Darwin building occupied by several Federal Government departments

Workers dressed in full personal protective equipment were called in to clean a Darwin CBD building occupied by several Federal Government departments on Wednesday. Picture: Che Chorley

WORKERS dressed in full personal protective equipment were called in to clean a Darwin building occupied by several Federal Government departments on Wednesday.

Levels 4, 5 and 6 of Jacana House in Wood St were cleared and the cleaners called in after a worker was identified as a close contact of someone who had tested positive to COVID 19.

Workers dressed in full personal protective equipment were called in to clean a Darwin CBD building occupied by several Federal Government departments on Wednesday. Picture: Che Chorley

The floors are occupied by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Office of Township Leasing and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.

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It’s understood the worker had been seated in a nearby row on the same flight as one of the eight people in Darwin who have tested positive to the coronavirus.

He worked at the office for several days before being informed he was a close contact of the positive case and has since self-isolated.

A spokesperson for the National Indigenous Australians Agency said the Agency was advised that a Commonwealth public servant had potentially come in contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 aborad a Qantas flight from Sydney.

“NIAA takes the safety and wellbeing of staff, fellow tenants and its stakeholders very seriously and so contracted a cleaning company to undertake a precautionary clean of the areas where the person had been working,” the spokesman said.

“The products used to clean the NIAA workspaces require the use of PPE.

“NIAA was advised that the person identified as possibly at risk has been cleared and the individual can return to normal activity.”

The NT Health Department is still searching for people who were aboard three flights that landed in Darwin last Thursday, March 19, carrying passengers who later tested positive to coronavirus.

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They are Jetstar flight JQ82 from Denpasar that landed at 5am, Qantas flight QF824 from Brisbane that landed at 12:30pm and Jetstar flight JQ672 from Sydney that landed at 11:30pm.

Anyone who was aboard those flights is asked to call the Public Health Unit on [phone].