Four Covid-19 cases visit Katherine McDonalds on same day, prompting exposure site upgrade

Contact tracers have upgraded the warning around McDonalds Katherine after four people infected by Covid-19 separately visited a busy event at the fast food outlet.

A MCHAPPY Day event at McDonald’s Katherine was separately visited by four Covid-positive individuals, prompting an urgent plea for attendees to get tested.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the confirmation of multiple exposures at the event, held on Saturday November 13, meant contact tracers had deemed the venue a close contact site.

Maccas Katherine had previously been only deemed a casual contact site.

It is listed on the NT coronavirus website as being exposed between 11 and 11.25am.

“It was very busy on that Saturday and investigations have determined there were four positive cases there at the same time, making it very high-risk,” Mr Gunner said.
He said the people were there “separately”, and that authorities were concerned because the exposure was a week and a half ago.

Mr Gunner urged “anyone who was there for McHappy Day at that time to make immediate contact if you haven’t already”.

Acting chief health officer Dr Charles Pain said given the long period of time after the exposure, anyone infected at the McDonald’s was expected to be currently coming toward the end of their infectious period.

“But of course, we have got to revisit that and we would ask people to come forward if they’ve been there and identify themselves to be tested,” Dr Pain said.

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