The Butcher Club responds to claims it was trading despite being linked to active COVID-19 outbreak

A butcher store at the centre of a virus cluster has hit back at claims it was trading while health staff were investigating an active outbreak.

A butcher shop at the centre of a coronavirus cluster at a popular Melbourne shopping centre has hit back amid claims the store continued trading despite being linked to an outbreak at the time.

The Butcher Club owner Peter Robinson told NCA NewsWire the manager of his Chadstone store received a positive test result on Monday night and subsequent cleaning had been undertaken immediately after.

He also said a cleaner at Chadstone was the first person to spread the disease, forcing nine of Mr Robinson’s staff members into isolation, with one sent to hospital.

“We jumped into action on Monday night – we were shut on Sunday – and we had Spotless come on Tuesday and do a deep clean,” he said.

Victoria’s chief health officer revealed on Friday the Chadstone shopping centre cluster had grown to at least 11 cases and was linked to the infected cleaner’s household of nine people in Frankston.

Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton was pressed about the Chadstone virus cluster on Friday. Picture: Daniel Pockett/NCA NewsWire

Professor Brett Sutton also faced fresh claims on Friday the Butcher Club was allegedly still trading despite the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) warning the store had links to a COVID-19 cluster that same day.

“I was at Chadstone on Wednesday. That butcher was still trading? Should it have been?” the reporter asked.

To which Prof Sutton said: “As soon as cases are identified, linked to settings, they are shut down, cleaned and the close contacts are told to quarantine.”

The journalist pressed: “But I was there Wednesday. We knew Wednesday that the Butcher Club was linked to a concern there at Chadstone and cases at Chadstone. I saw it. It was still open, trading.”

Prof Sutton replied: “Yeah. I don’t know what the specific details (are) that were known at that time, but when an individual identifies they have worked at a work setting, and there are contacts in that work setting, that’s when it is shut down.”

A virus cluster at Chadstone Shopping Centre is at 11 cases. Picture: Ian Currie/NCA NewsWire

But Mr Robinson said the DHHS handed his store the green light to open on Wednesday.

“The process is that DHHS then comes out once we’re open and do an inspection, and off the back of that inspection they weren’t happy with the deep clean Spotless had done,” he said.

“There was a piece of sticky label on a surface and a small amount of blue tack on another surface which demonstrated they hadn’t cleaned to the level they required.

“We were told to shut on Wednesday night, and I phoned Spotless and gave them the opportunity to come back and do another clean which they did on Thursday.”

Mr Robinson confirmed four of his workers at the Chadstone store had tested positive for coronavirus – two with symptoms and two without.

He said a further five workers were in isolation.

Victoria recorded seven new cases and two more deaths on Friday.