Victoria’s Parliament House shut for emergency deep cleaning after security guard tests positive to COVID-19

Parliament House in Melbourne has shut down for emergency deep cleaning after a security guard tested positive to the virus.

Parliament House in Melbourne has been shut down for emergency deep cleaning after a security guard tested positive to COVID-19.

The result has cast doubt over whether parliamentary sittings scheduled for this week will be allowed to proceed, and it is unclear if politicians will be required to undergo testing.

In a statement published on Sunday, the presiding officers said the worker stayed home on the day they began to feel unwell.

“Contact tracing by the Department of Health and Human Services has commenced to identify any people who may have had close contact with that person,” Speaker Colin Brooks and President Nazih Elasmar said in the joint statement.

A security guard at Parliament House in Melbourne has tested positive for coronavirus. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw

“In addition, deep cleaning is being undertaken of the areas the person worked in, on top of the ongoing high-level cleaning already undertaken in Parliament House each weekday.

“Under current arrangements, Parliament’s contracted security guards do not work at other locations.”

The statement said every precaution was being taken to ensure the health and safety of those working at parliament.

The Victorian Parliament’s upper house is scheduled to sit on Tuesday and Wednesday, while lower house is scheduled to sit Thursday and Friday.