New details emerge around coronavirus case at poultry plant
New details have emerged around how a coronavirus case at a Victorian poultry processing facility is being handled as staff await test results, but its identity remains under wraps.
MORE details have emerged around the coronavirus case at a Victorian poultry processing facility, but the Department of Health refuse to name the business or its location.
The Weekly Times revealed on Wednesday that a worker at an unnamed poultry plant had tested positive for the virus.
Industry leaders contacted by The Weekly Times were unaware of the case.
The Department of Health did not answer questions from The Weekly Times about the location of the plant, when the worker tested positive and whether there is any relation to the coronavirus outbreak at Melbourne abattoir Cedar Meats.
However, the department confirmed the facility processes poultry carcasses into individual chicken products for retail, but does not kill animals on site.
A spokesman said it was an isolated case.
“Comprehensive testing and contact tracing of the facility is underway and no further cases have been found,” the department spokesman said.
“Workers are kept separated in specific workgroups to minimise contact, and also receive temperature checks daily on arrival at work.”
All staff have been tested and so far the results have been negative but there are still test results that need to be returned.
The facility has been running two teams in both their delivery and production areas for the last six to eight weeks.
Agriculture Victoria does not believe the case will affect availability of chicken meat to consumers and there is no concerns about the virus being transmitted through food or packaging.
The plant is undergoing daily disinfecting with chlorine disinfectant and after the worker tested positive for the virus, the business brought in an external sanitation company who will continue to conduct a deep clean weekly.
It comes as Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton admitted the coronavirus outbreak at Cedar Meats could have been handled better, after the Victorian Government said it was handled “perfectly” and Prime Minister Scott Morrison commended the state’s response.
Professor Sutton said yesterday he should have shut the abattoir earlier.
The first Cedar Meats employee tested positive to the virus on April 2, but said they had not been at the abattoir in four weeks. The second worker tested positive on April 24, the third on the 26 and the abattoir was closed on May 1.
“I think even two linked cases is probably enough to shut a place now, and probably regardless of size,” Prof Sutton said.
“We were proportionate in as much as we said everyone should be tested (and) consider everyone a close contact but maybe we shouldn’t have waited for a third linked case.”
Ninety-one people associated with Cedar Meats have now tested positive for coronavirus. Of the 91 cases, 64 are staff.
There have been 1543 cases of coronavirus across Victoria.
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