Coles store remains open after two employees test positive for coronavirus
Two Coles staff members from the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne have tested positive for coronavirus.
The pair work at a Coles store in Mulgrave.
The Health Department says the store can stay open, as people who pass through places where there has been a confirmed case have an extremely low risk of transmission, according to the supermarket’s spokesman.
“Health authorities have not instructed Coles that it is necessary to close any stores, including in cases where team members or customers are diagnosed with COVID-19.”
The supermarket has been thoroughly cleaned and workers who came in contact with the pair have been told to self-isolate.
The company said it assisted the health department to trace the close contacts of the infected staff members.
The Department of Health defines close contact as face to face contact for at least 15 minutes.
It also applies to people being in the same closed space for at least two hours.
“The Victorian Department of Health has reconfirmed that Coles has undertaken all necessary safety measures in stores where positive cases have been identified,” said a Coles spokesperson.