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Coronavirus cluster at Victorian McDonald's continues to grow, with two more close contacts diagnosed - ABC News

The number of coronavirus cases linked to an outbreak at a McDonald's franchise in Melbourne's north has risen to eight, after two close contacts were diagnosed with the virus.

Nine new cases of coronavirus have been identified in Victoria by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), taking the total number of cases in the state to 1,523.

Three of the cases were in returned overseas travellers in hotel isolation, two were related to the McDonald's cases and another three cases were identified as Cedar Meats Australia employees.

In total there are 90 cases related to the Melbourne meatworks, after one case previously connected to the outbreak was reclassified.

McDonald's Australian boss Andrew Gregory said the number of cases associated with the cluster at the Fawkner restaurant was now eight, including four workers and four family members related to one individual.

"Our major priority is to make sure all of those people are well and recovering," Mr Gregory told Melbourne radio station 3AW.

The franchise employs 100 staff and "the vast majority" of them have been tested, he said.

"And the vast majority of those [tests] have come back negative," he said.

"But it's still possible over the coming days as we continue to get those tests … we will get a number of positive infections."

The restaurant closed when the first cases were diagnosed, but after a deep cleaning and the installation of protective shields, it has been reopened with employees from surrounding restaurants.

The drive-thru was still doing a brisk business this morning.

More than 90 staff have been tested and were sent into self-isolation pending the outcome of their tests.

"We continue to work collaboratively with the Department of Health," the company said in a statement.

Mr Gregory gave assurances the food was safe.

"Our standards are very high. We've increased the level and frequency of our sanitation procedures," he said.

"We've got screens up between our drive-through windows and cars and our front counters have perspex screens."

Meatworks should have been closed earlier

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told Melbourne radio station 3AW that Cedar Meats should have been shut down earlier.

The DHHS confirmed the first case linked to the abattoir was diagnosed on April 2, but as the worker had not been at Cedar Meats for four weeks, the abattoir was not considered an exposure site.

The second and third cases linked to the workplace were diagnosed on April 24 and 26, and were the first indication of a possible cluster.

The third case was diagnosed after the worker developed symptoms while at Sunshine Hospital with a severed thumb from a workplace injury.

This was the first time Cedar Meats said it became aware one of its employees had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Professor Sutton said that two cases, in a that kind of setting, suggested the transmission had occurred at the workplace, and was probably enough to shut a place down.

"Maybe we shouldn't have waited for a third linked case. For these linked settings, we should shut the entire place down," he said.

Professor Sutton said there were always lessons to be learned and that the handling of the meatworks case would be the subject of a debriefing at a later date.

Cedar Meats closed its doors for 14 days after news of the outbreak was made public, and would be due to open parts of its production on Monday.

Two clusters linked only by coincidence

Professor Sutton said there were no actual links between Cedar Meats and McDonald's clusters, apart from fact the first cases did not end up spreading the virus.

At Cedar Meats, the first case said he had not been working at the factory while he was infectious, but Professor Sutton said there obviously was a "chain of contacts" through family and friends.

"It's pretty clear it's been an explosive outbreak in terms of numbers," he said.

"I think what's happened is the individual has not been at work, but has picked it up through those contacts."

Other staff had probably "imported" the virus into the facility a week or more before authorities picked up the first case, he said.

The same thing happened at McDonald's.

The first case hadn't been at work while he was infectious, and had not given it to any of the other later cases.

"Again, linked through out-of-work contacts, and it's the later cases who'd been infectious at work," Professor Sutton said.

"[It's a] coincidence in the sense that the early individual hadn't given it to the later individuals, but they're probably all linked through some undetermined family and friends."

Recovery of ICU patients a 'good sign': CHO

Professor Sutton said he was concerned about an increase in cases from the two clusters, but given they know where the cases were coming from, it was easier to control.

"Obviously, I'm concerned about any clusters that are occurring," Professor Sutton said.

"But in the sense that they're not unknown community transmission, it's absolutely reassuring, in a sense.

"We can manage all of these outbreaks; they start with one case and if they can end — it's all over."

He said there were now only four patients in intensive care.

"We're really getting down to the last of those severe cases and people are recovering, so that's a very good sign," he said.

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA1LTE0L3ZpY3RvcmlhLWNvcm9hbnZpcnVzLW1jZG9uYWxkcy1jbHVzdGVyLWdyb3dzLWJ5LXR3by8xMjI0NTY4ONIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjI0NTY4OA?oc=5

2020-05-14 02:07:01Z
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