By Viki Gerova |10 daily news reporter
A McDonald’s restaurant north of Melbourne has been forced to close after a staff member tested positive for coronavirus.
A McDonald’s spokesperson said the Craigieburn restaurant was “immediately closed” out of an abundance of caution.
All staff at the restaurant have been told not to return to work for 14 days and have been advised to be tested.
“We have engaged an external contractor to conduct a deep clean of the restaurant using the highest-grade chemicals recommended by the Department of Health,” the spokesperson said.
“The decision to immediately close and deep clean the restaurant is over and above the Department’s requirements.”
The employee who tested positive is self-isolating at home with minor symptoms and has been identified as an extended relative of one of the previously confirmed COVID-19 cases at Fawkner in Melbourne’s north.
The staffer last worked at the Craigieburn restaurant on Tuesday, May 12.
So far four employees at McDonald’s Fawkner have tested positive after a small cluster of cases was detected.
McDonald’s said 101 staff at the Fawkner store have been tested since the outbreak there began, with 93 returning negative results and the results of four employees still pending.
The total number of cases linked to the outbreak at Fawkner has now reached 10.
“Following the department’s advice, McDonald’s closed the restaurant and undertook a deep clean. All close contacts of confirmed cases have been contacted by the department and will remain in quarantine for 14 days,” Victoria’s Health Department.
On Friday, Victoria recorded a net increase of 20 new cases since the previous day, bringing the state’s total to 1,543 cases.
