By Jessica Micallef
Sunbury McDonald’s is one of 12 restaurants across Melbourne’s northwest to be shut down for deep cleaning following a truck driver testing positive to COVID-19.
A McDonald’s Australia spokeperson on Sunday night said the truck driver worked for an external service provider and no other employees had tested positive positive for the virus.
“The truck driver made deliveries to 12 restaurants and interacted with a small number of restaurant employees on each occasion while asymptomatic and unaware they had contracted COVID-19.
“Potential close contacts and employees who have worked specific shifts during and after the truck driver’s delivery have been instructed not to return to work for 14 days and advised to be tested.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to close and conduct a deep clean of 12 restaurants.”
Restaurants closed include Sunbury, Melton East, Taylors Lakes, Calder Highway Northbound/outbound, Calder Highway Southbound/inbound, Campbellfield, Riverdale Village, BP Rockbank Service Centre outbound, Laverton North, Yallambie, Hoppers Crossing and Sandown.
The number of COVID-19 cases across Hume and the Macedon Ranges has increased to 61 across the two municipalities.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), there were 53 cases in Hume as of Sunday. Thirteen of those cases were active, the second highest number of active cases across the state.
In the Macedon Ranges, cases remained steady at eight. One of those cases was active.
In Victoria, there are 1561 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
There have been more than 160 confirmed cases in the state that may have been acquired through community transmission.
Last week, the state government announced the first relaxation of lockdown rules. Victorians can now have up to five family members and friends visit their home, sport and recreational activity is allowed in groups of 10 people with social distancing measures in place.
The state’s chief health officer Brett Sutton while it was encouraging that Victorians can begin a cautious path to normality, now was not the time to indulge in “risky” behaviour.
“We must maintain physical distancing and act in common sense to ensure we don’t create a second wave of this terrible disease,” he said.
