By Alesha Capone and Goya Dmytryshchak
Victoria is “well-placed” to end its snap five-day lockdown today, Premier Daniel Andrews announced yesterday.
The lockdown started on Saturday as a “short, sharp circuit breaker” against a “hyper-infectious” outbreak of the UK strain, linked to cases from the Holiday Inn near Melbourne Airport.
Two new cases of COVID-19 were recorded yesterday, with the state government announcing it was exploring alternatives to hotel quarantine such as purpose-built accommodation at Melbourne and Avalon airports.
Three Wyndham venues were named as coronavirus exposure locations after the lockdown was announced.
The state government last week revealed that the partner of a food and beverage worker from the Holiday Inn, who tested positive on February 10, had several close contacts at Coates Hire Werribee and the Royal Australian Air Force base at Point Cook through his work.
Anyone who visited Coates Hire Werribee, on Old Geelong Road in Hoppers Crossing, on February 8 between 6.45-7.30am must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus test, and remain isolated for 14 days.
A man in his thirties, from Point Cook, also tested positive on February 12.
The man attended a private function in Coburg, to which other cases have been linked.
The Department of Health and Human Services named The Coffeeologist Cafe on Point Cook Road as a tier two exposure site. Anyone who visited the cafe on February 8 between 11-11.40am and on February 10 between 11.30am-12.10pm is asked to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.
On its Facebook page, the Coffeeologist Café posted that the risk was “really low as the person who tested positive was in for a takeaway coffee both times and waited outside, but we still have to take this seriously”.
“We will be closed to undergo a deep clean as per DHHS regulations and we will reopen once all team has been tested and get the all clear.”
The cafe later stated that all staff had returned negative tests for the virus.
The Caltex Woolworths on Old Geelong Road, Hoppers Crossing was named as a tier three exposure site between 6.40-7.15am on February 8.
