By Laura Michell
An Epping pharmacy has closed for cleaning after a staff member tested positive for coronavirus.
Quality Pharmacy at Pacific Epping shopping centre is closed until further notice after an employee tested positive for the virus on June 27.
In a note to retailers today, Pacific Epping said the staff member had worked at the store on June 22 and June 23.
The note said the pharmacy was working with the Department of Health and Human Services to trace people who may have been in close contact with the employee.
“The safety and wellbeing of our customers, retailers, staff, contractors and suppliers at Pacific Epping is always our overriding priority and we take this notification extremely seriously.”
It comes as Health Minister Jenny Mikakos this morning revealed that a staff member at Aitken Hill Primary School in Craigieburn had tested positive for the virus.
The school, which is currently closed for the term two holidays, will be shut to staff and tradespeople for the next 72 hours to allow deep cleaning to take place.
Staff and pupils are asked to stay home until contact tracing takes place.
Ms Mikakos also revealed that another confirmed COVID-19 case has been linked to the Wollert outbreak, taking the total number of people affected to 10.
The cluster has been linked to a number of social gatherings.
Meanwhile, a testing blitz is underway in Broadmeadows after the suburb was revealed as a coronavirus hotspot.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced the blitz last Thursday, revealing Keilor Downs and Broadmeadows as the worst suburbs for community transmission of the virus.
He said the government was striving to test 50 per cent of residents in both suburbs.
Testing will also be ramped up in Maidstone, Albanvale, Sunshine West, Hallam, Brunswick West, Fawkner, Reservoir and Pakenham, with those suburbs identified also having a “community transmission challenge”.
A team of 800 doorknockers will be deployed, talking to the community in affected suburbs and encouraging people to get tested, regardless of whether they have symptoms.
“People are going to be knocking on your door and they are going to be asking you to get tested. Please say yes. Please go and get tested, that is the most important thing people in those suburbs can do to help us contain this virus,” Mr Andrews said.
Hume mayor Carly Moore also urged Broadmeadows residents to get tested.
“We all need to do our bit to stop the spread of COVID-19. Nobody in our community is immune,” she said.
“Even if you have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, I urge you to please get tested. We need to know what we are dealing with.”
New testing centres opened at Broadmeadows Central and the Craigieburn Health Service last week, however, they have been plagued by lengthy queues.
