Michaela Meade
Thousands of people turned out at testing sites last week, following a COVID-19 scare in the northern suburbs.
A Wollert man returned a positive test on Tuesday, May 11 after contracting the virus in hotel quarantine in Adelaide.
The man, who returned to Melbourne on May 4, developed symptoms on May 8 and was tested on May 10.
The man travelled on the Craigieburn train line on May 7, sparking concerns that hundreds of passengers had been exposed to the virus.
He visited Indiagate Spices and Groceries and Woolworths in Epping on May 8 while infectious, as well as Epping 7Eleven on May 6 and May 8.
Northern Hospital’s drive-through testing site in Epping was a full capacity three hours after opening last Wednesday, after hundreds of locals turned out for testing.
“On Wednesday, May 12, 967 tests were conducted at Northern Health testing sites,” a Northern Health spokesperson said.
“The following day, 568 tests were conducted.
“There were also thousands of tests by other providers in the region and adjacent areas.”
The Department of Health had expanded testing hours at a number of sites across the northern suburbs.
On Thursday, the department said that all three of the man’s primary close contacts had returned negative tests but would remain in isolation for 14 days.
Fifteen people who visited Indiagate at the same time as the man, and 27 Woolworth’s customers, had also returned negative tests, the department said.
Indiagate and Woolworths have been identified as tier one exposure sites by the state government. Anyone who visited Indiagate between 5-6pm and Woolworths between 5.40-6.38pm on May 8 must get tested and quarantine for 14 days.
7Eleven has been identified as a tier two exposure site between 6.30-7pm on May 6 and 11.10-11.40am on May 8.
The Craigieburn train line is also a tier two site, with the man travelling from Craigieburn station to Southern Cross between 5.28- 6.07pm and from Flinders Street to Craigieburn between 10.20-11.05pm on May 7.
Anyone who was on either train or at 7Eleven at the same time as the man must get tested and isolate until they return a negative result.
