Melbourne supermarket boss says she still hasn’t heard from contact tracers almost TWO WEEKS after a staffer tested positive for COVID-19
- Tina Reddrop owns a supermarket where there was a positive case of COVID-19
- She asked the staffer to isolate, but was shocked when tracers didn’t contact her
- WorkSafe Victoria also took five days to get in touch after the positive test result
Tina Reddrop is the owner of the Supa IGA in Werribee, south-west Melbourne
A Melbourne supermarket owner says she hasn’t heard from coronavirus contact tracers almost two weeks after a staff member tested positive.
Tina Reddrop operates the Supa IGA in Werribee, south-west Melbourne, where a staffer tested positive to COVID-19 on August 1.
The business owner, who operates more than 12 supermarkets across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, was able to quickly determine which employees came into contact with the infected manager.
She asked the 15 staff members to self-isolate for two weeks, on full pay, and thought contact tracers would get in touch to collect details about the positive case.
Contact tracers are a team of government investigators who interview COVID-19 patients, determine close contacts, and advise them to get tested.
There have been no other positive test results at the Werribee IGA (pictured) since August 1
But Ms Reddrop has been shocked at the lack of communication.
‘The fact that I waited five days for WorkSafe to contact me, and still haven’t heard from [contact tracers], I find disturbing,’ she told the ABC.
Ms Reddrop said she believes the virus is moving too quickly for authorities to give adequate direction, adding: ‘I also understand that they are short-staffed as no one’s prepared for a pandemic.’
There have been about 1,700 cases of COVID-19 in the Werribee region since the beginning of the pandemic in March.
Virus fatalities on Thursday brought the state’s death toll to 275 and the national figure to 360
A spokesman at the Victorian health department would reveal why tracers didn’t contact Ms Reddrop, but said public health teams typically identify people who had close contact with coronavirus patients through interviews.
WorkSafe Victoria said in a statement: ‘WorkSafe triages employer notifications to ensure responses to workplaces at high risk of outbreaks are prioritised.’
Ms Reddrop said her family-owned business had implemented a series of safety measures to ensure the safety of customers and staff.
Measures include cleaning stores three times per day and asking staff to avoid conversing with customers if possible.
There have been no other positive test results at the Werribee store since August 1.