A Chinese restaurant in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD has been added to a growing list of venues exposed to COVID-19 following the discovery of nine community cases this week.
On Tuesday, acting Premier James Merlino confirmed another case had been recorded among close contacts in the Whittlesea area – taking the cluster to five.
Hours later another four people tested positive, all of which are family contacts of the fifth case, a man in his 60s, 7NEWS understands.
That brings the total of local COVID-19 cases in Melbourne to nine.
The Department of Health issued an alert on Tuesday afternoon for Bamboo House, on Little Bourke St in Melbourne’s Chinatown, after it was notified the venue had been visited by an infectious person.
Anyone who visited the restaurant on May 21 between 11am and 11.50am is urged to immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
The restaurant said it was a tradesperson who attended the premises, outside of business hours.
The same advice applies to patrons at McDonald’s Clifton Hill, 199 Queens Parade, on May 22 between 6pm and 7pm.
The Chemist Depot Epping inside Pacific Epping Shopping Centre was also added as a Tier 2 exposure site – which means anyone who attended the store on May 23 between 11.15pm and 12pm must get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.
Tier 1 exposure sites
Anyone who attended the below venues at the times listed must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
- Jump Swim School on The Concord in Bundoora on May 21 between 8.55am and 10.15am
- Nando’s Epping on Dalton Road on May 19 between 8.30pm and 9.20pm
- McDonald’s Clifton Hill on May 22 between 6pm and 7pm
- Woolworths Epping North on Lyndarum Drive on May 22 between 4.45pm and 5.45pm
- Smiggle at Highpoint Shopping Centre on May 20 between 5.55pm and 6.30pm
- Kidstuff at Highpoint Shopping Centre on May 20 between 5.20pm and 5.55pm
- Ishka at Highpoint Shopping Centre on May 20 between 5.45pm and 6.20pm
- Lush Cosmetics at Highpoint Shopping Centre on May 20 between 6.05pm and 6.35pm
- Toyworld in Highpoint Shopping Centre on May 20 between 5.30pm and 6.20pm
- Bamboo House on Little Bourke Street on May 21 between 11am and 11.50am
Tier 2 exposure sites
Anyone who attended the below venues at the times listed must get tested and isolate for a negative result.
- Futsal Brunswick on Victoria Street on May 23 between 9am to 10am.
- Epping North Shopping Centre on May 22 between 4.45pm and 5.50pm.
- Highpoint Shopping Centre on levels 2 and 3 on May 20 between 5.15pm and 6.35pm. This does not include the stores listed in Tier 1 as they have different testing advice.
- House and Party store on Lyndarum Drive in Epping on May 22 between 5.15pm and 5.50pm.
- Urban Diner Food Court in Pacific Epping Shopping Centre on May 23 between 1.15pm and 2.30pm.
- Chemist Depot Epping in Pacific Epping Shopping Centre on May 23 between 11.15pm and 12pm
- ALDI Epping in Dalton Village on May 23 between 6pm and 7.30pm
- Shell Coles Express in Reservoir on Broadway and Whitelaw Street between May 18 from 3.15pm and 4.15pm.
- BT Connor Reserve in Reservoir on May 21 between 8pm and 11.30pm.
- Adams Reserve Playground in Preston on May 23 between 2.15pm and 3.45pm
- ALDI Preston South on Dundas Street on May 23 between 3.45pm and 4.25pm.
For a full list of the exposure sites visit the Department of Health website.
Restrictions return
On Tuesday, Merlino also announced restrictions would be reimposed in Greater Melbourne from 6pm on Tuesday.
Private gatherings will be limited to five visitors per day, public gatherings are limited to 30 people and masks will need to be worn indoors unless an exemption is applicable.
Mask requirements apply in workplaces within metropolitan Melbourne.
Schools and workplaces will remain open, as will shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs, however existing density limits apply.
These restrictions will be reviewed on June 4 at the earliest.
“This is about giving our contact tracers the time that they need to track this matter down and get on top of it,” he told reporters.
The COVID-19 variant in the Whittlesea outbreak is B1617, which was first identified in India in October last year.
