| Coronavirus (COVID-19) update – Thursday 2 April 2020Following yesterday’s announcement that a fruit and vegetable buyer who visited the Melbourne Wholesale Market last week, has since tested positive to COVID-19, we can provide you with some further information we received in the last hour.
The Public Health Commander at the DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) has been working closely with the MMA and has deemed the case to be a ‘casual contact’.
A casual contact case means none of the interactions or time spent at the Market by the infected individual meet the definition for close contact, and in the opinion of DHHS, the risk of COVID-19 infection is low.
DHHS has advised the MMA that they do not recommend any additional public health actions be taken.
The Melbourne Wholesale Market is vital in the supply chain of food, and we remain open.
As advised on Tuesday, temperature testing will be used as a screening tool to help ensure potential COVID-19 infected persons do not enter the Market, however, with the nature of the COVID-19 virus, we cannot take this as a reason to relax our personal hygiene or social distancing practices.
Yesterday’s news that an infected individual attended the Melbourne Market is a timely reminder that personal hygiene and practising social distancing is critical.
- You must remain at least 1.5 metres from other Market users wherever possible
- You must be regularly washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer regularly
It’s up to all of us to ensure these practices are being followed, so if you see someone disregarding social distancing rules, call them out, we’re all in this together.
As we continue to re-iterate, if you are feeling unwell in any way, you should stay at home and seek medical advice. Do not attend the Market for work, or to purchase flowers or produce.
The specific symptoms for COVID-19 include:
- fever
- cough
- shortness of breath
- other early symptoms can include chills, body aches, sore throat, headache, runny nose, muscle pain or diarrhoea.
If you begin to experience any of these symptoms, you should seek medical advice immediately.
Lastly, we continue to send our best wishes to our Market colleague, who is still recovering in hospital. |
