Metro cases close Cotton On office
TWO Melbourne-based workers from Cotton On’s North Geelong headquarters have tested positive for Covid.
Cotton On confirmed it was notified on Thursday a second team member from its global support centre in Geelong had tested positive.
The North Geelong office, on Shepherd Ct, has closed and Cotton On said it would continue to partner with the Health Department to ensure appropriate action was taken.
The Cotton On Group office has been listed as a tier 2 site on September 9 from 8.15am-6pm.
People who have attended a tier 2 exposure site must be tested urgently and isolate until they get a negative result.
The Health Department said some people would be tier 1 contacts and the department would contact them directly with advice.
Cotton On did not identify where the workers were from, but Barwon Health said they were metro-based.
News of the cases came Premier Daniel Andrews announced gyms would be able to reopen in the region this weekend.
From 11.59pm on Friday, indoor physical recreation facilities can open with 10 people indoors and 20 outdoors per venue in regional Victoria, except locked-down Ballarat.
Pools, which were already able to have up to 50 people
outdoors, can open for up to 20 people indoors.
Hydrotherapy and swimming lessons will be allowed, but spas, saunas and steam rooms will remain closed.
Transport tours will also be able to recommence with up to 10 people per vehicle.
Melburnians will also be allowed to gather for outdoors gatherings or picnics in groups of five across two households – as long as all
those meeting are fully vaccinated.
But Mr Andrews said police would not be checking vaccination status in parks as it was a measure made “in good faith”.
Victoria reported 514 new locally acquired cases on Thursday, with 148 linked to known cases and outbreaks.
Two new cases were reported for greater Geelong on Thursday.
Barwon South West public health unit director Prof Eugene Athan said both were known household contacts of a Grovedale case and in isolation during their infectious period.
Professor Athan said there were five Covid-positive patients in Geelong hospital, including three in the intensive care unit.
It is understood the patients are from Melbourne, with Geelong hospital a streaming site for Covid patients from the city.
Prof Athan said local demand for testing had been strong with about 4500 tests performed across the region on Wednesday.
Mr Andrews said thanks to the incredible efforts of the community, Victoria was set hit its 70 per cent first-dose vaccination target on Friday – becoming the second state in Australia to do so, after NSW.
Mr Andrews is set to outline Victoria’s road map for easing restrictions on Sunday.
NSW reported 1351 news cases and 12 deaths on Thursday.