TEEN’S COVID BREACH
Warnings of new exposure site after 15yo visited shop
A 15 YEAR OLD who tested positive to Covid-19 left home quarantine to go to his local IGA and also had visitors at his house when he was supposed to be isolating.
Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said Public Health became aware of the outing on Monday. They also learned the home the teenager was quarantining in received visitors.
“The 15-year-old left home quarantine on Saturday and travelled with a cousin to the IGA in Newnham,” Mr Rockliff said.
“We’ve confirmed through CCTV camera footage an exposure window of 2.20pm to 2.45pm on Saturday October 2.
Close contacts and anyone who was at the store are being urged to isolate and get tested.
A LAUNCESTON store manager whose staff have been forced into isolation after a teenager with Covid breached quarantine has expressed her anger at boy’s actions.
“How does something like this happen?” the manager of Newnham IGA, Sandra Boland, said.
“It really is something that makes us a bit angry.”
Ms Boland was reacting to news that the teenager who tested positive to Covid-19 after arriving from Melbourne on Friday had left home quarantine to go to his local IGA and also had visitors at his home when he was supposed to be isolating.
The details were revealed by Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff who said Public Health became aware of the outing on Monday along with the fact the home the 15-yearold boy was quarantining in was visited by two family members.
“The 15 year old left home quarantine on Saturday and travelled with a cousin to the IGA in Newnham,” Mr Rockliff said.
“We’ve confirmed through CCTV camera footage an exposure window of 2.20pm to 2.45pm on Saturday October 2.
“This is a limited exposure time frame, however out of an abundance of caution we’re declaring the IGA as an exposure site during this time frame.”
Tas data is being used to identify those at risk, with those affected urged to selfisolate and book a test.
“A number of close contacts have already been identified including the shopkeeper who served the pair and is now in quarantine,” Mr Rockliff said.
Those who checked into the IGA on Saturday afternoon have been contacted via SMS.
“We want to hear back from you to hear whether you were there at the exposure window,” Public Health director Mark Veitch said.
Ms Boland believed there were half a dozen people in the store at the time the infected teenager was there, including other groups of boys.
In footage of the CCTV seen by the Mercury, neither the teenager nor his cousin are seen wearing a face mask.
They both appear to sanitise their hands upon entering the store.
The cousin is seen buying cigarettes through a contactless payment with his mobile phone.
They both then leave the store.
Two IGA staff have been asked to quarantine for five days and another for 14 days.
“There were another group of young boys who came in at the time but I don’t know if they were together or not,” Ms Boland said.
The IGA was not required to undertake a deep clean of the store but Ms Boland said the store had been cleaned since the incident.
“We stick to protocol, we’re constantly sanitising, we have a divider at the door,” she said.
“It’s not something we’ve changed, we’ve always been prepared for this day to happen.”
One local resident said the incident was concerning for those who were not yet vaccinated.
“This could be a problem for not just for our area, but the whole of state.”
Another said it was “outrageous” the youth had left quarantine.
Before his trip to the IGA, the teenager was visited by family members on Friday night and into Saturday morning.
“Both those people are now in quarantine, quite promptly after the discovery of their movements and they pose no risk to the Tasmanian public,” Mr Veitch said.
“They’ll remain in quarantine for 14 days.
It’s not yet confirmed if the teenager has the Delta strain of Covid but Mr Veitch said it was “almost certain”.
In light of the new information, the Public Health hotline was supported with extra staff between 3pm and 9pm on Monday to manage additional calls and testing capabilities were increased in Launceston.
Those in Launceston’s northern suburbs are urged to get tested.
HOW DOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN? IT REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT MAKES US A BIT ANGRY NEWNHAM IGA MANAGER SANDRA BOLAND