Overview
2020 may be behind us, and 2021 might only be a few days old, but the idea that visiting the shops or heading out of the house might mean you need to pay special attention to your health afterwards isn't going away any time soon. Indeed, that scenario is now a normal part of life during a pandemic — and one that Victorian residents have been getting used to during the state's response to COVID-19.
Naming locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited is key element of Victoria's containment strategy via the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the government has been listing quite a number of sites as part of the current new wave of cases in the state. Across the past few days — including today, Wednesday, January 6 — it has announced a few big and notable places that Melburnians should be wary of. The big ones: IKEA in Springvale, the MCG and Chadstone Shopping Centre.
Anyone who went looking for affordable Swedish furniture between 4–6.30pm on Wednesday, December 30 is asked to get a test for COVID-19 immediately and then self-isolate until they receive a negative result. And, if you went to the onsite cafe and restaurant at IKEA Springvale on the same date, but between 5.30–6.30pm, you must get tested straight away and quarantine for 14 days from that exposure date, even if your initial test result comes back negative.
Regarding the MCG, someone who attended the second day of the Boxing Day test has since been diagnosed with COVID-19. Where the person picked up the coronavirus isn't yet known, so DHHS is currently investigating. And, it has named the MCG as a possible acquisition site as a result — which means that folks who also went along on Sunday, December 27, and were seated in The Great Southern Stand, Zone 5, between 12.30–3.30pm, are required to get tested and quarantine until they get a negative result.
Chadstone Shopping Centre has also been listed as a possible acquisition site, specifically relating to Saturday, December 26 between 6am–2pm. Yes, that's during the Boxing Day sales. Ten stores within the centre have been named: Culture Kings, Huffer, JD Sports, Jay Jays, H&M, Uniqlo, Myer, Superdry, Footlocker and Dumplings Plus. If you were at any of these shops at Chadstone at the above times, you need to get tested and quarantine until you get a negative result.
DHHS' current ongoing register of locations that have been visited by positive COVID-19 cases is lengthy, and is constantly being updated — with the newest additions handily placed at the top. The full list currently includes Bodriggy Brewing Company, Stomping Ground Brewing Company, Village Century City, Rockpool Bar and Grill, Fonda in Flinders Lane, Bunnings in Box Hill South and Mentone, Brighton Beach, Federation Square, Southern Cross station and several Metro train lines, among many other sites — and it's broken down into separate categories depending on whether anyone who went to these places at the specified dates and times needs to get tested immediately and self-isolate for 14 days, get tested immediately and self-isolate until they get a negative result, or monitor for symptoms and then get tested and self-isolate. You can check out the entire list on the DHHS website.
And, if you need a reminder, the symptoms to look out for are coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste. You can find a rundown of testing clinic locations online as well.
At the time of writing, Victoria has 41 active COVID-19 cases, with one new case acquired locally in the 24 hours leading up to Wednesday, January 6 and two new cases acquired overseas.
To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria, head to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website.