Wodonga testing sites swamped after Mann Central, plaza listed as sites of potential COVID exposure

The listing of new exposure sites including all of Wodonga Plaza coincides with AWH confirming one new positive COVID-19 case, unrelated to the three cases identified yesterday.

An individual who returned from Melbourne in recent days tested positive to COVID-19 yesterday.

All primary close contacts have been identified, tested and are isolating.

The young woman is currently in the care of Albury Wodonga Health.

Contact tracing is underway and will continue as a primary focus.

Anyone identified as a close contact will be contacted directly by the contact tracing team, however AWH is asking everyone to regularly check the list of exposure sites for updates.

At Mann Central, which is listed as a site of potential exposure between 6.50pm and 8pm on Wednesday, all businesses except for Kmart are open.

Centre Manager Guy Wynn confirmed the centre toilets were closed for deep cleaning.

"Albury Wodonga Health has told us we're a tier-two site," he said.

"The only thing we have to do, which we're doing at the moment, is close the toilets - they're being deep-cleaned as per the specifications and they should be reopening later on today once we get clearance from AWH."

"I've been told it was just one person there, very briefly.

"It's an open-air centre; if it had an enclosed centre, it may have been different.

"There's a specific shop - it's unlikely to affect the centre as whole."

All of Wodonga Plaza remains closed as contact tracers determine which stores were at risk.

Harry Perry of Valentines Artisan Sourdough Bakers said he was thankful his store at the plaza was not immediately identified as a business the case visited.

"They're (centre management) currently dealing with the contract tracers at the moment ... and they're just doing some deep cleaning as we await the final listing of stores, for the safety of staff," he said.

"We understand the process; it is difficult with fresh produce, but luckily we have other stores to shift that to.

"We're just keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best there isn't any spreading that has gone on."

Mr Perry said staff at the store on Thursday, between 2pm and 5pm, were asked to be tested.

"It is slightly concerning, but we don't want to be panicking too much ... we've asked all the staff there to ensure that they are going to get a COVID test, and just just as an added precaution, also any other staff members that have been there in the plaza," he said.

COVID Commander Jeroen Weimar addressed the situation in Wodonga, describing it as involving "a truck driver and a number of household contacts".

Earlier:

Testing sites in Wodonga have been swamped after the Department of Health listed the whole of Wodonga Plaza and Mann Central as exposure sites.

A four-hour wait time is already being reported at Albury Wodonga Health's new walk-in clinic at Wodonga's former fire station on the corner of Smythe and Stanley streets.

The health body revealed yesterday it was managing three cases in one household in Wodonga and expected exposure sites to be officially listed.

The listings came late on Friday night and the entirety of Wodonga Plaza remains closed today after staff were told to leave work last night.

Wodonga Plaza Management posted on Facebook at 10pm on Friday that they had been notified of a COVID-19 positive case. They said:

"The case has attended on 23/09/21 between 2:00pm and 5:00pm and attended the following retailers;

"Wodonga Plaza closed earlier today to carry out additional cleaning to all public areas.

"Centre Management are working with Public Health Officials to assist with contact tracing in order to determine a reopening date.

"We have been informed that due to the case being less than co-operative, this is being treated as high risk and as such Tier categories are not yet known.

"The Centre will remain closed until further notice, we hope not for long."

Listings are as follows:

Tier two (Get tested urgently and isolate until you have a result)

There have also been potential tier-two exposures listed for Motel 24 Wodonga for periods of time on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week.

It brings the number of alerts for potential exposures to eight: two at White Box Rose, one at the plaza, Mann Central and Wilson Street Store, and three for the Motel.

Police have been contacted to support traffic management at the Vermont Street testing clinic.

Testing locations, both Albury and Wodonga are:

WODONGA

To save you time at the testing clinic, you can register for a COVID-19 test online. To register, simply complete the online form at: https://testtracker.covid19.dhhs.vic.gov.au/citizen-prefill. Present your unique registration code when you arrive at the testing site.

ALBURY

IN OTHER NEWS:

The mass turn-out for testing in Wodonga comes as Victoria recorded 847 new locally acquired cases and one death.