Australian Lamb Company, Colac employees, quarantined after close contact with a worker who tested postive for coronavirus, have been cleared of COVID-19.
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All ALC employees were tested for coronavirus, last week, after an employee was found to be positive to COVID-19 on Monday, August 24.
"Our health and safety regime has included a proactive program of COVID-19 surveillance testing of employees by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services," an ALC spokesman said.
" All 102 ALC employees in our afternoon boning room shift, deemed as close contacts with the infected employee, have been tested and all have returned negative results.
"These employees will undertake a scheduled second round of testing, as they complete their 14-day quarantine."
They are currently in day 11, of quarantine.
Re-opening the afternoon shift would be depend on the latest round of testing.
"The remainder of our workforce, 450 employees, have also been COVID-19 surveillance tested by DHHS," the spokesman said.
"They all returned negative results.
"As these employees were not in close contact with the one infected employee, they are not required to quarantine and have permission to work."
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Last month's new case at ALC was not linked to previous cases at the abattoir.
The one employee who contrated coronavirus lives in Geelong and last worked at the company on Friday August, 21.
He is currently completing his 14-day quarantine period and is recovering well.
"Our boning production afternoon shift remains closed," the spokesman said.
All other shifts at ALC continue to operate.
"ALC is pleased that our response to the virus is working. Some of these responses include:
- . Reduction in processing and employee numbers, including the introduction of smaller, separated teams and work spaces at our Colac facility.
- . Mandatory use of masks and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including face shields.
- . Introduction of targeted health and safety measures (in addition to those implemented at the beginning of the year in anticipation of COVID-19 and the high standard of mandatory cleaning practices already in place to operate as a domestically and globally licensed abattoir.
- . Additional social distancing in canteen and amenity areas."
"ALC would like to thank its employees for their continuing commitment to the highest standards of health and safety within the company and their efforts to stop the transmission of the virus at work, and within the broader community," the spokesman said.
'They, and the company, remain committed and united to win this health battle.
"We are pleased to say our COVID-19 health and safety measures are working."
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Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
