15 July 2020

COVID-19 alert issued for Albury cafe patrons

| Edwina Mason
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Cafe Borellas

Cafe Borellas – located in the Peards Albury complex – was visited by a COVID-19 positive traveller around lunchtime on 30 June. Photo: Facebook.

An alert has been issued to residents throughout the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) who may have visited Café Borellas in Albury on 30 June.

The cafe was visited by a traveller who has only recently been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The public health unit investigating this case informed the MLHD that contact tracing identified the person had lunch at the café which is located at 117 Borella Road in East Albury on 30 June.

The person was on the premises for approximately 45 minutes.

According to MLHD, the café has provided a list of patrons who visited on this day and all persons whose details have been recorded will be contacted.

RAAF Wagga

Twelve Australian Defence Force personnel remain in quarantine at RAAF Wagga. Photo: RAAF Wagga.

MLHD has been advised that this person has only recently tested positive and has not attended any other venues in the region.

Café Borellas has a COVID-19 business safety plan in place which has helped minimise the risk to patrons but MLHD chief executive Jill Ludford has urged anyone who dined in the café that day to come forward to be tested.

“I’m saying to anyone – come forward even if you are not symptomatic. Even with the scratchiest throat or a wheeze, come forward for testing now,” she said.

Anyone who visited the café on 30 June and is concerned can be tested for COVID-19 at the Albury Mobile Clinic in the KD Watson Hall at Albury Showgrounds. Entry is via Fallon Street and it is open daily from 9:00 am to 4.30 pm. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments can also be made by calling the Murrumbidgee COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 831 099.

An additional case of COVID-19 for the MLHD was announced earlier in the week but the affected person is a returned overseas traveller and is currently in hotel quarantine in Sydney.

Their residential address lies within Murrumbidgee Local Health District, in the Snowy Valleys Local Government area, and is therefore reported in MLHD’s statistics.

The Australian Department of Defence has also confirmed 12 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel are in medical isolation at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base in Wagga Wagga after attending a hotel in south-western Sydney linked to a number of cases of COVID-19.

The members visited the establishment on Thursday, 9 July, the day before they were to deploy on tasks related to Operation COVID-19 Assist.

The 12 members were tested for COVID-19 and Defence has been advised that the 12 results were negative.

The members will remain in medical isolation for 14 days in line with the directions of NSW Health for anyone who attended the hotel between 3 and 10 July.

As a further precautionary measure, the remainder of the contingent sent from Sydney was directed to self-isolate while they were tested. As a result of the negative test results the remainder of that contingent will now be released from self-isolation.

The Department of Defence says it will take all measures to ensure it does not compromise the health of its personnel, agencies they are supporting or the public.

The total number of cases of COVID-19 for Murrumbidgee Local Health District is now 49.

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