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McDonald's Australia has temporarily shut 12 stores in Victoria after a delivery truck driver tested positive to COVID-19.
The Department of Health has identified the truck driver as a workplace close contact of the previously announced case at a McDonald's in Craigieburn.
The Age reports the Craigieburn employee was an extended family member of a worker at the McDonald's in Fawkner, where a cluster has extended to 12 reported cases.
"The truck driver made deliveries to 12 restaurants and interacted with a small number of restaurant employees on each occasion while asymptomatic and unaware they had contracted COVID-19," says a McDonald's spokesperson.
"Potential close contacts and employees who have worked specific shifts during and after the truck drivers' [sic] delivery have been instructed not to return to work for 14 days and advised to be tested."
McDonald's Australia has confirmed no other employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at this time.
"However, out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to close and conduct a deep clean of 12 restaurants in Victoria, following confirmation a truck driver for an external service provider has tested positive for COVID-19.
"McDonald's Australia has taken this significant action in the best interests of the health and safety of our employees and our customers.
"We will open each of the restaurants following completion of the deep clean and pending the availability of replacement crew."
The restaurant chain advises the following restaurants have been closed:
1. Melton East
2. Laverton North
3. Yallambie
4. Taylors Lakes
5. Campbellfield
6. Sunbury
7. Hoppers Crossing
8. Riverdale Village
9. Sandown
10. Calder Highway Northbound/Outbound
11. Calder Highway Southbound/Inbound
12. BP Rockbank Service Centre Outbound
With regards to the other main cluster in the state, Victorian health authorities yesterday reported 99 cases related to the Cedar Meats outbreak.
The department is also working with Domino's in Fairfield and The Comfort Group in Deer Park, where an infectious case has attended, or a case may have acquired coronavirus.
Updated at 10:12am AEST on 18 May 2020.
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