'Bit of a situation': Melbourne suburb on high alert as cluster grows

Health authorities in Victoria are calling on residents in a southern Melbourne suburb to come forward and get tested as a concerning coronavirus cluster continues to grow.

Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said a household of “eight to nine” people in Frankston was “being supported to isolate” after several residents tested positive for coronavirus.

Professor Cheng said the cases were linked to the Chadstone cluster which has eight cases from the Chadstone shopping centre fresh food precinct.

“We have a bit of a situation in Frankston that is linked to the Chadstone cases,” Prof Cheng said.

One of the people from the household works at the food precinct.

Prof Cheng urged anyone in the area with the slightest of symptoms to come forward.

There is a pop-up testing centre now in operation at the Peninsula Aquatic Centre for people to get tested.

There is also a clinic set up at Chadstone’s Golfers Drive Gate 4, while Chadstone shopping centre will have a testing centre on Friday.

Prof Cheng said there was no known exposure locations in the Frankston community.

Victoria recorded 15 new cases on Thursday, the third consecutive day daily cases have risen.

On Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services said a worker who tested positive worked at the food precinct from Wednesday to Saturday from 6am to 6pm.

Coles Chadstone was added to high-risk locations after a customer shopped there for 15 minutes on Sunday and later tested positive.

Prof Cheng said the Chadstone shopping centre had undergone a thorough clean and was safe to visit.

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