Two Kmart stores close after staff members contract coronavirus

Two Melbourne Kmart stores have been closed after a staff member at each location contracted coronavirus.

The retail chain’s Barkly Square store in Brunswick, an inner-city suburb, was closed on Saturday, as well as its store in Footscray.

A note attached to their respective doors stated they were “currently closed for cleaning following a confirmed case of COVID-19 of one of our team members”.

“Our priority is to ensure the safety of customers and team members. We apologise for any inconvenience,” the note read.

“Thank you for your cooperation and understanding during this challenging time.”

Brunswick South and Brunswick West fall into the 3055 postcode which is one of 10 identified as a coronavirus hotspot and subject to a month-long lockdown.

That particular Kmart is just outside of this zone in the 3056 post code, and some have speculated that it could be one of the next suburbs to be locked down.

The Footscray store is outside hotspot zones, being in the 3011 area, however this has potential to change in coming days if more locations are identified to have large numbers of the virus.

Two others suburbs, Kensington and Flemington, have also been earmarked as potential areas to be locked down soon, as they border towns that have recorded consistently high numbers of COVID-19.

Outbreaks at supermarkets this week forced dozens of people, including workers, into mandatory isolation after they were determined to have come in close contact with a positive case.

Management of The Glen Shopping Centre, in Glen Waverley, southeast of the Melbourne CBD, confirmed on Saturday a positive case had visited Bupa Health facility inside the centre.

“We have been advised the risk to anyone who was in the store at the time is very low, and Bupa is assisting the DHHS to inform employees of the person’s recent visit and The Glen team is making direct contact with all of our retailers as a precautionary measure,” they said in a statement.

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