Goya Dmytryshchak
The Cedar Meats processing facility in Brooklyn has been confirmed as the plant at the centre of the latest COVID-19 outbreak.
There are 34 cases linked to the meatworks, including 19 confirmed on Sunday.
Authorities refused to name the plant, saying there was no risk to public health, but the facility’s general manager Tony Kairouz issued a statement on Monday.
“A number of employees have tested positive for coronavirus in one of our facilities in west Melbourne,” he said.
“The welfare and safety of our staff, visitors, suppliers and customers is our highest priority. All workers are self-quarantining and we are working closely with Victorian health authorities.
“All meat processed at our facilities is processed in accordance with Australian standards for food safety and our customers can be confident that the meat processed at our facilities is safe to eat.”
It comes as a Yarraville childcare centre was temporarily closed while two children from the same family were tested for COVID-19 last week.
The Learning Sanctuary in Gamon Street closed on Wednesday and reopened on Friday after the two children from the same family were cleared on Thursday.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday said there were 1406 cases in Victoria, which included 22 new cases overnight.
Of those 22 new cases, 19 were linked to the meatworks, two were returned overseas travellers now in hotel quarantine and one person whose transmission was still being investigated.
Mr Andrews said a record 13,000 Victorians were tested for coronavirus on Sunday, in the “biggest single day of testing in the nation”.
“I just want to say how proud and how pleased I am and how grateful I am,” he said.
The government aims to have 100,000 Victorians tested before it decides whether to start lifting restrictions when the state of emergency ends on Monday, May 11.
