6.00pm – Wednesday, 26 May 2021.

To: CCF Victoria staff, members and industry stakeholders.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update – From the CEO desk.

Good evening.

There are now 48 exposure sites listed on the Department of Health website, as the current outbreak which started in Melbourne’s Northern suburbs extends much wider including to Bendigo. https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites#public-exposure-sites-in-victoria.

If you have been to any of the locations listed during the specified times you should follow the advice listed for that exposure site, contact DHS at 1300 651 160 and get tested (where to get tested). 

At the media briefing this morning, the Acting Premier, James Merlino, and Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, would not rule out any further restrictions or response to this outbreak, with the next 24 hours being a critical time frame.

Our CCF Rail Sector Breakfast set for this Friday, 28 May 2021, with Corey Hannett and Bede Noonan is STILL ON. https://www.ccfvic.com.au/events/ccf-2021-rail-sector-breakfast/ .  The event will be conducted in accordance with the recent COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines introduced by the State Government.  We will confirm and provide an update to all members and guests attending the event late tomorrow morning.

The enquiries today being received by the Building & Construction Industry Liaison Officer, Michael Paynter, have centred on … “what action should be taken where workers, or colleagues, have been at any of the exposure sites”?

The advice being given is as follows:

  1. Those particular persons that have been at any of the exposure sites should follow the DHHS instructions, whether that be to get tested, isolate pending further instruction, or to quarantine for 14 days;
  2. Ensure that all other workers are completing the site declaration on a daily basis that they have NOT been to a listed exposure site;
  3. Ensure that CONTACT TRACING is being done on site, whether this be electronic or otherwise. In the unlikely but possible event that the any of the workforce tests positive from being at one of the exposure sites, DHHS will certainly require this information from you and it will greatly speed up the contract tracing process if you have it ready to go;
  4. Communicate these steps to the workforce via your usual means, be that toolbox meetings etc;
  5. Encourage anyone who has symptoms, or who has concerns, to get tested;

We have a close “watching brief” on the situation and I will keep CCF members abreast of developments over the next 24 hour period.

Until then …. keep well – keep safe.

Kind regards