Covid case shuts Amcor flexibles for deep clean

Amcor Flexibles was forced to shut down its factory in Port Melbourne for two days this week after a worker tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The facility reopened on Wednesday. The plant manufactures printed wrappers for food, beverage and pharmaceutical products, with around 100 staff, a further eight of whom have now tested positive.

An Amcor spokesperson said one worker returned a positive test for the virus on Sunday. He said the factory was closed at the time and remained closed on Monday and Tuesday while a deep clean was carried out.

“Amcor tested all employees at the factory,” the spokesperson said. “Eight employees were in close contact with the person who tested positive, and they have gone into self-isolation for 14 days, and they will be tested periodically. The hope is they will return negative tests and return to work after their 14-day isolation.”

He said there had been no impact on production at the facility.

Amcor implemented its established Business Continuity Plan immediately after the worker tested positive, the company said.

The spokesperson said, “As soon as the company was notified of the case, Amcor Flexibles initiated strict measures in accordance with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services guidelines to manage the confirmed Covid-19 case.

“This included a lockdown of the site while a full deep clean was performed. Contact tracing and Covid testing of co-workers who may have come into contact with the employee commenced immediately.”

The Age reported Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos told a press conference Amcor staff who were not in direct contact with the worker who tested positive have a "very low risk" of contracting the virus.

"There are a small number of close contacts of this worker, in terms of the proximity of people he was working with on site," the minister said, according to The Age.

"As a precaution, the company has gone above and beyond and all of the workers there are being tested. This is a demonstration of a system working well, having a business working very closely with our public health team."