Hundreds of McDonald’s workers are now in quarantine after potentially coming into contact with a delivery driver who tested positive for COVID-19.
The driver, who worked for an external business, made deliveries to a number of McDonald’s restaurants in Melbourne’s north west.
The fast food giant made the call to close 12 locations, with McDonald’s Australia CEO Andrew Gregory telling Today the decision was difficult, “but it is the right one to make.”
The stores will undergo deep-cleaning before reopening in the coming days and employees will have to quarantine for 14 days and test negative to COVID-19 before returning to work, according to Victoria’s deputy chief health officer, Dr Annaliese van Diemen.
No other McDonald’s employees have tested positive for the virus so far.
Gregory said the driver was asymptomatic while working and was unaware they were infected.
12 McDonald's restaurants in #Melbourne have been closed out of an "abundance of caution" after a delivery driver tested positive for #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/kftGctHBPP
— Mark Santomartino (@msanto92) May 17, 2020
Image credit: McDonald’s Australia