SYDNEY – Australia's largest stadium, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), was identified as a potential Covid-19 transmission site today, after a person who attended a cricket match last month tested positive for the virus, the Xinhua News Agency reports.
The MCG has a capacity of more than 100,000 people. However, due to Covid-19, spectators were capped at 30,000 people per day for a recent five-day cricket match between Australia and India.
Victoria's Health and Human Services Department (DHHS) said the man attended the cricket match on December 27 last year and is calling on those seated in the same section as him to get tested and isolate themselves until they receive a negative result.
"The MCG is being investigated as a potential source for acquisition," the DHHS said in a statement.
"This means we have a confirmed case of coronavirus who was not infectious but that we believe may have acquired their infection at this location."
A shopping centre that the man attended the day before was also named as a possible acquisition site and 10 stores identified as venues of concern.
Meanwhile, debate continued over whether to allow spectators at the next cricket match in the series, scheduled in Sydney tomorrow.
Sydney recorded four new locally acquired Covid-19 cases yesterday, two of which were linked to known clusters and two under investigation.
Despite concerns of a potential superspreader event, the cricket match was scheduled to be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) at 25% spectator capacity.
In addition, health officials banned residents from several suburbs with known infections and surrounding areas from attending.
"New South Wales (NSW) has struck the leading balance in the country in terms of keeping open what is normalcy, but in a Covid environment," NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.
"From our state's point of view, and the NSW government's point of view... we continue to strike the balance." – Bernama, January 6, 2021
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