Some football fans who attended the Sunday afternoon AFL match between Collingwood and Port Adelaide at the MCG may have been exposed to COVID-19.
The Victorian Department of Health tweeted on Tuesday evening that one of the nine positive cases attended the match and was seated in the Great Southern Stand of the ground.
Authorities say the fan was seated in zone four, level one of the ground and those who were seated in a bay between M1 and M16 on their match ticket will be contacted directly by the Health Department, with the advice to isolate until they test negative.
They said CCTV footage would be reviewed to determine if the advice to isolate would need to be applied to other areas.
Anyone who attended the game and is displaying COVID-19 symptoms is being urged to isolate and get tested.
The Department of Health added that the AFL and MCC have run simulations for this scenario and contact information is linked to ticketing data via QR codes.
MCG
)The case who attended the match is understood to be one of nine confirmed cases in the current coronavirus cluster.
Eight cases were confirmed on Tuesday with all nine infections recorded so far spread across three households.
The news came after restrictions were tightened across Greater Melbourne on Tuesday evening.
Masks now have to be worn at all indoor settings by adults and children aged over 12.
Caps on private gatherings have been reduced with only five visitors allowed per day to a household, while outdoor events such as picnics or barbecues have a limit of 30 people.
Second incident to impact AFL
The AFL has already been affected by the current outbreak with Western Bulldogs players and staff currently in isolation, pending negative COVID tests.
A club staff member had attended the Highpoint Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
“The Bulldogs cooperated fully with the advice (to test and isolate), in the best interests of public health and safety,” the Bulldogs said.
“It is expected that players and staff will be able to return to training on Wednesday, pending the negative test results being received overnight.”
Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino had previously said the government would need more time to make a call on further restrictions relating to sporting events and a decision had not yet been made about attendance at AFL games in rounds 11 and 12.
The cap on attendances in Victoria was raised to 75 per cent earlier this year, with the MCG raised to 85 per cent.
