Western Victorians warned of fast food COVID-19 risks from Ballan McDonalds, petrol station

Health authorities are warning people who received fast food deliveries from a coronavirus exposure site in western Victoria they are at risk of the Delta variant of COVID-19.

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The westbound McDonald’s restaurant and Mobil petrol station at Ballan, east of Ballarat, have been listed as tier one coronavirus exposure sites after a positive case visited the site last Thursday.

A team of furniture removalists from Sydney visited the site on their way from Melbourne to Adelaide last week, before subsequently testing positive to the virus. 

It is understood one of the removalists stopped at and had a shower at the petrol station. 

Anyone who visited the site between 5:00pm and 7:00pm that day is being asked to get tested and quarantine immediately. 

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Associate Professor Rosemary Aldrich, clinical director of the Grampians Public Health Unit, said a testing site had been set up at the Ballan Railway Station to help cope with additional testing. 

“We know that the Delta [variant] can spread really quickly, so we’re trying to get ahead of any possibility by having everybody in that inner ring of primary close contacts tested,” Ms Aldrich said.

“If any of their household members get symptoms then they should get tested again.”

More venues added to Victoria’s list of exposure sites

A service station and a Hungry Jack’s outlet at Kalkallo, on the Hume Highway, have been added to the list of exposure sites after a case attended last week.

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Ms Aldrich said the health unit was interested in talking to Ballan residents, as well as anyone that visited the exposure site. 

“We’ve got people who might have been travelling on their way home from work, or whose destination was near so maybe Ballarat or surrounds,” she said. 

“We’ve also got travellers who are travelling along the Western Freeway and who may have stopped there before then resuming their trip for another two or three hours drive.”

An aerial image of the Ballan McDonald’s and Mobil petrol station on the Western Freeway.(

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Ms Aldrich said anyone that received drive-through takeaway from the McDonald’s restaurant is considered low risk, but should still get tested if they become symptomatic. 

The pop-up testing clinic at Ballan Railway Station will remain open until further notice. 

No appointment is required to be tested at the site.  

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