Two Melbourne Coles workers test positive to coronavirus

Two workers at a Coles store in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The pair are employed at a Coles store in Mulgrave.

The Health Department says the store can remain open, as people who pass through places where there has been a confirmed case have an extremely low risk of transmission, according to a Coles spokesman.

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"Health authorities have not instructed Coles that it is necessary to close any stores, including in cases where team members or customers are diagnosed with COVID-19."

The store has undergone extensive cleaning and staff who have had contact with the infected workers have been instructed to self-isolate.

The company said it assisted the health department to trace the close contacts of the infected staff members.

The Department of Health defines close contact as face to face contact for at least 15 minutes.

It also applies to people being in the same closed space for at least two hours.

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"The Victorian Department of Health has reconfirmed that Coles has undertaken all necessary safety measures in stores where positive cases have been identified," a Coles spokesperson said.

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