VICTORIA International Container Terminal remains closed after two new COVID cases were discovered in the workforce.
As of Friday afternoon, it is unknown when the terminal will be re-opened.
In a statement to customers VICT said it is performing contact tracing to identify possible close contacts and it is performing another deep clean of the facility.
“At this point in time, we can’t confirm when the terminal will be re-opened as the new cases will need to be assessed,” VICT said.
“By tomorrow (25 September) afternoon, we will be in a position to provide an update on our reopening plan.”
The container terminal at Webb Dock East shut down on Wednesday night at 2200 for the second time in a week due to a COVID case in the workforce.
It also shut down for deep cleaning on Monday at 1600 after a COVID case was discovered among its workforce. Quayside operations were back up and running at midnight and landside operations came online shortly thereafter.
DP World Australia’s Port Botany terminal shut down last week after a positive COVID case. It re-opened the following day and the company announced it would make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for its workforce.
Hutchison Ports Australia’s Port Botany terminal shut down this past weekend when several cases of COVID-19 were found in the workforce.
Ports Australia has called for more collaboration between government and industry to plan for COVID-19 cases at container terminals. As lockdowns in Victoria and New South Wales are lifted in the coming months the likelihood of cases arising at ports will increase drastically.
