A Marvel Stadium security guard has tested positive to COVID-19 which nearly forced tonight’s game between Carlton and St Kilda to be called off.
The security contractor last worked on Monday June 29 and has had no contact at any time with any sealed football-related areas inside the venue
The Department of Health and Human Services notified the AFL this afternoon that Thursday night’s match at Marvel Stadium can go ahead as planned.
“There was a big scare that went through AFL HQ this afternoon when it was found that a security guard at Marvel Stadium had tested positive to coronavirus,” Caroline Wilson told 3AW.
“The security guard, who works at a service entrance at Marvel Stadium, went home feeling crook on Monday, his positive test came back today.
“DHHS have been into the stadium, around the stadium. This only broke mid-afternoon, I think at about 3:15pm and there was every chance that Marvel Stadium was not going to be cleared for AFL football.
“However, DHHS have come in, they’ve swabbed the place they’ve cleaned the place and the other security guard who was working alongside his mate has been quarantined as well and the game was signed off a couple of hours ago.”
The AFL released the following statement:
The AFL was informed today that a Marvel Stadium security contractor who last worked during the day on Monday 29 June has tested positive today for Covid-19.
The security contractor, who worked a shift patrolling a stadium service entry, has not worked since his shift on Monday and had no contact at any time with any sealed football-related areas.
As per normal protocols, Marvel Stadium is Covid-safe cleaned daily and was cleaned on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights using DHHS-approved disinfecting chemicals and methods.
Again as per the normal match-day protocols introduced by the AFL to protect players, staff and the wider community, the stadium this morning received a full intensive Covid-safe sanitisation clean ahead of tonight’s scheduled match between Carlton and St Kilda, which is in line with DHHS requirements.
A second intensive pre-match clean was then carried out this afternoon before the arrivals of the players and officials as a further precaution, meaning the stadium has been cleaned five times since the security contractor last worked at Marvel Stadium.
The Department of Health and Human Services wrote to the AFL this afternoon saying they were satisfied that the stadium had undertaken all risk management protocols and deep cleaned the stadium in accordance with procedure and gave the go-ahead to the game proceeding at Marvel Stadium tonight with no significantly increased risk.
The AFL also took steps to ensure that no one who worked the same shift on Monday with the confirmed case would be working at the Stadium this weekend.