Regional Livestock Exchange announced this morning it has postponed this week’s regular cattle sale at the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange as a precautionary measure in response to news that one of its staff members has had close contact with a person who has now tested positive to COVID-19.
AAM Investment Group Managing Director, Garry Edwards, said the decision was made to postpone the sale upon learning the staff member had potentially been exposed to COVID-19. This decision is in line with RLX’s COVID-19 management plan protocols.
“Our staff member, who is now in self-isolation, alerted us as soon as they became aware they had had close contact with a person who has tested positive to the virus and we have taken this swift and proactive action to allow time for our staff member’s test results to be known,” Mr Edwards said.
“As a precautionary measure, RLX has engaged third party, professional cleaners to sanitise the potentially impacted areas of the site, in line with Queensland Health COVID-19 protocols and our own management plan.
“At this stage, we have no certainty as to whether our staff member has COVID-19, and we apologise for any interruption this postponement may cause to vendors, transporters and agents, however we felt it critical to take these proactive steps to minimise the risk of possible transmission.
“Once our staff member’s test results are known, which we believe will be in the next 48 hours, we will know if contact tracing and further action will be required. It is expected that sales will return to normal at CQLX on Wednesday 15th April.
“Our priority throughout this COVID-19 crisis has been the health and safety of our people, our customers and our industry and we extend our warmest wishes to our potentially affected staff member and their family.”
Mr Edwards said operations at the remainder of the RLX network of selling facilities across Eastern Australia would continue as scheduled but reiterated the importance of remaining vigilant and adhering to rules governing attendance at all saleyard sites.
“We urge our vendors, buyers and other service providers to continue to follow the sale-day protocols we have in place, restricting the number of people who may attend a sale to essential personnel only,” Mr Edwards said.
“We have been pleased so far by the cooperation of industry with the operating procedures implemented across all of the RLX sites, and the general understanding that strictly following the advice of our government health agencies is the only way we will be able to ensure the continued flow of livestock through the supply chain at this time when safe and nutritious food is so important to Australian families.”
Source: RLX
HAVE YOUR SAY