AFL Barwon confirms first coronavirus case

AFL Barwon has confirmed the first case of a player with coronavirus within the region.

Inverleigh Football Netball League reportedly received confirmation from Barwon Health that an under-13 Hawks player had tested positive for COVID-19.

AFL Barwon said the situation was being taken “extremely seriously and is not being taken lightly for the continued safety of the region”.

Health advice indicates that the case is isolated to Inverleigh FNC, and no other members of the region have been put at risk, and the risk of transmission was extremely minimal at the football club. However, AFL Barwon said this does not change the seriousness of the situation.

While the player attended training last Wednesday night (July 8), Barwon Health’s advice to Inverleigh FNC is that it’s extremely unlikely that the player was contagious at the time of training, given the timeline of subsequent testing and onset of symptoms.

On the back of health and AFL Victoria advice, the return to play date for our region of July 18 for junior football and netball is still in place for near our near 500 registered junior teams.

There are no Colac teams competing in AFL Barwon’s junior competition this season, with the Colac Tigers declining to take part for health and safety reasons.

Inverleigh FNC’s under-13 football side has been fixtured a bye this weekend and will not be in competition, while there are no matches fixtured at Inverleigh FNC this weekend.

Inverleigh do not have any junior netball teams.

Inverleigh FNC were also advised to not train their under-13 side last night.

Barwon Health’s infectious disease specialist, Associate Professor Deb Friedman said contact tracing had begun.

“As per usual procedure, people who are in isolation require tracing of the people they have been with in the period before they developed symptoms,” she said.

“That contact tracing has been undertaken, and any of their close contacts are in isolation.

“All of the people who have been detected are isolating themselves from the rest of the community and are all taking the required precautions as recommended.”

AFL Barwon said the players who attended training last Wednesday had been notified and as a precautionary measure those players will not be able to return to IFNC activities until they have either been tested and received a negative result or remained symptom free for 14 days from contact, as per Barwon Health advice.

However they are not considered close contacts following health advice.

The club’s toilet facilities have also undertaken a deep clean, per Barwon Health’s advice.

The majority of players who attended training last Wednesday have already been tested and so far all results received have been negative.