STAFF at a Chemist Warehouse (CWH) in Ballarat were forced to evacuate the pharmacy on Fri after a hoax call claiming a person who tested positive for COVID-19 had been to the store.
The Sebastopol pharmacy was called by someone who claimed to be from Ballarat Base Hospital, prompting the closure of the store.
Having made the decision to evacuate the store CWH staff called the hospital to seek advice regarding what they should do next only to be told that there was no record of anyone calling the pharmacy or a positive case linked to it.
Senior pharmacist, Rachael Harrison, told local media outlets that she wanted to ensure other businesses in the area were aware that people have been making hoax calls.
"It's an awful thing for someone to do," she said.
"We want to let other businesses know that people are doing this, and we'll be following up with police as well."
A Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)spokesperson condemned the prank caller.
"We're all working hard to do the right thing, so this kind of behaviour is appalling and completely unacceptable," the spokesperson said.
"If any business has concerns about a call or any information provided, they can call the DHHS on 1800 675 398 or request a confirmation email be sent with instructions on how to proceed if there is a positive case detected at their business."
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