New South Wales’ 55-day streak of no locally acquired Covid cases has unfortunately (and annoyingly) ended yesterday.
Sydney is now on alert after a number of new exposure sites were published by NSW Health. Two public transport routes have been included in the list.
This was due to a quarantine breach, where a security guard (who’s already had his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine) has tested positive for the virus.
9News reported: “NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said authorities were notified of the locally acquired case late on Saturday night and urgent contact tracing and genome sequencing was underway.“
It was made known the security guard (47) works at two quarantine hotels: the Mantra Hotel in Haymarket and the Sofitel Hotel in Wentworth.
“Mr Hazzard said he had worked while infectious,” 9NEWS reports.
NSW Health was notified late last night of a new case of COVID-19 in a person who works at two Sydney hotels which provide hotel quarantine for returned travellers. This case will be included in tomorrow’s numbers. pic.twitter.com/seNuUfBHBD
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) March 14, 2021
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said: “We have contacted around 130 people who worked from 7pm on Friday night to 7am on Saturday, overlapping March 12 to March 13.”
“We are asking those individuals to immediately self-isolate and get a test … that allows us time to work through and ascertain the nature of interaction that this security guard would have had to those quarantine workers.“
In a statement, NSW Police said: “Investigations are underway by NSW Health to determine the source of this infection… As part of these inquiries, NSW Police will assist health investigators by reviewing CCTV, conducting interviews and analysing rosters.“
“All of of the security guard’s family members have returned negative COVID-19 test results,” 9News reported.
