by The woman worked at Darling Harbour’s Novotel Hotel, a quarantine hotel, between Saturday and Monday. She had also worked at the nearby Ibis Hotel last Friday, November 27. Both hotels are owned by Accor and share staff.
Genomic sequencing is under way to determine if the case is linked to a traveller quarantined at the Novotel, with the results expected by Saturday.
The woman’s family was tested late on Wednesday evening and all returned negative results. Workers at the two hotels have also been asked to come forward for testing.
NSW Health issued a number of alerts for passengers on train services between Minto and Central and light rail services between Central and Darling Harbour between Friday and Monday last week which the woman travelled on while believed to be infectious.
In contrast to previous alerts issued for public transport routes, NSW Health asked anyone who believed they had caught the service to get tested and self-isolate immediately, rather than just monitor for symptoms.
Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said the measures were “ultra precautionary” and it was possible the advice would be downgraded once testing provided a better understanding of the situation.
“Please self-isolate, get a test and we will be back to you,” she said, adding it was “appreciated” that the woman wore a mask on her commute, placing her in a minority of Sydney commuters.
“But like all people that wear a mask, sometimes she adjusted it; nothing is a perfect guarantee,” she said.
The new case has thrown the planned reopening of the Western Australian border to NSW residents into doubt, with WA Premier Mark McGowan saying on Thursday afternoon he will be seeking further health advice before a decision is made on the weekend.
Western Australia was due to reopen the border to NSW and Victoria on Tuesday in anticipation NSW would achieve 28 days twice the virus’ incubation period without a local case on Saturday, its threshold for removing self-quarantine requirements for interstate arrivals.
The earliest date at which NSW can now record 28 days without a local coronavirus case is December 31, a figure which will be announced on January 1, 2021.
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said the Queensland border would remain open, despite the case currently having no known source.
NSW recorded nine cases in hotel quarantine to 8pm Wednesday. The new local case was recorded late on Wednesday evening, so will be included in the numbers reported on Friday.
There were also six cases reported in the Northern Territory, all in returned travellers from India.
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Mary Ward is a health reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.
Josh Dye is a news reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.
