Coronavirus Sydney: Balmain Woolworths employee positive, sick woman travels on XPT
The coronavirus ineptitude of officials south of the border is putting the entire country at risk, with NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard blasting Victoria after two people travelled from Melbourne to Sydney while sick with COVID-19.
NSW Coronavirus News
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW Coronavirus News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two people travelling from coronavirus-stricken Melbourne to Sydney while sick — including a COVID-19 infected worker at a Balmain Woolworths — have sparked a cross-border blast from NSW’s Health Minister, who has urged the southern state to pull its weight in the bug battle.
In the most serious case, NSW authorities yesterday revealed a man who tested positive for coronavirus in Melbourne hotel quarantine after flying in from Bangladesh was still allowed to travel to Sydney eight days later, before going on to work at Balmain Woolworths.
His subsequent positive test for the disease has forced 50 staff into isolation.
MORE NEWS
Hospitals struggle to cope with post-lockdown drunks
AFP calls for charges against ABC journalist
Liberal MP’s COVID case hits court four months sooner
NSW police are now ramping up their efforts to police the Victorian borders, with highway patrols to check cars with southern number plates and random vehicle stops to also be brought in across border suburbs.
Anyone caught flouting the rules can be jailed for six months or fined $11,000.
“Take it seriously, because NSW is taking it apparently a lot more seriously than has been taken in the past in Victoria,” furious Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.
When asked if he had trust in the Victorian hotel quarantine system after Melbourne outbreaks were traced back to glaring breaches of the program, Mr Hazzard said he had “major concerns about what has happened”.
The Woolies worker went into hotel quarantine after flying in on June 11. He developed symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 on the seventh day of isolation, but was discharged on June 26 after being deemed non-infectious.
Mr Hazzard said after the man worked in the self-service area of Balmain Woolworths on June 27 and 28, his managers asked him to get tested for COVID-19 because he was displaying symptoms.
But the supermarket giant disputed the Minister’s assertion that the man worked while symptomatic.
“They were referred for a second test by the store manager as a precaution because of their travel history,” a spokesman said.
When the positive test came back on Wednesday, other staff were put into isolation and the store cleaned.
NSW authorities are trying to work out exactly why the man was let out of hotel quarantine despite now reporting his “persisting symptoms”.
“He was seen and assessed and deemed non-infectious, and was discharged,” Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said. “If you are symptom free for three days … and it’s been at least 10 days since your onset of symptoms, then you’re deemed as non-infectious.”
NSW authorities yesterday declared any risk of infection is “low,” but put Balmain residents on notice to get tested if they develop any symptoms. Passengers close to the man on his June 26 flight to Sydney are being contacted.
In another breach from the southern border, a sick woman awaiting COVID-19 test results travelled to Sydney by train while showing flu-like symptoms.
“That’s about as silly as it gets,” Mr Hazzard said.
The woman travelled on the XPT service that arrived from Melbourne yesterday.
She is now in self-isolation awaiting results of her test.
Asked whether the woman could face a fine, Mr Hazzard said: “We’re looking at all aspects of that at the present time, although it would appear that she was on the train before the (health) order started.”
Since March 29, 3558 returned travellers who had symptoms have been tested in NSW hotels, with 112 of them returning positive results. From this week travellers in hotels have also been offered testing within two days of arrival to help understand earlier whether they are harbouring the infection.
Health staff have been deployed at airports, including in regional NSW, to prevent potentially infected residents from Melbourne’s COVID-19 suburbs entering the state. There will also be screening at Central Station to monitor anyone trying to enter Sydney on an express train.
Police will assist NSW staff in their screening operation and will be conducting “proactive, high-visibility activity,” a statement said.
Infectious diseases expert Professor Peter Collignon said the Melbourne outbreaks present “a risk to everybody else in the country and everybody in the community”.
He blamed the Andrews government’s bungled hotel quarantine process.
“The community outbreaks (are) the result of the failure of proper procedures,” he said.