COVID-19: One new local case; Northern Beaches lockdown ends

NSW has recorded one new local case of COVID-19 linked to the Berala cluster while the upper section of the northern beaches is due to finish its three-week lockdown. LATEST COVID REPORTS

NSW has recorded one new local coronavirus cases, the NSW Premier has announced.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday after returning from a week of leave, Gladys Berejiklian said the case came after 25,500 tests.

The positive infection, linked to the Berala cluster, comes as the upper section of the northern beaches is due to finish its three-week lockdown after residents could only leave home for essential reasons.

“I also wanted to especially thank the Northern Beaches community, especially those in the northern zone for their absolute patience during the necessary action we took to lockdown or at least have stay-at-home provisions for the northern zone,” the Premier said.

“For the northern zone, today will be the last day you are required for those provisions.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks to the media during today’s COVID-19 press conference in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

UK RETURNED TRAVELLER

NSW Health has verified a returned traveller who tested positive for the highly contagious UK strain of coronavirus after finishing isolation in hotel quarantine was not infectious while in the community.

Health officials confirmed the state has avoided a potential outbreak of the so-called super variant of the virus after an expert panel of medicos determined he could not have spread the disease.

The man had been tested positive for coronavirus while in hotel quarantine from December 21, was released on January 5 after recovering from the illness but two days later tested positive for the British strain which is reportedly more transmissible.

“As a precaution, the person was immediately contacted by NSW Health and asked to isolate for retesting. The person returned a positive test with a high CT value, which indicates low levels of infection, and returned to the Special Health Accommodation,” a NSW Health spokeswoman said.

NSW Health said in a statement he was not infectious when he left quarantine but listed a series of alerts for venues in Burwood the man visited as a precaution.

His one household contact has also reportedly tested negative for the virus, adding confusion to how the man caught COVID-19 for a second time within two days of being released from quarantine.

FAMILY LINKED TO SA MUTANT STRAIN

The latest case follows an alert after a family-of-four in NSW hotel quarantine may be positive to the worrying South African mutation of COVID-19, NSW Health has revealed.

Like the UK strain, which is believed to be up to 70 per cent more transmissible than earlier version of the virus, the South African strain is passed on at an alarming rate.

Since November 30 NSW has also detected six cases of the UK strain of coronavirus.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

NSW chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant said that the “possible” South African mutation virus cases in the family were detected on Thursday night.

“Preliminary tests arriving last night, identified a group of four travellers in the Special Health Accommodation, who are positive for the new COVID variant identified in South Africa,” Dr Chant told media on Friday.

NSW Health workers in PPE waiting for patients at the St Vincent's Hospital drive through COVID-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach today. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

“Further testing is under way to confirm these results, but as a precaution the 16 people who were accompanying that flight (those four people were on), have, as a precaution, moved to the Special Health Accommodation.

“That is because there are concerns that this South African strain does share a similar mutation from the UK, but may be associated with increased transmissibility.”

NEW ISOLATION RULE TO STOP VIRUS SPREAD

Returned travellers undergoing hotel quarantine in Sydney will face strict new procedures before being released.

The changes come as Australia tries to ward off new, highly infectious strains of COVID-19 from across the globe.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant on Saturday announced that when a person in quarantine tests positive for COVID-19, genomic sequencing would be carried out in a “timely” manner and be considered before their release.

The number of days a person who tests positive must remain in isolation following the onset of coronavirus symptoms will also be extended from 10 to 14 days following new medical guidance.

“We live in a global world and so all returning travellers are at increasing risk of having one of these mutations which need to be investigated,” Dr Chant said.

“We are putting safeguards in place and … we are managing our quarantine cases among overseas travellers differently.”

Previously, people who tested positive for a mild case of coronavirus could be discharged after 10 days from the onset of symptoms if they did not show any signs of the virus 72 hours earlier.

However, Communicable Disease Network Australia is now advising that this be extended from 10 to 14 days as a precaution.

— Jade Gailberger

Passengers from United Airlines flight from San Francisco walk to a bus where they will be transferred to hotel quarantine in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

BRISBANE LOCKS DOWN, UK INFECTED WOMAN FLEW INTO QLD

Queensland has recorded no new virus cases as residents in Greater Brisbane woke to the first morning of its three day lockdown as the state scrambles to contain a mutant strain of COVID-19.

But residents living in a Sunshine Coast town have been urged to watch for symptoms after a Victorian woman carrying the highly-contagious UK variant of coronavirus travelled there to visit her parents after flying into Queensland on a Jetstar flight.

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young urged anyone living in Maleny, about 90km north of Brisbane, to be on alert, saying state health authorities were notified on late Friday about the case by Victoria.

The woman arrived into Victoria on December 26 after flying in from the UK and was tested in hotel quarantine where she was found to be positive.

She was then isolated and did 10 days of quarantine before she was cleared of her symptoms and was allowed to leave Victoria and return home to Queensland on January 5.

Dr Young confirmed the Jetstar flight was JQ570 and arrived into Brisbane from Melbourne at 11pm on January 5.

Supermarkets across Brisbane have been flooded with shoppers after a three-day lockdown was announced. Picture: David Clark

Queues stretched out into the streets. Picture: NewsWire/John Gass

Then she travelled up to the outskirts of Maleny where she remains at her parents’ home.

“Her parents have been tested and we‘re working through any close contacts that need to be looked at there,” Dr Young said.

“Anyone in that area around Maleny, if they develop any symptoms, could they please come forward immediately and get tested.

Dr Young said the risk was “very, very, very low” because the woman was right at the end of her potential infectious period.

“With a normal variant, we would not be at all concerned. Ten days is more than sufficient and she is now up to day 15, so it would not be a concern, but because of this new

variant, we are just being ultra cautious which is why we retested her when Victoria let us know that she had the new variant and we found that she is still excreting virus,” she said.

“As I stress, this is very, very, very low risk, but it is not zero risk, so he we are just taking all of those precautions.”