Urgent Covid tests for dozens of Vic arrivals from southern Africa amid Omicron fears

Genomic testing is underway to establish whether the Omicron variant of Covid is already in Victoria, after two cases of the strain were found in Sydney.

The Omicron strain of Covid-19 may already be circulating in Victoria with a passenger from South Africa travelling to Victoria from NSW this week.

Two passengers on a flight into Sydney from southern Africa have tested positive for the Omicron.

It’s understood a third potential case of Omicron arrived in NSW on November 23 and then travelled to Victoria two days later.

The two positive cases, who were asymptomatic, are in isolation. Both people are fully vaccinated.

The two passengers were amongst fourteen people from southern Africa who arrived on Qatar Airways flight QR908, Doha to Sydney, which arrived around 7 o’clock last night.

The remaining 12 passengers from southern Africa are undertaking 14 days of hotel quarantine.

Around 260 passengers and crew on the flight are considered close contacts and have been directed to isolate.

Health authorities are still waiting on genomic testing for the third case.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said there may be up to 100 people who have travelled to the South African hotspots in the past 14 days and who arrive in NSW by midnight tonight.

“Senior health officials are more inclined to view that it’s (Omicron),” he said.

Mr Hazzard said NSW Health and Border Force had been working “very well” by going through people who had previously arrived but the questions posed to returnees had been “loose” due to limited concerns at the time about the new strain.

He added that some returnees had “forgotten” where they had been in the past 14 days proving it difficult for authorities to comb through information.

He said the concerns were growing rapidly and authorities were finding many more arrivals from the hotspots that anticipated.

“We went from one anticipated person coming from southern Africa to 29. And on Sunday we’ve had a similar situation already having been told we would have 0 (potential) cases and already we’ve had more than 30 (arrivals from South Africa) and may well end up with more than 100 by midnight tonight. “

Earlier, Victoria’s chief health officer said the concerning new Covid variant would be “impossible to keep out”, despite moves nationally to limit travel from infected countries.

Australia closed its border to several African nations amid the spread of the new, highly-transmissible variant, with both Victoria and NSW placing isolation requirements on all international arrivals.

Victoria on Saturday also imposed a 72-hour isolation period for all international arrivals, but so far there are no restrictions on local residents.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton expressed his fears about the variant. Picture:Daniel Pockett

Brett Sutton on Sunday said the variant would likely become the new dominant strain, and new travel restrictions would “buy time” while authorities determined their next step.

“It’s going to be impossible to keep out, I imagine, so it’s still important to buy time,” he said.

“It won’t be over in Australia until it’s over globally, or until it’s under significant control and that won’t happen until there’s much higher vaccination coverage, especially in the poorest countries of the world.

“We need to bear in mind that this will spread around the world and we’ll soon be facing this variant.”

Britain, Germany, South Africa, Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel have all recorded infections, but there is currently no plan to close the borders to those countries.

Prof Sutton said the Omicron variant was likely already in “dozens” of countries.

He also laid the blame for the new variant as a “direct consequence of global vaccine equity”.

“Vaccination coverage in Africa in total is in single figures. It’s appalling and variants arrive when there are opportunities for ongoing transmission with large numbers of people,” he said.

“This is a consequence of that.”

URGENT TESTING FOR DOZENS

Urgent tests are underway for dozens of international arrivals who landed in Victoria in the past fortnight after travelling from southern Africa.

Forty people had arrived from the nine African countries of concern in the past 14 days, Health Minister Martin Foley said.

“The testing is underway and we’re awaiting the outcome,” Mr Foley said.

The 40 arrivals are required to isolate for 14 days from their arrival either at home or in hotel quarantine.

Mr Foley also confirmed flights had arrived from other countries carrying people who had recently been in the southern Africa region.

“There was a flight that landed from Dubai and landed just before midnight which had 300 passengers … five had been to countries of concern,” he said.

The minister said the new Covid measures were so health authorities could have more time to understand the new variant.

“We are taking these modest, proportionate steps to buy time,” he said.

Mr Foley refused to be drawn on whether Victoria should stop accepting all international arrivals.

“That’s a matter for the commonwealth, and that’s really part of the reason why we’ve put in a 72-hour pause,” he said.

It comes as NSW health officials ordered urgent genomic sequencing for two international travellers tested positive for coronavirus after landing at Sydney Airport from southern Africa on Saturday.

The federal government on Saturday announced that arrivals from one of nine southern African countries will be required to undertake 14 days’ hotel quarantine in light of the new variant.

The nine countries are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, the Seychelles, and Zimbabwe.

All other vaccinated arrivals into Victoria from countries other than those nine countries must quarantine at home for 72 hours.

This applies to unvaccinated children under 12 years old, unaccompanied minors, and those medically exempt from vaccination.

Travellers at Johannesburg airport after several countries banned flights from South Africa following the discovery of the Omicron variant. Picture: AFP

There are currently no known cases of the Omicron variant reported in Victoria.

The new public health orders will be reviewed after three days.

Scott Morrison on Sunday said the new Covid variant was concerning, after moving from a variant of investigation to a variant of concern in 24 hours.

The Prime Minister spoke with premiers Daniel Andrews and Dominic Perrottet on Saturday and said he backed their move to introduce a 72-hour isolation period for people arriving from overseas.

“These very fast moving issues that will continue as we always have sensible balanced, guided by the best possible medical evidence and medical expert advice,” Mr Morrison said.

“But our intention, let’s not forget what the ultimate objective is here in this global pandemic, is to open safely and remain safely open.

“I’m quite encouraged by the fact that despite that we still have over 1000 cases on most days in Victoria, Victoria’s health and hospital system is standing up extremely well.

“It’s standing up in fact better than what the Doherty Institute modelling suggests.”

Overseas travellers entering Victoria will be subject to new quarantine rules amid concern over the Omicron variant. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

TRAVEL PLANS IN DISARRAY

Travellers are “heartbroken” after a decision to force all new overseas arrivals to Victoria into home isolation for 72 hours, regardless of vaccine status.

South African-Australian Justine Schutz was due to fly to South Africa from Melbourne on Saturday to see her ageing mother but made a last-minute choice not to leave due to travel uncertainty.

“I could get to South Africa … but the minute I heard I couldn’t get home, I thought ‘no way, there’s no way I can take that risk,” she said.

Ms Schutz said she had to make a difficult decision on flying to see her mother, who has early onset dementia, and risk being stranded in South Africa or staying in Melbourne so she could take care of her children.

“I said to my 14-year-old son, ‘at the end of the day my main concern is you and if that is put in jeopardy and I can’t get home, I’ve got to put you first before anybody else’,” she said.

While Ms Schutz is “heartbroken” and “devastated”, she said she understands the reasoning for the border closure.

“I work in a hospital. I get it but it’s very hard for immigrants,” she said.

“When you immigrate to this country, you always know you could just get on a plane and always just go home and see your family and in the last 18 months that hasn’t been the case.”

Originally published as Urgent Covid tests for dozens of Vic arrivals from southern Africa amid Omicron fears