Coronavirus Australia: Sydney hospital worker infectious during shift

A healthcare worker in the emergency department of a Sydney hospital went to work while infectious with the coronavirus.

A healthcare worker in the emergency department at Hornsby Hospital in Sydney has tested positive for COVID-19.

The staff member, who worked for one shift while infectious, was diagnosed on Saturday, a Northern Sydney Local Health District spokesperson confirmed to news.com.au

They were in the hospital’s emergency department on Thursday, August 6, from 11am to midnight.

“The staff member became unwell after their shift and immediately self-isolated and got tested for COVID-19,” they said in a statement.

The worker had been wearing a mask while in contact with patients.

The health department confirmed other hospital staff who had contact with the person have been identified and told to self-isolate for 14 days.

“There is no impact on the services being provided by the Emergency Department,” the spokeswoman said.

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Hornsby Hospital in Sydney. Picture: Google Maps

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The healthcare worker is a household contact of another person who was also confirmed as a COVID-19 case on the same day.

Anyone who visited the hospital’s emergency department on Thursday between those times is being contacted by authorities.

Meanwhile, two Sydney schools are in lockdown following positive cases.

Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta will be closed until further notice with all students to learn remotely from Monday, the school’s acting Principal Marie Wood confirmed in a statement published on Facebook.

Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta closed until further notice after a student tested positive to COVID-19. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Bianca De Marchi

It has not been confirmed which grade the student is in and what days they attended while potentially infectious, but the school is working with authorities to identify any further cases.

“As soon as we were contacted by NSW Health, we began working closely together to identify students or staff who have had ‘close contact’ with the person who has COVID-19,” Ms Wood said.

“The school will be non-operational for the on-site attendance of staff and students to allow time for the school to complete the contact tracing process and have the school cleaned.”

A Year 7 student from Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook also tested positive on Saturday.

Tangara School for Girls is also closed after a Year 7 student tested positive. Picture: Tangara School website

All staff and students have been instructed to self-isolate while contact tracing occurs.

“NSW Health have decided that, for the safety of the Tangara community and the wider community, all secondary students (7-12) are to be considered close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 and should therefore self-isolate immediately until Friday 21 August 2020,” a statement from Principal Rita Sakr said.

Both the high school and adjoining primary school will be closed for on-site learning with no students in the high school permitted on campus — this includes Year 12 students who are in the middle of their trial HSC exams.

Anyone associated with either school who develops flu-like symptoms has been urged to get tested.