NSW records 18 new COVID-19 cases in hotel quarantine

NSW has had a massive number of COVID-19 cases recorded in hotel quarantine overnight, with 18 new infections detected in 24-hours.

NSW has recorded 18 new infections in hotel quarantine, but no new locally acquired cases, on Friday.

The 18 new cases of COVID-19 were all acquired overseas and reported to 8pm on Thursday. It brings the total number of cases across the state since the start of the pandemic to 5229.

In a statement, NSW Health said investigations were continuing into transmission of the virus between returned travellers who entered Australia on April 3 on the same flight and then stayed in adjacent rooms while in hotel quarantine at the Mercure Hotel on George Street in Sydney’s CBD.

“The investigation has not identified any further cases of transmission to date,” it read.

“The three returned travellers, two of whom are family members, share the same viral sequence for the B1.351 variant of concern, first identified in South Africa.

“They were transferred to the Special Health Accommodation and will remain there until they are no longer infectious.”

NSW authorities are still investigating a COVID-19 transmission between rooms at the Mercure Hotel in Sydney. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Investigations were also continuing into how transmission of COVID-19 occurred between two groups of returned travellers in hotel quarantine at Adina Apartment Hotel at Town Hall in the CBD.

All contacts tested to date have returned negative results.

There were 9986 tests reported to 8pm on Thursday, compared with the previous day’s total of 10,264.

NSW Health administered 3,570 vaccines in the past 24 hours.