Victorian health authorities say 152 primary close contacts identified in connection to Covid Virgin flight

Authorities have revealed the number of Virgin workers deemed close contacts after a cabin crew member worked while infectious.

More than 150 people connected to a Virgin Australia cabin crew member who tested positive for Covid-19 after flying between major cities on the east coast have been identified as primary close contacts.

The airline said the Sydney-based flight attendant worked on five services while potentially infectious on June 25 and 26.

Virgin said the crew member was a close contact of another Sydney case but did not know that while they were flying.

Victorian Covid-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said health authorities had identified 152 Virgin staff connected to the positive case.

“Obviously, some on the plane, ground crew, and other people in the Virgin crew bubbles,” he told reporters on Monday.

“We‘re working through with Virgin on where those staff are.

“Some negative test results are already starting to come through and we’re confident we’ll continue to support that over the coming days.”

More than 150 people in connection to a Virgin Australia flight have been identified as primary close contacts. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The flights the crew member worked on were:

Friday (25 June):

• VA939 Sydney — Brisbane

• VA334 Brisbane — Melbourne

Saturday (26 June):

• VA827 Melbourne — Sydney

• VA517 Sydney — Gold Coast

• VA524 Gold Coast — Sydney

Mr Weimar said there were 94 passengers on the Melbourne affected flight.

“All of them have been contacted and we‘re working through with them on their test results,” he said.

“Over a third of them are already returned back to interstate, so they’re no longer here in Victoria.

“We’ll continue to support the remainder to complete their isolation and testing protocols.”

Mr Weimar also explained the Holiday Inn Express Southbank was listed as an exposure site after the Virgin aircrew stayed there when they touched down in Melbourne on Friday night.

Victoria recorded zero new local cases of Covid-19 on Monday as Premier Daniel Andrews returned to work after being off on sick leave when he fell and injured his back in March.

The Department of Health confirmed zero new locally acquired cases of coronavirus were recorded by authorities in the past 24 hours.

Two cases, both acquired overseas, were recorded in hotel quarantine.