Airport glitch triggers virus fears

A technological glitch at Sydney Airport had triggered fears that more than 17 flights were due to arrive from Melbourne on Monday.

A technological glitch at Sydney Airport has sparked concerns over the number of potentially infectious individuals entering New South Wales from Victoria.

Seventeen flights were listed as arriving in Sydney from virus-riddled Melbourne on the airport’s board and on its website, but 14 of those appeared as “cancelled” on Tuesday morning.

There are still three flights scheduled to arrive in Sydney on Tuesday including a Jetstar service landing at 12.25pm, a Virgin Australia flight expected to touch down at 5.55pm, and a Qantas service at 9.10pm.

A Qantas spokesperson told NCA NewsWire it has been operating “minimal” flights between the two cities to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

She said the airline were now working with Sydney Airport to make sure the correct information was appearing online and on the information boards at the airport.

“Qantas has been operating minimal flights between Melbourne and Sydney since border restrictions were introduced,” the company said.

A blunder by Sydney Airport has sparked fears over the number of potentially infectious individuals allowed to enter NSW from Victoria. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

“We are flying five times a week between the two cities and have been doing so for a number of weeks.”

Jetstar told NCA NewsWire it was operating a daily service between Sydney and Melbourne and would continue to do so until the week of August 26 when it would reduce its schedule to just five flights a week between the two cities.

Virgin Australia said it operated one flight per day between Sydney and Melbourne “for the purpose of essential travel only”.

A Sydney Airport spokeswoman confirmed there was an issue where previously deleted flights were showing up as cancelled on the board.

Speaking to NCA NewsWire, former Australian Medical Association head Dr Kerryn Phelps said “we haven’t got very good at quarantining” and raised concerns planes were still arriving in Sydney without adequate screening.

“People are asked to self-isolate in Sydney when they arrive, but we don’t know how many people are actually doing the self-isolating,” she said.

Seventeen flights were listed as arriving in Sydney from virus-riddled Melbourne, but 14 of those appeared as ‘cancelled’ on Tuesday morning. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Bianca De Marchi

“We have this very serious situation in Victoria yet we are letting people get on the plane without having a test first, arriving in Sydney and dispersing into the community,” she said.

“It’s obvious it needs to be tightened up.”

The NSW-Victoria border closed on July 8. Residents from Victoria are now required to have an exemption to cross the border into NSW and then must self-isolate for 14 days.

The same goes for returning NSW residents, but health experts fear authorities are putting too much trust in people to self-isolate.

Dr Phelps also believes the list of exemptions needs to be tightened.

“NSW residents are under the impression it’s a closed border, but it’s not closed at all,” she said.

“There’s no way of knowing someone’s COVID-19 status.”

She expressed concerns for the city’s rideshare drivers and those on the public transport network.

Dr Kerryn Phelps fears not all people can be trusted to self-isolate. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

“They (arrivals from Victoria) need to be tested and receive a negative result before they can travel to NSW. And then they need to wear masks in the airport and masks on transport to keep our workers safe,” Dr Phelps said.

“Just because they’re Australians doesn’t make them any less infectious.

“To an extent we have to rely on individual responsibility, but this is a life-threatening disease that could take off.”

Passengers landing at Sydney Airport are temperature checked and encouraged to catch a taxi or rideshare to their place of quarantine where health authorities will pay random visits.

Victorian residents cannot enter NSW unless they are needed for specific work, on compassionate grounds, for legal obligations, if they’re a member of parliament, or need urgent medical care that cannot be done in Victoria.

Victoria recorded 439 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, a day after the state’s tough stage-four restrictions kicked in.

Twelve cases were recorded in NSW.