Close contacts of Melbourne coronavirus case test negative in Sydney

Two people who were close contacts of virus cases in Melbourne have crossed the border into NSW where urgent testing returned negative results.

Two people who are considered close contacts of positive virus cases from Victoria have tested negative in Sydney.

The two people were alerted by contact tracers they should get tested, NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said.

“As soon as they received a call alerting them to the fact they were close contacts, they immediately contacted NSW Health, we immediately got testing done, and I can confirm that two of those that were contacted last night were negative,” Dr Chant said.

But there could be more people considered as close contacts, she cautioned.

The two people were alerted by contact tracers they should get tested, NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

“There were two that I was aware of, but there were a number of others that had gone to the shopping centre,” Dr Chant said.

“And as you can imagine, a shopping centre could have captured a broader group of people.”

A NSW Health spokeswoman clarified that the two people who tested negative did not attend a shopping centre.

They were associated with other venues of concern in Victoria, although the spokeswoman was not at liberty to say which ones, citing restrictions on commenting on individual cases.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard cautioned NSW residents not to travel to Melbourne at the moment unless it was absolutely necessary.

“It might be wise, it might be precautionary, not to travel to Melbourne or Victoria, but particularly greater Melbourne, until the Victorian government is able to provide further clarity on what is happening,” Mr Hazzard said.

“If you don’t really need to go to greater Melbourne at the moment it might be a good idea just to leave it for a few days until we get some clarity from the Victorian government as to what’s going on.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian held a press conference with community and religious leaders at the vaccination hub at Sydney Olympic Park on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

The NSW Health department has recommended anyone who has been to greater Melbourne or the Bendigo area of Victoria – where two venues of concern have been identified – avoids aged care facilities and health care facilities.

There is an exception for people who have transited through an airport or who would visit a health care or aged care facility for compassionate reasons or for seeking treatment.

Aged care staff who have been in those areas of Victoria in the past two weeks should wear a mask.

Anyone who has been to Victoria since May 12 should regularly check for updates on new venues of concern.

Dr Chant and Mr Hazzard were speaking alongside Premier Gladys Berejiklian and community and religious leaders at the mass vaccination hub at Sydney Olympic Park.

The leaders called a press conference there on Wednesday to continue to urge residents who are eligible for the coronavirus vaccine to get their jabs.

The state health department broke its daily vaccination record on Tuesday, with 13,200 doses administered in the 24 hours to 8pm that night.

Over 5,000 of those were given at Sydney Olympic Park.

The total number of vaccine doses given in NSW so far is 1,142,002, with 770,885 of those having been administered by general practitioners and the rest by NSW Health.

A local coronavirus cluster in Melbourne grew to a total of 15 cases on Wednesday after six new people tested positive.