Coronavirus: Genomic sequencing shows Sydney’s northern beaches cluster linked to United States

The northern beaches outbreak has been traced back to an international strain, and was likely from the United States.

The NSW Premier has confirmed Sydney’s northern beaches cluster is linked to an international strain – likely from the United States.

Health authorities are now racing to determine how a couple living in the northern beaches became infected, with the virus spreading through the northern suburbs.

There are now 28 cases linked to the northern beaches outbreak.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said genomic sequencing showed that the virus was very close, in terms of the genomic sequence, to that which infected a US traveller who arrived in Australia on December 1.

He said that person had entered into hotel quarantine. That person later became ill and tested positive.

“The work is continuing to establish what that person’s connection may have been. There may be intermediaries, we don’t know if it is one, two, these are difficult issues for the (contact) tracers to work through but they are doing what they do and if we get more information we will let you know,” he said.

Gladys Berejiklian said it is not yet known how residents became infected and whether the virus was transmitted from international airline crew, someone staying in hotel quarantine, or otherwise.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the northern beaches cluster is linked to an international coronavirus strain. Picture: Joel Carrett/NCA NewsWire

“We know the original source is an international source … it’s an international strain,” she said on breakfast television.

“It could have been someone in quarantine, it could have been someone else.

“But obviously we are yet to work out how it got from the international source to the community: whether it was through quarantine or other sources.

“That's really the challenge for our genomic experts at the moment.”

She said it is likely more cases will be revealed later today as northern beaches residents flock to testing centres.

The last time NSW had 17 local cases was September 2.