States respond after NSW confirms new locally-acquired case of COVID-19

Just hours after NSW health officials revealed a shock new local case of COVID-19, other states were quick to respond.

Health authorities in several jurisdictions have issued advice for residents in response to the shocking news that NSW had recorded a new locally-acquired case of COVID-19.

Advice from the Queensland health department states that anyone who has visited any Sydney hotspot venues at the listed exposure times must quarantine at their home, contact the department and get tested as soon as possible.

Queensland's chief health officer Jeannette Young said it was essential people who may have been exposed to the virus stay home.

BREAKING: New requirements are in place after a person from the eastern suburbs of Sydney tested positive to COVID-19. Find the list of locations here: https://t.co/T0b6Rtiwbipic.twitter.com/byeOVYcUnz

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) May 5, 2021

“NSW Health has already made it clear that anyone who has been to any of those venues should be quarantining and not getting on flights,” Dr Young said.

“We’re working closely with NSW to get a better understanding of the risk associated with this case, so as an interim measure, we’re mirroring NSW Health’s advice.”

She said the department would continue to assess the situation and urged residents to monitor the government website for updates.

The Victorian government also issued advice, declaring all of NSW would remain a ‘green zone’ until more about the new infection was known “including genomic sequencing results”.

That means anyone from anywhere in NSW can travel freely to Victoria but should still apply for a travel permit.

But anyone who is in Victoria and attended an infected venue will be classified as a ‘tier 1’ and must get tested and isolate for the full 14 days.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant updates the media on the new case. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

“Using travel permit data, the department will today message people who have entered VIC from NSW since 30 April,” the Victorian Department of Health said on Twitter.

“Flight manifests have been requested from the National Incident Room. Authorised Officer presence and spot checking will be increased for flights from Sydney.”

SA Health had similar advice, saying anyone who was at a hot spot venue must get tested and isolate.

The man who tested positive is in his 50s and lives in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

He returned a positive result on Wednesday, sparking several venue alerts.

Victoria has launched a number of preliminary and precautionary public health actions in relation to the COVID-19 case in Sydney announced today. [1/5] pic.twitter.com/46sPAapufZ

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) May 5, 2021

NSW Health is now racing to work out how the man caught the disease given he has no links to hotel quarantine, border control or health.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said urgent genomic sequencing was underway.

“All of the usual routes where we would expect someone to have acquired the infection are not clear,” Dr Chant said.

“And that’s why this ... requires us to do that genome sequencing to give us that understanding of where that source of infection was, and then we can work backwards from that.”