Passengers walk to a quarantine bus from a hotel at Sydney International Airport.
Photographer: James D. Morgan / Getty Images
Photographer: James D. Morgan / Getty Images
Concerns in Australia about the spread of Covid-19 in quarantine are growing as it was discovered that three new cases among a family of returning travelers had been transferred at a Sydney hotel.
The infections, initially registered as contracted abroad, are now believed to have been picked up by a family of four in an adjoining room at a quarantine hotel in the city, New South Wales Health said in a statement Sunday. Investigations into how the transfer took place is ongoing, he said.
“All guests staying on the same floor of the hotel have been retested and returned negative results,” and staff working in the area isolate themselves and are being tested, New South Wales Health said.
The incident adds to the discussion of possible shortcomings within the hotel’s quarantine system, given the rise of more contagious strains of the virus. The new cases also fuel speculation that ventilation systems may contribute to spread.
Shadow Minister of Health and Aging Mark Butler on Sunday called for national quarantine standards and for special facilities to be set up outside the central business districts. Federal and state leaders will meet devise a strategy for the response to the virus and the rollout of the vaccine on Monday.
The total number of cases in New South Wales since the start of the pandemic stands at 5,187.