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Infected NSW hotel quarantine worker caught busy public transport

A female who worked at the Ibis Darling Harbour has tested positive.

A female who worked at the Ibis Darling Harbour has tested positive. Photo: AAP

A woman who works at a Sydney quarantine hotel has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he was notified of the new case early on Thursday.

“She worked at the Novotel and the Ibis at Darling Harbour. One of those is a police quarantine hotel,” he told Seven’s Sunrise program.

“The good news is her five family members were tested overnight and they are all negative, so that is a good outcome.”

The woman’s family members were all in quarantine on Thursday morning. Other staff at at the hotels are also being tested for the virus.

NSW Health has asked anyone who worked at the Ibis last Friday or at the Novotel on Saturday, Sunday or Monday to monitor for symptoms, self-isolate and get tested.

The woman travelled to work by train from Minto to Central, and then used the light rail to get to Darling Harbour. Anyone who travelled on the same lines is also urged to monitor for virus symptoms.

“To anybody who was using that particular railway line or the light rail, please look out for symptoms, get tested, and listen to the advice from NSW Health until the results are through,” Mr Hazzard said.

“And just do what you have been doing. Our community in NSW has been phenomenal for the past 10 months.”

The news comes a day after NSW recorded 25 straight days without a single COVID-19 case in the community and Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced a swathe of social restrictions would ease from Monday.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said on Wednesday she believed the state had “probably virtually eliminated” community transmission of the virus.

Ms Berejiklian said she anticipated there would be more cases. Mr Hazzard agreed – “because we are in a pandemic”.

“What we have done is open up NSW in a way that is probably world-leading at the present time. I think we have led the way in Australia,” he said.

Mr Hazzard said he did not expect Thursday’s positive case to affect the plans to wind back virus measures in NSW.

NSW Health also wants people in Sydney’s north-west to get tested for the virus if they have even mild symptoms after traces of the coronavirus were detected at a sewage plant in Riverstone.

Fragments of the virus were detected in samples taken on Sunday from the sewerage system that drains parts of Riverstone, Vineyard, Marsden Park, Shanes Park, Quakers Hill, Oakville, Box Hill, The Ponds, Rouse Hill, Nelson, Schofields and Colebee.

Detection of the virus in sewage samples might also reflect the presence of known cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in recent weeks in the area.

However, NSW Health is concerned there could be other active cases in the local community in people who have not been tested.

Victoria’s clean slate continues

Victoria confirmed another day without any new coronavirus infections on Thursday.

There were some worrying moments for many in the community, with state health authorities delaying their release of the daily data. Even chief health officer Brett Sutton was apparently a bit concerned.

Thursday’s clean slate came from more than 10,000 tests across Victoria.

The state resumes taking returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine on December 7.

On December 6, Premier Daniel Andrews will announce what remaining virus rules will be wound back. He has signalled it is likely to be his last major announcement as Victoria heads into a “COVID-normal” summer.

-with AAP

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