03 December 2020

NSW Health was notified late last night (2 December 2020) of a new case of COVID-19 in a person who works at a Sydney hotel complex which provides hotel quarantine for returned travellers.

The source of this new infection is under investigation. Urgent genome sequencing is underway to determine whether this is an infection acquired in the community or through work at the hotel quarantine facility. These results are expected in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Five household contacts of the case were identified and all have tested negative for COVID-19. They will self-isolate for 14 days.

Staff who worked at the hotel complex whilst the case was potentially infectious are asked to get tested and self-isolate until updated advice is received from NSW Health.

The relevant dates are:

  • Ibis Hotel Darling Harbour Friday 27 November 2020
  • Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour Saturday 28, Sunday 29, Monday 30 November 2020.

As a precaution, NSW Health is also conducting wider testing of staff at the hotel complex.

The person, who lives in south-western Sydney, travelled from Minto to Central and on the Light Rail from Central to Darling Harbour on a number of occasions whilst potentially infectious. NSW Health will be asking people who travelled on the same services to get tested immediately and self-isolate, until further advised by NSW Health. The route and line details will be provided later today.

NSW Health issued an alert last night regarding a sewage detection in the Riverstone catchment. This case does not reside in that catchment.