NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed there have been no further locally acquired COVID-19 cases after a security guard who worked at two Sydney quarantine hotels tested positive yesterday.
Ms Berejiklian said more than 8,000 people were tested on Sunday.
The Premier said she was concerned the security guard who worked at the Mantra Sydney Central and the Sofitel Wentworth had acquired the virus but not surprised.
"Pleasingly to date there is no evidence of widespread transmission but of course we know how dangerous the various strains of the virus can be so [NSW] Health is doing everything they can to make sure we stay on top of it," she said.
Chief health officer Kerry Chant said genomic sequencing had revealed the man was a match with an infected traveller staying on the 11th floor of the Sofitel and both have acquired the more infectious UK strain of the virus.
Dr Chant said it still wasn't known how the security guard contracted the virus as the return traveller had not even opened his hotel door while the guard was on shift.
"This investigation has some uncertainties as to the exact mechanism of transmission and obviously I'd be a lot more comfortable if I knew that specifically so we are keeping our options open and exploring a range of possibilities," Dr Chant said.
The man's co-workers at the Sofitel and Mantra must get tested as health authorities want to rule out the possibility that a colleague passed the virus on to the guard, Dr Chant said.
ABC News: Joel Carrett
)She said CCTV in the hotel showed the guard had demonstrated "exemplary" adherence to all health procedures while working and was wearing a face mask for the entire shift.
All travellers staying on the 11th floor will be re-tested today and must remain in quarantine until March 23.
The security guard had received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine before becoming infected and Dr Chant said blood tests yesterday showed his body had already had some response to the vaccine.
As well as working in the hotel quarantine program, the 47-year-old security guard worked in a building management role at the Highpoint Apartment Towers at Hurstville in Sydney's south.
"But I would want to assure residents that this gentleman did not have any close or casual contact with any residents in that apartment complex," Dr Chant said.
As the man was not symptomatic, he attended six venues while unknowingly infectious.
Only one venue, Pancakes on The Rocks in Beverley Hills, has identified close contacts though, with about 40 people (both customers and staff) needing to isolate for 14 days.
More to come.
NSW records zero local COVID-19 cases following hotel security guard infection - ABC News
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