A second hotel quarantine worker in Victoria has tested positive for coronavirus, health officials say.
The woman worked at Melbourne Airport’s Holiday Inn on Sunday morning before developing systems.
She was tested and returned a positive result. She had earlier returned a negative test at the end of her shift on Thursday.
Authorities were contacting Holiday Inn airport workers and other primary close contacts, who have been told to immediately isolate, get tested and remain isolated for 14 days.
Public health teams early on Monday morning identified Marciano’s Cakes in Maidstone, Dan Murphy’s in Sunshine and Off Ya Tree Watergardens in Taylors Lakes as exposure sites.
Thousands of tennis fans had been expected to swarm Melbourne Park for the opening day of the Australian Open on Monday.
No new cases have been detected among a Grand Hyatt hotel quarantine worker’s close contacts since he tested positive on Wednesday.
The Grand Hyatt was one of three hotels used as part of the Open’s quarantine program and the breach forced more than 500 tennis players and their entourage to isolate as casual contacts of the infected worker. All eventually tested negative and were released.
In New South Wales, a precautionary health alert has been issued for a Sydney cafe and venues in the Wollongong area after a returned traveller tested positive for Covid-19 following their 14-day quarantine period.
Shops, a cafe and a hotel are among the venues where those who visited at around the same time should get tested immediately and self-isolate, NSW Health said in a statement on Sunday night.
The person tested positive on the 16th day after arriving, having returned two negative tests during their 14-day quarantine period, the department said.
“Test results indicate that the person has a low level of infection and their household contacts have returned negative results to date.
“Investigations to date suggest the infection was likely acquired overseas and there is no indication at this stage that there was transmission in the hotel quarantine setting.”
It comes as NSW introduces non-compulsory “day 16” testing for overseas travellers in a bid to pick up cases that might develop at the tail end of the 14-day incubation period.
South Australia said it would consider adopting NSW’s approach, while Victoria is also encouraging released returned travellers to take the extra test.
Close contacts of the case are in self-isolation and are not associated with the venues of concern, NSW Health said.
NSW had clocked up its third week of no locally acquired cases of coronavirus earlier on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Sydney businesses have been busted for not using the NSW government-mandated QR code app, more than a month after it became a legal requirement.
A restaurant at Canley Vale in the city’s southwest was one of nine businesses fined as part of police compliance checks on Saturday night.
NSW Police said the most common breaches identified among all the venues were failing to sign customers in via the Services NSW QR code app and not completing a COVID-19 Safety Plan.
As of 1 January, it was mandatory for hospitality venues and hairdressers in NSW to use the government’s QR code system to electronically register customers to aid contact-tracing efforts.
The Canley Vale restaurant was issued a $5,000 fine, while the other eight businesses were slapped with $1,000 penalty notices.
Police are asking the public to dob in suspected breaches of any ministerial direction or behaviour that could jeopardise public health and safety.
