Coronavirus: Sydney Westfield shoppers alerted with nine cases in NSW
Shoppers in Greater Western Sydney have been asked to get tested for coronavirus after an infected person visited a Westfield in Mt Druitt.
NSW Health has issued an alert for people who visited Westfield Mt Druitt on Wednesday, August 12 between 12pm and 12.30pm, and Friday, August 14, between 11am and 12pm.
People have been asked to monitor for symptoms and if they occur, immediately get tested and isolate.
It comes as NSW reports nine new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,792.
"While case numbers have remained low this week, the virus continues to circulate in the community and vigilance must be maintained," NSW Health's Dr Jeremy McAnulty said.
The nine new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday come from almost 31,000 tests and include two cases still under investigation.
One case is a household contact of a previously-reported case connected to Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook, which is set to reopen its doors on Monday.
Another of today’s cases attended a Cabramatta Family Practice on John St Cabramatta on August 20. The practice is currently closed for cleaning and everyone at the facility at the time is being contacted.
Two cases from today are contacts of a case connected to the Sydney funeral cluster.
Second hotel security guard tests positive
A second security guard who worked at the Marriott Hotel at Sydney’s Circular Quay has tested positive following an earlier case detected in a worker on August 18.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said on Saturday out of more than 700 people tested as a result of the initial investigation, all but one more security guard had returned a negative test.
The case was confirmed on Friday about midnight, with the individual working shifts at the hotel on August 3, 5, 9, 10 and 11 – working with the infectious guard on August 3 only.
The latest guard to test positive also worked at the Sheriton Grand in Hyde Park on the night of August 16.
Dr Chant said authorities were not sure if the guard was infectious on the latest occasion as his swab had returned only small traces of the virus.
Further tests are being carried out to determine when exactly he was infectious and if his case can be linked to any known clusters.
Four close contacts of the man are being managed in a health hotel quarantine facility, Dr Chant said.
Following the news a second hotel quarantine security guard had tested positive, Australia's Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said “mistakes happen”.
“Wearing personal protective equipment is not something that security guards are necessarily used to or potentially good at,” Prof Kelly told media on Saturday.
“It's very easy to make a slip-up in relation to personal protective [equipment]... even for a well-trained health worker and we have seen healthcare worker outbreaks.”
Prof Kelly said an independent review of several hotels was being completed by Jane Halton, the ex- secretary of the Department of Health.
“She has already been to Sydney and Brisbane, at least, possibly other places now. We are getting regular reports from Jane and she is very closely looking at the hotel quarantine arrangements in all of the states,” he said.
“While this was not fortunate with that particular security guard, my understanding from NSW is there has been no further people who have been infected through that process.”
with AAP
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
