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Covid-infected airport worker cleaned planes headed for Australia

There is growing concern coronavirus could have travelled on a plane to Australia after a New Zealand airport worker cleaned an aircraft while infected with the virus.

The employee was believed to have contracted Covid-19 from a passenger returning from Ethiopia before helping clean several planes, including some heading to Australia on Monday, New Zealand director of public health Caroline McElnay said on Wednesday.

Testing undertaken after the cleaner's positive result on Tuesday revealed they shared the same viral genome sequence as the passenger, who arrived in New Zealand on April 10.

Tail of an Air New Zealand plane.
A New Zealand airport worker cleaned a plane bound for Australia while infected with Covid-19. Source: Getty Images

The cleaner worked three shifts during their infectious period, according to the New Zealand Herald, but Ms McElnay was confident they did not pose a significant risk to passengers leaving the country.

“The person wore full PPE while cleaning and we have been in touch with Australian authorities to notify them about this case,” Ms McElnay said.

“Our assessment is that there is no additional risk to any passengers who travelled on those flights cleaned by the infected person.”

The cleaner reportedly had received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Subsequent testing of close contacts has yet to reveal any further cases.

The individual has been shifted into a quarantine facility, according to the publication.

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