Passenger on Melbourne-Sydney Jetstar flight tests positive to Covid
NSW Health authorities are racing to track down passengers who shared a flight with a likely infectious traveller from Victoria.
The passenger travelled on Jetstar Flight JQ510 which left Melbourne bound for Sydney at 11am on September 27.
The passenger tested positive for coronavirus during their second day in hotel quarantine and is believed to have travelled while infectious.
NSW Health says there is no ongoing risk to the public, and the majority of passengers on the flight are already undertaking mandatory hotel quarantine.
“Those deemed close contacts of the case have been advised to immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days and stay isolated for the entire period, even if a negative test result is received,” it said in a statement.
There were 47 passengers on the flight with quarantine exemptions, special permits or who were part of the flight crew.
Queensland to open border to NSW
The border stoush between Queensland and NSW could soon be over, with an end date for restrictions announced as NSW recorded seven days without a locally transmitted case of COVID-19.
Four new coronavirus cases were diagnosed in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday - all returned travellers in hotel quarantine, including one from Victoria.
In the past 10 days, the state has recorded only one new locally acquired case.
NSW's streak of zero community transmission comes as Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday announced NSW residents would soon be able to travel to the Sunshine State without quarantining, with the border set to reopen on November 1.
Ms Palaszczuk said the hard border would lift the day after Queenslanders head to the polls, provided NSW had had no mystery cases of COVID-19 in the previous 28 days.
The announcement follows months of tension between Ms Palaszczuk and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian over the issue.
"It is frustrating for me that WA and Queensland keep lumping us in with Victoria."
"What happened in NSW is not what happened in Victoria. NSW was much closer to what was going on in WA and Queensland,” Ms Berejiklian said.
with AAP
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