Passengers walk to a hotel quarantine bus at Sydney International Airport.
Photographer: James D. Morgan / Getty Images
Photographer: James D. Morgan / Getty Images
Concerns in Australia over the distribution of Covid-19 in quarantine are increasing as it was discovered that three new cases had been transferred among a family of returning travelers to a hotel in Sydney.
The infections, which were initially contracted overseas, are believed to be quarantined by a family of four in an adjoining room in a hotel, New South Wales Health said in a statement on Sunday. The manner in which the transfer took place is being investigated.
“All the guests staying on the same floor of the hotel were tested again and yielded negative results.”
The incident contributes to the debate about possible shortcomings within the hotel quarantine system, given the rise of more contagious strains of the virus. In the new cases, it is also speculated that ventilation systems may contribute to distribution.
Shadow’s Minister of Health and Aging Mark Butler on Sunday called for national standards on quarantine and dedicated facilities to be set up away from the central business districts. Federal and state leaders will meet to strategy on the response to the virus and the explosion of the vaccine Monday.
Total cases in New South Wales since the onset of the pandemic are at 5,187.