Employee at Balmain Woolworths tests positive for COVID-19

The Woolworths employee flew into Melbourne from Bangladesh on June 11 and tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) on his 4th day in hotel quarantine, chief health officer Kerry Chant said.

The man was assessed on day 10 of his quarantine period and let out on day 14. he flew into Sydney on June 26 and worked two shifts at Balmain Woolworths on June 28 and 28. His manager noticed he had symptoms and sent him to get tested, which came back positive overnight, Dr Chant said.

There is some confusion as to whether he was symptomatic at the time. There was some suggestion that he had told Victorian authorities his symptoms had subsided, but he told NSW Health authorities he had persisting symptoms.

Mr Hazzard said it was still uncertain what the chain of events was that led to the man returning to Sydney, but asked the Balmain community to get tested if they develop symptoms.

The man was one of eight new coronavirus cases — all returned travellers in hotel quarantine, taking the state total to 3211.

Dr Chant said he was probably “low-level infectious” and the Balmain store was undergoing a deep clean and a large number of his coworkers have been self isolated.

“We are acting at this moment for the abundance of caution,” she said. "It may be subsequently concluded that he is not infectious."

A woman who was symptomatic when she took a train from Melborune to Sydney while still waiting on the results of her COVID-19 test has been quaratined and NSW Health is awaiting her test results.

"Our health staff found somebody with symptoms, who had actually been tested in Victoria, and then got on the train and came to Sydney," Mr Hazzard said. "Now, that's about as silly as it gets."

It is unclear whether the woman breached a new Public Health Order banning people from Melbourne's hotspots from entering NSW under penalty of an $11,000 fine and six months' jail time as she may have boarded the train before the order came into effect at midnight.

The five residents of Melbourne hotspots who flew into Sydney this morning were detected amid a security blitz at NSW airports as NSW Police enforced a new Pubic Health Order.

Police officers and NSW Health personnel were checking the identification of passengers landing at all NSW airports from Melbourne to ascertain if they have breached the new public health order barring their entry.

Mr Hazzard said he has asked the Victorian government to started screening people at Melbourne airports and train stations ot ensure people from outbreak areas weren't attempting to travel to NSW.

“It would help greatly,” he said.

Mr Hazzard repeated his warning to Victorians from hotspots to stay away from NSW.

“Don't come, you run the risk of an $11,000 fine, and six months in jail,” Mr Hazzard said.

NSW residents who visit the Melbourne suburbs under lockdown must self-isolate for 14 days on their return or face the same penalties.

But Mr Hazzard said the state border would not be closed to people from Victoria who do not live in the hotspots.

“NSW remains committed to keeping our borders open,” he said.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Victorians from outside the hotspots are welcome to travel to NSW.

“We also have to assume that the restrictions that Victoria is putting in place … will actually work and then people in those communities will stick to the rules,” Ms Berejiklian said.

The premier said she had no doubt that NSW would get another spike in COVID-19 cases during the course of the pandemic.

“This could very well happen in NSW," she said referring to Victoria's outbreaks. "Please know that we are coming down hard on individuals and businesses to make sure everybody does the right thing, and I've got confidence that NSW citizens will continue to do that.”

NSW has one COVID-19 patients being treated in intensive care and 68 cases being treated by NSW Health in hospital or via the hospital-in-the-home scheme.