New South Wales records seven new COVID-19 cases as it's revealed an infected Sydney quarantine hotel guard caught coronavirus from a US traveller before hitting a busy market
- New South Wales has announced seven new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday
- Two cases were from hotel quarantine - one from overseas and one from Victoria
- Four were from community transmission, including a hotel security guard
- Health investigators are looking at out how the guard contracted the virus
- Dr Kerry Chant said there was no obvious point of contact between travellers
Health investigators are still trying to figure out how a security guard contracted COVID-19 while working at a Sydney quarantine hotel.
The guard was one of seven new coronavirus cases announced on Wednesday in New South Wales.
Of the new cases, two were from hotel quarantine - one from overseas and one from Victoria - and four were from community transmission.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the security contractor became infected from two females travellers who had returned from the US.
The women had been staying in a room on the same floor the guard had worked on.
Dr Chant said it was still unclear out how transmission occurred.
She said after viewing the security tapes there was no obvious point of contact between the guard and the travellers.
The security guard worked at the five-star Marriott Hotel in Circular Quay on August 3, 4, 7 and 8 as part of Australia's hotel quarantine program
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there was concern that the virus may have been transferred from a surface
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The two travellers were taken to hospital on August 5.
Health investigators are trying to figure out if there was an overlap between the travellers and the guard.
Dr Chant said they would also be looking at whether there could be a third case involved.
'We have reviewed CCTV footage at the times of overlap, and there’s no clear answer as to how transmission occurred.'
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there was concern that the virus may have been transferred from a surface.
She said it was a 'miracle' a similar kind of transmission had not occurred sooner.
The guard worked shifts at the Sydney Markets at Flemington on August 9 between 8am and 4pm last Sunday while infectious, sparking calls to stop hotel guards working at various locations.
Ms Berejiklian said the guard had done nothing wrong in how he acted once becoming infectious.
'The key message here, is no matter what job you have, as soon as you feel any symptom, you should go home and isolate for 14 days and that is what this guard did for 14 days … there’s no indication he ever did the wrong thing.'
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant (pictured) said the security contractor 'most probably' became infected after coming into contact with a return traveller from the US
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said community transmission was concerning (Pictured: People wearing face masks out shopping in the CBD in Sydney)
She said it was also concerning that there were cases with no known source, indicating 'chains of transmission' spreading through south western and western Sydney.
Of the new cases, one is a close contact of a previously reported case with no known source.
Dr Chant urged anyone with minor symptoms to get tested.
'We urge you to come out on day one of symptoms, however minimal these symptoms are,' Dr Chant said.
There have been 3,777 COVID cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic.
There are eight patients in ICU, five of whom are ventilated.
Of the seven new cases, five were local transmissions, sparking calls for vigilance (Pictured: People wearing face masks out shopping in the CBD)
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