New South Wales’ 55-Day COVID-Free Streak Ends After Quarantine Hotel Worker Tests Positive

New South Wales’ 55-Day COVID-Free Streak Ends After Quarantine Hotel Worker Tests Positive.

A SECURITY guard, who worked at two quarantine hotels in Sydney and had had the first of two Pfizer vaccine shots, ends NSW’s record 55-day streak of zero COVID-cases after testing positive for the coronavirus.

The 47-year-old, who had received the first dose of the vaccine on March 2, also worked in an office as well as the Sofitel Wentworth in the Sydney CBD and the Mantra Sydney Central in Haymarket.

Despite having received the first dose of the vaccine, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said: “we wouldn’t have expected his immune system to kick in for 12 to 14 days or potentially longer, and then the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine gives further enhancement to that immune response”. The guard’s second jab was due in about a week.

Dr Chant said a “possible working hypothesis” about the source of the hotel workers infection was a traveller at the Sofitel on March 6 but NSW Health was keeping “a very open mind”.

The hotel worker was said to be infectious during a night shift at the Mantra, however, according to Dr Chant, none of his household contacts had so far tested positive for COVID-19.

NSW Health issued alerts for a number of venues the man attended, including an aquatic centre, restaurants and a hospital cafe. In total, 130 potential contacts of the guard who worked from 7pm on Friday, March 12, to 7am on Saturday, March 13, had been contacted and authorities have asked them to isolate and get tested.