NSW Requires Anyone Who Has Been at Melbourne Airport During a Ten-Hour Period to Isolate

Melbourne's Holiday Inn COVID-19 cluster continues to grow, with 13 cases linked to the outbreak as of 11pm on Thursday, February 11 — and it's starting to have an effect beyond Victoria's borders. In a new public alert issued today, Friday, February 12, NSW Health has advised that some folks who've arrived in the state this week will immediately need to go into isolation, get tested, and then remain in self-quarantine for 14 days regardless of the result.

Last night, Victorian authorities added Brunetti, at Terminal 4 in Melbourne Airport, to their exposure list. The airport cafe was visited by a positive case on Tuesday, February 9 between 4.45am–1.15pm. Victoria issued an isolation and testing mandate overnight, so NSW is now following suit. It's broadening the requirements, however, both in terms of location and timing.

Accordingly, anyone currently in NSW who was at Melbourne Airport's Terminal 4 between 4.45am–2pm on Tuesday, February 9 will need to self-quarantine, get a test, and keep in isolation for a fortnight. It doesn't matter where in the terminal you were, or for how long you were there during that period — the requirement still applies.

If someone you live with falls into the above category, you'll also need to go into isolation immediately. You'll only have to stay there, though, until the person in your household who has been at Melbourne Airport receives a negative result.

And, NSW Health has also advised that anyone who was at Melbourne Airport at all on Sunday, February 7 and Monday, February 8 must also get tested straight away. That applies to all terminals, and all day on both of those two dates. After your test, you'll need to stay in self-quarantine until a negative result comes back.

NSW authorities expect that today's health alert will impact around 7000 people, with NSW Health currently in the process of contacting folks who've entered the state from Victoria from February 7–9.

NSW residents are also asked to keep an eye on Victoria's full rundown of exposure sites, which can be found at the Victorian Government Department of Health website. If you've been to one of the venues listed at the dates and times specified, you're asked to get tested, isolate, and obtain further advice by calling your local NSW Public Health Unit.

Victoria had previously been 28 days without any new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, before a hotel quarantine worker at the Grand Hyatt Hotel tested positive to the virus on Wednesday, February 3. Just four days later, a second hotel quarantine worker, this time at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport also tested positive.

For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. For further details on the latest exposure Victorian sites, see the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website.