Baffling Covid hotel quarantine case

Health officials revealed they were investigating the source of a coronavirus case in hotel quarantine that was a direct viral match to two cases in an adjacent room on the fourth floor at the Radisson Blu.Genomic sequencing demonstrated all three cases had identical viral sequences of the Alpha strain (B.1.1.7).The trio all arrived on the same flight from Doha on June 1 before the asymptomatic couple tested positive on their day 2 test.On the same day, the third returned traveller tested negative but then developed symptoms and tested positive on June 5.All three cases were transferred to the Special Health Accommodation at Camperdown in Sydney’s inner west.NSW Health officials have four lines of inquiry as to how all three contracted the same Covid-19 strain.“Early possibilities as to where transmission may have occurred from the couple to the secondary case include on the flight, on transport from the airport to the hotel, in the lobby of the hotel or while in quarantine,” a NSW Health statement read.There is no evidence of further transmission from guests in the Radisson Blu.But all guests on the fourth floor between June 1 and 5 were discharged from hotel quarantine and allowed to isolate at home to prevent further transmission.“While the investigations into the transmission continue, out of an abundance of caution, all returned travellers who were on the same floor of the Radisson Blu hotel between June 1 and June 5 and were subsequently discharged are being contacted and asked to get tested and isolate at home pending further advice from NSW Health,” the statement read.“NSW Health has also asked all staff who worked on the fourth floor between June 1 and June 5 to get tested and isolate pending further advice from NSW Health.“All staff working in NSW quarantine hotels undertake regular rapid saliva testing as part of Covid-19 surveillance testing.”