The WA Health Department has reported a case of hotel-quarantine acquired COVID-19 today, following confirmation of genome sequencing data.
The Department can confirm the virus was transmitted in hotel quarantine at the Pan Pacific Perth Hotel, as two guests, in rooms next to each other, had the same sequence of virus.
The person to whom the virus was transmitted was previously reported as Case 1018.
The cause of transmission is not yet known and is subject to further investigations. The Pan Pacific Perth Hotel has previously advised WA Health that its rooms are negative pressure.
The Public Health team has taken immediate action to ensure that the transmission has not spread further at the hotel.
This includes additional precautionary testing of guests and reviewing testing results of security guards who worked on the floor since the date of infection.
The 12 people in the rooms on the same floor but not near Case 1017 are all asymptomatic and were negative on Day 13. All have now left the quarantine facility and will be tested 3 and 7 days after leaving. Public Health is in daily contact with these guests.
WA Chief Health Officer Dr Andrew Robertson said there is no public health benefit in testing them earlier than planned.
“A further three people (family) who were in a room opposite Case 1018 are asymptomatic and have tested negative. They remain in quarantine and have been moved to an alternate room. They will be retested at Day 17 and Day 21,” he said.
“We are still exploring the best options for their management.”
The State Health Incident Coordination Centre (SHICC) has been proactively developing and implementing protocols for guest room allocations to limit the risk of transmission to guests, hotel quarantine workers and ultimately, the community.
Public Health has confirmed that all security guards who worked on the floor since the date of infection have tested negative in the last four days and continue to follow the daily testing schedule, noting they are all vaccinated.
Staff continue to undergo an oral swab daily and must undertake a nasopharyngeal PCR test every seven days.
All Quarantine Centre workers are required to wear level 2 surgical masks and protective eyewear, at all times in high risk areas (any place guests are accommodated or when guests enter/exit hotels) and are vaccinated.
ENDS
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