More than 170 passengers and crew have been forced into self-isolation after two international arrivals boarded a domestic flight from Sydney to Melbourne instead of going into hotel quarantine.
The German travellers managed to land in Sydney and fly straight to Melbourne on Saturday afternoon.
They have since tested negative to the coronavirus, but all passengers from Virgin flight VA838 which landed in Melbourne at 1.25pm have been told to self-isolate at home.
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said the 176 people on board the flight would have to self-isolate until the German travellers’ next tests, provided they return another negative result.
Another five people who came spoke to the German arrivals at Melbourne Airport are also required to self-isolate, while those who were at domestic terminal three on Saturday are being asked to monitor for even the mildest symptoms.
Premier Daniel Andrews welcomed NSW’s commitment to an investigation.
“No doubt they’ll get to the bottom of what’s happened, but there’ll be learnings there for all of us and we can all make sure that the systems we have in place are as robust as possible,” Mr Andrews told reporters on Sunday.
He said the two people were returned travellers, and “the first – albeit inadvertent – occupants of Victoria’s reset hotel quarantine system”.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said there were multiple layers of containment within the quarantine and border system.
“Ultimately these passengers have been picked up in those rings of containment,” Mr Hunt told Sky News’ Sunday Agenda program.
“Frankly, we want to make sure every ring is impregnable so we have asked the Border Force commissioner to work with NSW on understanding the circumstances.”
NSW Police has confirmed they are investigating the matter, while Border Force has suggested NSW authorities are responsible for the bungle.
“These passengers met all customs and immigration requirements,” the ABF said in a statement on Sunday.
“From that point the responsibility for passengers passed to state and territory authorities for hotel quarantine and onwards domestic travel if relevant.
Mr Andrews announced a loosening of mask rules and social gathering caps on Sunday as the state moves to a period long referred to as “COVID normal”.
NSW and Victoria both went another day without any cases of locally-transmitted coronavirus on Sunday, but Mr Andrews served a stern warning.
“This thing is not done. It is not over, it can come back,” he said.
“While today we can take some big steps, not to normal, but to a COVID-safe summer, we all need to remain vigilant and we all need to play our part.”
Mr Andrews confirmed that masks must still be carried at all times and worn on public transport and at indoor shopping centres and crowded places.
But from midnight on Sunday, Melburnians should use their judgment as to when masks are needed in instances where 1.5-metre social distancing can’t be achieved.
Melbourne households will also be able to receive 30 visitors a day from multiple other homes. The premier also announced easing workplace restrictions from early 2021.
Western Australia remains the only state with a question mark over its border, as Premier Mark McGowan has yet to decide whether he will reopen to NSW residents as scheduled.
WA remains on track to open up to Victoria from Tuesday, dropping the 14-day requirement for travel from that state.
But a decision on whether the NSW border will reopen from the same date won’t be made until Monday when further information is available on a Sydney quarantine hotel cleaner’s infection.
It comes despite genome sequencing revealing the woman contracted the virus at work, rather than in the community.
Travellers from NSW and Victoria have been blocked from entering WA for almost nine months unless they went into quarantine and, until recently, secured exemptions.
NSW had almost reached 30 days without a locally transmitted case when the quarantine hotel cleaner’s case was confirmed, raising concerns she contracted it in the community.
But NSW Health on Saturday said the infection was likely linked to her workplace, with viral genome sequencing pointing to US origin.
With reporting by Jodie Stephens.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your jurisdiction’s restrictions on gathering limits.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
