Urgent genomic testing is underway to determine if COVID-positive passengers who have arrived in Sydney from southern Africa are carrying the Omicron variant.
Australian states and territories yesterday reinstated border rules in response to the new Omicron strain, which was first identified in southern Africa and has since been detected in several countries around the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Omicron as a “variant of concern” due to fears about its infectiousness and the possibility it could be resistant to vaccines.
NSW Health confirmed 14 passengers who arrived in Sydney yesterday were from the southern African countries affected by the new border rules: South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Malawi, and the Seychelles.
Two of them, who arrived on Qatar Airways QR908 from Doha to Sydney around 7pm on Saturday, tested positive to COVID-19 on arrival.
Their samples are now being analysed to work out which strain they are carrying, with results expected this evening.
The passengers were transported to Special Health Accommodation (SHA) where they will undergo 14 days of quarantine.
NSW Health said other passengers on the flight could be considered close contacts and would be contacted to get tested immediately, as well as isolate for two weeks.
Authorities in the NT are also running tests on a COVID-positive traveller from South Africa who is currently in quarantine in Howard Springs.
No Omicron cases have so far been detected in Australia.But the strain has already spread around the world, with cases detected in the UK, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel.
Although fully vaccinated international arrivals had been exempt from isolation upon arrival in NSW, the rules were tightened on Saturday for travellers from southern Africa.
Any international arrivals into Victoria and NSW are now required to self-isolate for at least 72 hours, regardless of vaccination status.
It is less than a month since NSW completely removed all quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated international arrivals. Victoria and the ACT had followed suit, effectively opening the international border to half of the country from the start of November.
“The emergence of this new variant reinforces the critical importance of all fully vaccinated travellers who return from overseas complying with the NSW Health guidelines,” NSW Health said in a statement.
“There are requirements to be tested and restrictions on attending certain high-risk premises.”
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