By Jenny Noyes
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Urgent genomic testing has begun to determine whether two international flight passengers who tested positive to COVID-19 after arriving in Sydney on Saturday night are carrying the new Omicron variant of concern.
Fourteen of the passengers of the Qatar Airways flight from Doha, which arrived about 7pm on Saturday, are from the nine southern African countries affected by the new COVID-19 strain.
Sydney Airport arrivals from southern Africa have tested positive to COVID-19 amid concerns about the new Omicron variant. Credit:Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg
In a statement on Sunday morning, NSW Health confirmed testing on arrival at Sydney Airport identified two of the passengers have COVID-19, and urgent genomic sequencing is being carried out to determine whether they are infected by the new Omicron B.1.1.529 variant.
The passengers with COVID-19 were transported to a special health facility where they will undertake 14 days of quarantine.
“Other passengers on the flight may be considered a close contact and will be contacted and requested to get tested immediately, and isolate for 14 days in accordance with a public health order,” the statement from NSW Health said.
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