Passengers have packed Sydney Airport as the state's Covid-19 cluster continues to grow. Screenshot / Channel 9
Passengers have packed Sydney Airport as the state's Covid-19 cluster continues to grow. Screenshot / Channel 9
An international airline crew has been fined A$13,000 ($13,800) after they breached self-isolation restrictions in Australia.
NSW Police learned that a crew member who had arrived in Sydney from South America on December 5 had left his accommodation in the suburb of Mascot, breaching Covid-19 public health directions.
Officers went to the hotel at 9.30pm that day before speaking with the management and other crew members.
"It will be alleged several crew members left the hotel and attended nearby businesses at Mascot," police said.
Officers fined 13 crew members A$1000 each for ignoring coronavirus restrictions.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian admitted the state was struggling with "disobedience" from international air crew before the state cracked down.
During today's press conference, Berejiklian revealed a crew member ignored isolation rules several weeks ago and visited multiple venues across Sydney.
Sydney's Bondi Beach in April. Photo / AP
"Fortunately that doesn't seem to have amounted to anything and was not subject to any consideration at this stage but that is an example a few weekends ago when air crew are supposed to isolate and chose not to.
"Since that time we have worked with authorities about how we can manage it and with airlines to how we can manage it. It is a very complex set of circumstances."
NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant later said the entire air crew were tested after the breach and all were negative for coronavirus.
The matter was also referred to NSW Police.
The NSW government has announced it was cracking down on international airline workers.
From Tuesday, international aircrew landing in Sydney will be put into police-managed hotel quarantine after a number of leaks.
Berejiklian said the previous arrangement allowed aircrew to stay at more than 25 hotels across Sydney.
Sydney outbreak worsens
Sydney's Covid-19 cluster on the northern beaches rose to 28 cases today, with 10 more infections confirmed since 8pm last night.
The links of two cases are under urgent investigation. Genome sequencing of one cluster has revealed the virus does not match the strains seen in recent outbreaks in Australia. Authorities believe the virus is likely of overseas origin and possibly came from the US.
NSW's chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, has asked northern beaches residents to give authorities time to track down all the new coronavirus cases by staying home and only going out when necessary.
Chant said Sydneysiders outside of the northern beaches area shouldn't see themselves as risk-free.
"At this point, we don't know how the spread occurred so there is some missing people there. Those missing people, whether one, or two, could have set up other chains of transmission."
