Qantas passengers still waiting to get tested five days after flight with COVID-19 case

Dozens of travellers are yet to be tested for coronavirus, five days after flying to Melbourne with an infected passenger.

A file photo of a Qantas plane.

A file photo of a Qantas plane. Source: AAP

Some Qantas passengers are still waiting to be tested for COVID-19 five days after flying to Melbourne with an infected traveller.

A 45-year-old Burwood man who picked up the virus in hotel quarantine in Western Australia flew on QF778 from Perth on Wednesday.

Of the 241 other passengers, 156 have so far tested negative as Victorian health officials boosted the number of tested passengers from 135 on Sunday.

"We've still got further outstanding tests that are happening today and tomorrow on that Perth flight," Victorian minister Ben Carroll told reporters on Monday.
The man's four close contacts - his spouse, two children and one child's friend - have also tested negative.

All 10 airport staff potentially exposed to the case have tested negative, and health authorities said messages were sent to all passengers from the flight on Friday afternoon.

Victoria's COVID-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar said efforts to test all remaining passengers were continuing.

"Yesterday we had people doing home visits to passengers who hadn't picked up the phone," Mr Weimar told ABC radio on Monday.

"We're very confident we've got good engagement and response from all the people on the plane and we'll continue on that vein."

They have been ordered into 14 days of home isolation regardless of whether they return a negative test result.
Victoria recorded no new cases of COVID-19 on Monday from 12,680 test results, marking 59 days without any community transmission in the state.

After playing at Perth's Optus Stadium on Saturday night, North Melbourne's AFL side was granted an exemption to return to Victoria on Sunday.

All staff and team members were tested on arrival at Melbourne airport and must isolate at home, but players are allowed to train and play over the 14-day period.


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Published 26 April 2021 11:33am
Updated 26 April 2021 11:50am
Source: AAP, SBS



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