A Guardian report has revealed that NSW health authorities say a QANTAS crew member who flew into Darwin from overseas before boarding a domestic flight has tested positive for coronavirus, with the NSW Chief Health Officer saying that one of the state’s new cases includes a QANTAS employee who flew through Darwin.
QANTAS says the crew member boarded domestic flight QF841 from Darwin to Sydney on December 18, with investigations are now underway to determine any close contacts of the crew member, with the male crew member flying into Darwin on a Commonwealth-supported repatriation flight from Paris on Thursday, December 17, on flight QF176 and he then boarded the QF841 Darwin to Sydney flight as a passenger on Friday, December 18.
NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said health authorities did not believe the crew member was infectious during his stay in Darwin before flying to Sydney, adding, she was advised the man exited the QANTAS repatriation flight through the RAAF side of Darwin Airport before entering a private vehicle, commenced isolation at a hotel and then returned to Darwin Airport in a private vehicle before boarding the Sydney flight.
A NSW Health spokesperson said the department was working with NT Health to contact trace passengers who were on the same domestic flight from Darwin to Sydney as the infected QANTAS staff member, adding, “As the person had been self-isolating at home, wore PPE on the flights from overseas and from Darwin to Sydney as well as on the drive home, the risk to public health is minimal and all close contacts are being identified and tested.
A statement from QANTAS said the man developed mild symptoms while self-isolating at home on Sunday, December 20, and subsequently returned a positive coronavirus test, with Qantas medical director Dr Ian Hosegood saying, “We are providing support to a cabin crew member who tested positive for COVID-19, after operating the Federal Government’s repatriation flight back from Paris last week,” adding, “I spoke to him last night and again this morning and thankfully he has only mild symptoms and is generally feeling well”, and “We are working with the Federal and New South Wales health departments to investigate how he contracted the virus and establish close contacts including any other crew members.”
Dr Hosegood said that since the December 18 flight, protocols had changed to prevent any crew from working on overseas flights and then travelling on domestic flights, adding, “He travelled as a passenger on a domestic flight from Darwin back to Sydney on Friday and has been in self-isolation at home since,” and “This was in line with government-approved protocols, with since then the protocols have changed and operating crew won’t be travelling on normal domestic flights after operating international repatriation flights.”
Dr Hosegood said the positive case was the first among Qantas crew since early in the pandemic, adding, “Despite operating well over 100 international flights back from COVID hotspots, including Wuhan, the United States and Europe, this is the first Qantas crew member who has contracted the virus since late March.”
When Ms Fyles was asked about the case at a press conference on Wednesday morning, she said she “would need to seek more information” around the protocols for international air crew entering the Northern Territory, but at a second press conference later on Wednesday, Ms Fyles said the crew member spent time in isolation in Darwin “under strict Chief Health Officer” guidelines.
These guidelines state flight crew members are exempt from a 14-day quarantine period if they can “remain quarantined at a suitable place”, with Ms Fyles saying. “The CHO guideline stipulates that a suitable place for quarantine can be “a residence or a room, apartment or unit in commercial visitor accommodation” adding, “[The crew member] did spend some time in Darwin but it was under strict CHO directions,” “There is a section that allows for flight crew to be in the community but strictly under guidelines” and “He did spend time in isolation here before he left the Northern Territory.”
An edited report by John Alwyn-Jones
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