Covid 19 coronavirus: Airline crew imposes $ 13k fine for ignoring isolation rules in Sydney as outbreak worsens

The crew of an international airline has been fined A $ 13,000 ($ 13,800) after they violated self-isolation restrictions in Australia.

The 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, in violation of Covid-19 public health instructions.

Officers went to the hotel at 9:30 pm that day before speaking with management and other crew members.

“It will be alleged that several crew members left the hotel and attended nearby business at Mascot,” police said.

Officers fined 13 crew members A $ 1,000 each for ignoring coronavirus restrictions.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian admitted that the state was fighting “disobedience” by the international aircrew before the state cracked down.

During today’s press conference, Berejiklian revealed that a crew member ignored the isolation rules several weeks ago and visited various locations in Sydney.

“Fortunately that doesn’t seem to have meant anything and it wasn’t subject to any consideration at this stage, but that’s an example from a few weekends ago when the aircrew is supposed to isolate themselves and decided not to.

“Since then, we have worked with the authorities on how we can manage it and with the airlines on how we can manage it. It is a very complex set of circumstances.”

NSW Health Director Dr. Kerry Chant later said that the entire aircrew underwent tests after the infraction and that they all tested negative for the coronavirus.

The matter was also referred to the New South Wales Police.

The New South Wales government has announced that it is cracking down on international airline workers.

Starting Tuesday, the international aircrew landing in Sydney will be quarantined from a police-run hotel after a series of leaks.

Berejiklian said the previous agreement allowed the crew to stay in more than 25 hotels in 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 to two cases are under urgent investigation. Genome sequencing of a group has revealed that the virus does not match the strains seen in recent outbreaks in Australia. Authorities believe the virus is likely foreign in origin and possibly from the United States.

NSW Health Director Dr. Kerry Chant has asked residents of northern beaches to give authorities time to track all new coronavirus cases by staying home and going out only when necessary.

Chant said Sydneyns outside of the North Beaches area should not be risk-free.

“At this time, we don’t know how the spread happened, so there are some missing people there. Those missing people, be it one or two, could have established other chains of transmission.”