Two contract COVID in WA hotel quarantine

The WA Health Department had previously reported the infections as being acquired overseas.

But genome sequencing has since confirmed transmission occurred at the Mercure Hotel Perth.

“The virus was transmitted in hotel quarantine at the Mercure Hotel Perth, as two sets of guests, in rooms opposite each other, had the same sequence of virus – despite arriving from different countries at different times,” it said in a statement on Wednesday night.

Other guests who stayed on the same sixth floor at the same time were previously released from the hotel after testing negative.

“These guests will be re-tested and directed to self-isolate until cleared by the public health team,” the department said.

People who were in rooms immediately adjacent to the infected people will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.

WA’s acting chief health officer has begun an investigation into how the transmission occurred.

“While similar transmission in hotels in other jurisdictions has not resulted in community transmission, the community must always remain vigilant,” the department said.

“The threat of COVID-19 remains real.”

Australian Associated Press