Newcastle, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney flyers alerted to positive crew member on flights

Health officials have issued a COVID-19 alert for a Melbourne to Newcastle flight after a cabin crew member tested positive.

Virgin flight VA1593 departed Melbourne on Wednesday October 6 at 12.56pm AEDT and arrived at 2:19pm at Newcastle Airport at Williamtown.

NSW Health said it was notified that the flight was associated with a confirmed case of COVID-19.

It added that once tested, they must isolate for 14 days since they were there, regardless of the result. 

It was not the only flight the cabin member had been on.

Health officials in Victoria said the person had been on six flights October 4-6 between Melbourne and Adelaide, Sydney, and Newcastle.

This afternoon, SA Health said a young man contracted COVID-19 after travelling on one of the flights.

It said the teenager was onboard VA219 from Melbourne to Adelaide last Monday.

Flight fears raised as case numbers fall

The flight alert coincided with a drop in daily case numbers in the Hunter New England.

There were 56 cases recorded in the health district in the 24 hour reporting period.

It brought the total number of Delta cases in the district to 1,686 since August 5.

Of the new cases, 16 were from the Lake Macquarie local government area (LGA), 15 from Cessnock LGA, six from Newcastle, and four from Maitland.

To the north, there were seven cases from Tamworth, three from MidCoast LGA, two each from Singleton and Port Stephens, and one from the Upper Hunter.

Hunter New England Local Health District said 24 cases were in isolation for their entire infectious period, 27 were infectious in the community, and five are still under investigation.

Forty cases, or 70 per cent of them, were linked to known exposures or clusters, 11 were unlinked, and the source of five cases is still being investigated.

Vax blitz for the vulnerable

Health officials have been involved in several vaccination blitzes over the weekend.

Sunday was dubbed “Hospitality Super Sunday” at the Belmont Mass Vaccination Centre.

Workers encouraged to get jabs included club workers, restaurant and hotel workers.

At East Maitland a pop-up clinic is prioritising people deemed vulnerable.

The Pfizer clinic is open to everyone aged 12 years and older.

Priority is given to people who are homeless or who live in social housing, as well as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people and people with a disability or significant health problems.

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