COVID transmission recorded at Pan Pacific

The state’s chief health officer has confirmed a case of COVID transmission within the Pan Pacific Hotel after genome sequencing confirmed a man had contracted the virus from a guest in the adjoining room.

During a press conference this afternoon, WA chief health officer Andy Robertson said a man who had arrived in Australia from Columbia on May 21 is believed to have transmitted the virus to another guest in the neighbouring room.

It is understood that guest, who arrived at the hotel on May 16, had returned a negative test result on the first and fifth day before testing positive on day 13.

Dr Robertson said health authorities had suspected that the case may have been transmitted within the hotel, with genome sequencing later confirming that theory.

It is understood all 12 returned travellers on that floor and staff at the Pan Pacific have since been retested and returned negative test results.

The Pan Pacific had told the state’s health department that the hotel’s rooms had negative pressure in the wake of a report into air ventilation released earlier this year.

More to come.