Passengers and crew on a train are in hotel quarantine after a woman with covid and her three kids were stopped on their way from Sydney.
More than 25 people are in hotel quarantine in Port Macquarie after police say they stopped a woman with Covid-19 from one of Sydney’s hotspots on a train bound for regional NSW.
Police received reports on Thursday night that a 22-year-old was not isolating after receiving a positive coronavirus test and was travelling by train from Strathfield to Coffs Harbour with her three children.
Officers from the Mid North Coast Police District stopped the train at Kempsey about 10.40pm.
NSW Ambulance paramedics took the family to a “health hotel” at Port Macquarie to quarantine.
The 17 passengers and six crew on-board the train were taken to the same hotel.
Most of the mid north coast is due to emerge from lockdown at 12.01am on Saturday.
Police said they were investigating if the Strathfield woman breached public health orders.
Federal Cowper MP Pat Conaghan, whose electorate covers Port Macquarie, Kempsey and Coffs Harbour, said he had been notified of a positive case travelling by train in the region.
“Mid North Coast Health has advised that this is not a local Covid-19 case and there has been no local transmission within our community,” he wrote on Facebook on Friday.
“A number of close contacts have been identified and are in isolation.”
Mr Conaghan shared a statement from Transport for NSW, saying the train had returned to Sydney and would undergo a deep clean.
“Yesterday’s NSW Trains service from Sydney to Grafton was held at Kempsey last night after a Covid-19 positive case was identified on-board the service,” the statement said.
“Customers are notified of the travel restrictions at the time of booking and are asked to follow all health advice.
“TfNSW continues to work with the NSW Police on any public health order compliance issues.”
Strathfield, which has recorded 260 Covid-19 cases in the past month, is one of Sydney’s 12 local government areas of concern.
Residents are under strict stay-at-home orders and are not permitted to leave their LGA unless they are an authorised essential worker.
People living in Greater Sydney are not permitted to travel to regional NSW without a permit.
