Genome sequencing has confirmed the strain of COVID-19 contracted by a Sydney hotel worker is not locally acquired.

Commuters were yesterday put on alert after a woman tested positive while working at the Novotel quarantine hotel, and IBIS hotel in Darling Harbour.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard told Deborah Knight “it’s a massive relief”, and exclusively confirmed no new cases have been diagnosed to be reported in tomorrow’s numbers.

The source of the infection appears to have originated in the United States.

“Throw in a bit of detective work: in the hotel there was an aircrew that had come in from the US and were there for a few days, just doing their normal turnaround.

“I’ve just suggested today, in the strongest of terms to NSW Health, that we need to … see if there’s some loophole here that we need to see if we can practically close.”

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Image: Nine News