NSW Health can confirm a traveller has been infected with the Omicron COVID-19 variant of concern, bringing the total number of cases to eight in NSW.

The person arrived on flight SQ231 from Singapore which arrived in Sydney on Sunday 28 November. They are fully vaccinated and had recently been in southern Africa. The person has been in hotel quarantine since arriving, as required under the NSW public health order.

NSW Health is requesting every person who was on flight SQ231 from Singapore to Sydney on 28 November to immediately get their first COVID-19 PCR test if not already completed and isolate until they receive a negative result. Under the public health order, they are also required to get a COVID-19 PCR test on day 6 (4 December 2021) after arriving in NSW.

All travellers arriving in NSW who have been in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and Malawi during the 14-day period before their arrival in NSW must enter hotel quarantine for 14 days, irrespective of their vaccination status.

Anyone who has already arrived in NSW who has been in any of the eight African countries within the previous 14 days must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, and call NSW Health on 1800 943 553.

All passengers must monitor for symptoms and if any symptoms occur, get tested again.

Any passengers arriving from overseas aged 18 years and over who are not fully vaccinated go directly into 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine.

As announced earlier, NSW Health is conducting genomic sequencing on two further travellers with COVID-19 to confirm that they are infected with the Omicron variant. They are isolating in the Special Health Accommodation.

Penalties for non-compliance with the isolation, testing and quarantine requirements have increased to $5,000 for individuals (from $1,000), and $10,000 for corporations (from $5,000).