10 NSW Covid cases, primary school student tests positive

The travel bubble between New Zealand and NSW has been temporarily closed after the recent spike in cases, including 10 new on Tuesday.

The quarantine free travel between New Zealand and NSW has been temporarily paused in the wake of the Bondi Covid-19 cluster.

New Zealand health authorities have ruled the travel bubble will be paused for 72-hours from midnight Tuesday.

The NZ Health Ministry said while the risk posed by the Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney was low, there were “still several unknowns”.

“This decision follows a public health assessment today which determined that while the overall risk to public health in New Zealand currently remains low, there are still several unknowns, including a case that was infectious while in the Sydney community and a primary school age child with no clear link established at present,” Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins said on Tuesday evening.

“The government is taking a precautionary approach and will review the decision to pause again on Thursday.”

NSW HAS 10 NEW COVID CASES

NSW has recorded 10 new local cases of Covid including seven overnight while masks must now be worn at indoor venues and on public transport across Greater Sydney.

Health authorities say there are now 21 cases linked to the growing Bondi cluster. The new cases include:

– A woman in her 60s from the Illawarra who is a contact of a case and has been in isolation.

– A woman in her 40s from Sydney’s northern suburbs who is a close contact of a case and has been in isolation.

Gladys Berejiklian on Tuesday.

– A woman in her 20s from the eastern suburbs who is linked to the Bondi cluster.

Six of the seven overnight cases are household contacts of previously reported cases who have been in isolation. One is a child who attends St Charles Waverley primary school in Sydney’s east.

Two additional cases were announced on Monday.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Tuesday that all of the cases, except for two, are in isolation and all cases except for one are directly linked to existing cases.

“The one exception is a primary school student at St Charles Waverley,” Ms Berejiklian said.

NSW Health has expanded the days of concern for Westfield Bondi Junction, including the carpark. Anyone who visited the venue from June 12 to June 18 at any stage must get tested.

St Charles Catholic Primary School in Waverley.

Indoor mask restrictions have been extended to all of Greater Sydney and will be in place for a further week.

“It is only when you are eating or drinking indoors at a venue that you can’t or shouldn’t wear a mask,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“In every other circumstance, if you live or are in Sydney, you must wear a mask for another week beyond Wednesday midnight.”

Parents arrive at St Charles in Waverley to pick up their children. Picture: John Grainger

The Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre continues to be the main area of concern to health authorities.

”We are calling out for anyone who has been in Bondi Junction — including the car parks — anytime between 12 June and 18 June, to get a (COVID-19) test,” NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said.

“If you’ve been to one of the close contact venues, you should have been contacted about being in isolation for the 14 days.”

Ms Berejiklian ruled out any further restrictions, including a lockdown for now.

“At this stage because all but one case is linked to an existing case and that case was only discovered a few hours ago,” the Premier said.

“That gives us a degree of confidence that what we have asked people to do matches the risk that is there at the moment.”

NSW IN PFIZER VACCINE CATCH UP

An extra 50,000 doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine will be delivered to NSW over the next three weeks as the state plays catch-up to Victoria to get its fair share of jabs based on population.

Emergency supplies of the vaccine were sent south when Melbourne went into a two-week lockdown, and following Sydney’s own local outbreak, Premier Gladys Berejiklian promised she would ask the Commonwealth to up its supply to NSW.

Covid-19 taskforce commander Lieutenant-General John Frewen said state leaders “didn’t make any specific requests” for more vaccine supplies at Monday’s national cabinet meeting, despite reports premiers were demanding more Pfizer.

Lieutenant-General Frewen said he was pleased 98 per cent of Australians due a second dose of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines turned up to their appointment last week.

From July 5, about 500 GPs will start giving out Pfizer, growing to 1000 by July 11 and eventually 1300.

As the Covid-19 cluster in Sydney’s eastern suburbs grew to 11 cases on Monday, mandatory mask rules on public transport and in several inner-city local government areas were expected to be expanded.

“In all likelihood … the existing settings we have in place are likely to continue beyond the initial five days,” Ms Berejiklian said.

If rules are extended, residents in the seven council areas, including Waverley and the City of Sydney, would be required to wear a mask in indoor settings such as retail and entertainment venues ­beyond Thursday.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the restrictions are likely to be extended. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

Chief health officer Kerry Chant said authorities were at a “critical” point in controlling the outbreak, which has included a case of the disease passing between two people after a “fleeting” contact.

In one case at Bondi Junction, transmission occurred “literally (by) someone moving across from each other for a momentary moment,” Dr Chant said.

Visitors to Bondi Junction shopping centre on June 12-13 are urged to get a test.

Those people who attended the shopping centre without visiting specific venues of concern don’t need to isolate, but are urged to avoid ­unnecessary travel and work from home while waiting for their result.

A bus route from Baulkham Hills to the City and back again emerged as a new close contact location on Monday afternoon, with ­passengers on a spate of other bus routes listed as casual contacts.

A warning was also issued for an Ashfield office building on Holden St for the evening of Friday, June 18. Ms Berejiklian said people in Sydney should “restrain their activity” and “refrain from large gatherings unless it’s absolutely necessary”.

Originally published as 10 NSW Covid cases, primary school student tests positive