Cases from Maroubra ‘superspreader’ party jump to 36

A police investigation is underway into a Maroubra party where 36 people caught Covid but Health officials are refusing to hand over details.

The number of Covid cases from a superspreader party in Maroubra last weekend has exploded to 36, with a police investigation now underway into who hosted and attended the event.

NSW Health confirmed 20 of the more than 30 people believed to have attended the party had contracted the virus, before passing it onto 16 close contacts.

It is believed one of the Maroubra cluster cases could also be responsible for stopping construction work at the Sydney Football Stadium.

A NSW police investigation is now in its infancy, however it is understood that 10 days on from the gathering on August 14 they are still yet to receive a full debrief from NSW Health.

Construction at the new Sydney Football Stadium in Moore Park has stopped after a confirmed Covid case on site, which is believed to have been linked to the Maroubra party. Picture: David Swift

In that time the local rumour mill has swirled, including claims that the daughter of a high-profile ex-NRL star had been in attendance – something she firmly denied.

“The only thing I’ll say is that these rumours are 100 per cent untrue,” the woman – who The Daily Telegraph has chosen not to name – said.

“I have had no contact with police or crime stoppers … this is a vicious rumour that has been pulled out of mid-air.”

Reports of a large-scale outbreak linked to the party first spread in the middle of last week, but as late as Thursday evening NSW Health authorities claimed they knew nothing of the event.

But by the next morning, chief health officer Kerry Chant announced 11 cases linked to the party.

When asked on Monday about the relationship between the two bodies, Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said it was important contract tracers were able to do their job first.

“We do have to accept the contact tracers have to do their job, because that stops the spread of the virus,” Commissioner Fuller told Sky News.

“We do have to accept that sometimes it is more challenging if you’re dealing with a challenging individual or group, it takes them some days sometimes to get the truth about who was there, what was happening and where have they been since then.

“And as much sometimes as it is frustrating as the Commissioner there is a delay, we will be dogged and we will find out the names of those people, and once contact tracers are finished we will write them tickets.”

NSW Health said in a statement it “protects the confidential health information of individuals” so people will provide key details of their movements.

Keeping the information confidential avoids people “concealing events that could put the public at risk”. NSW Health is encouraging residents living in Maroubra, Malabar and Matraville to get tested and ­isolate.

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