Mystery surrounds a Covid diagnosis at a hairdresser favoured by Sydney’s rich and famous as New Zealand extends its border closure to NSW residents. Follow our live blog.
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Gladys Berejiklian has moved to reassure NSW will not be plunged into a lockdown as the state deals with a growing Covid Delta cluster.
"Since the pandemic has started, this is perhaps the scariest period that New South Wales is going through," she said on Thursday.
"It is a very contagious variant but at the same time we are, at this stage, comfortable that the settings that are in place are the appropriate settings, but that is so long as everybody does the right thing."
NSW Health announced 11 new Covid cases this morning - including six infections detected after the 8pm cut off on Wednesday night.
Eighteen new cases were officially recorded from yesterday's reporting period - thirteen of which were revealed by authorities yesterday and five are newly reported.
One of the overnight cases includes NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall who was advised this morning of his positive test.
The Nationals MP was exposed to the virus at a Paddington restaurant on Monday and attended a Budget dinner with Ms Berejiklian on Tuesday night before he tested positive.
Guests of that dinner have now been told via text message to isolate until July 6 after being "exposed to the Covid-19 virus".
The Premier said she returned a negative test and has been deemed "not a close contact" by Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant.
Thank you for following our coverage of the emerging Covid-19 cluster in Sydney on June 24.
Recapping our main stories from today:
The Daily Telegraph will be back tomorrow with another coronavirus blog plus exclusive news coverage for our subscribers. Stay safe.
New Zealand has extended its travel ban with NSW until July 8 – near the end of the school holidays.
A three-day temporary pause on the quarantine free bubble was due to end on Saturday..
The NZ government has now extended the no-fly period by 12 days and has not ruled out further extensions.
NZ Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins on Thursday evening quashed upcoming travel plans for NSW residents due to the growing cluster of infections across Sydney.
“The pause on Quarantine Free Travel from New South Wales to New Zealand will continue for a further 12 days,” he said in a statement.
Mr Hipkins added that the NZ Government "strongly believes a cautious approach is the best course of action" while the Sydney cluster is investigated.
Norfolk Island residents are the only people from NSW who are still allowed to enter NZ on the condition they haven’t visited the mainland.
– Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell
NSW Health updated its list of Covid-exposed venues late on Thursday afternoon, adding Parliament House and two cafés in Darlinghurst.
NSW Health says anyone who attended the following venues is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result:
• Darlinghurst, Frankie’s Beans shop, 3/1 Kings Cross Road, Monday 21 June 10am – 11am, Monday 21 June 1pm – 2pm.
• Darlinghurst, Vinfafe Café, 1/150 Bourke Street, Tuesday 22 June 3.05pm – 3.45pm.
Anyone who attended the Stranger’s Dining Room at Parliament House between 6pm and 9pm on Tuesday 22 June must immediately get tested and self-isolate until you receive further information from NSW Health.
There are fears the Tuesday night dinner hosted by the NSW National Party at Parliament House to celebrate the state budget could have acted as a “superspreader event”.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian returned a negative result for Covid-19 after being in the same room as Nationals MP Adam Marshall who tested positive.
There is a possible link between heart muscle inflammation and the Pfizer vaccine, the national drug regulator has announced.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s latest report also shows five new cases of blood clots are possibly linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Three are confirmed and two are “probable” cases of blood clots.
Four of the new cases have been recorded in NSW and one in Victoria.
The latest coronavirus outbreak is a “real nightmare” for battling businesses in the CBD already on tilt after 18 months of reduced footfall, as work-from-home orders resulted in the city becoming ghostly quiet.
Damian Kelly, the acting executive director of Business Sydney, backed the government’s decision not to lock down the city, but pushed the importance of businesses and patrons using QR code check-ins when in the city.
"You've got to take the advice of the government and chief health officer, they've served NSW well over the last 18 months, but we can't be complacent,” Mr Kelly said.
"Laziness can be one of the greatest enemies."
Praising the “resilience” of city business owners, Mr Kelly said the emphasis was now on citizens and businesses doing “the right thing” to quell the spread of the virus.
"There's been lots of hurdles placed in front of business owners, but we've been through this before and if we do the right thing we'll be able to come out of this quickly."
– Lachlan Leeming
Western Australia’s police commissioner will miss a family wedding after being forced to self-quarantine – like everyone else – because he briefly passed through Sydney.
On June 15, Chris Dawson and his wife spent about one hour in-transit at Sydney Airport, where they changed planes to fly to Canberra.
It means they must self-quarantine at home until June 30.
– Angie Raphael
Canberra is on the verge of a Covid crisis with news that an individual who attended a function at NSW parliament — that was attended by an infected member of the state government — was advised to isolate after later attending a number of functions with federal politicians in the nation’s capital.
David Heffernan, President of the NSW Pharmacy Guild, has told The Daily Telegraph that on Tuesday night he attended a post-budget function in the Strangers Dining Room at NSW parliament where state agriculture Adam Marshall, who has subsequently tested positive, was also present.
It is understood that Gladys Berejiklian was also present at the function, though only briefly.
– James Morrow
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has been given the all clear to return to Question Time in Parliament amid initial fears he was a close contact to a Covid-19 case.
Mr Joyce was delayed joining the final Question Time debate before the winter break on Thursday as he sought emergency health advice, but ultimately was able to attend.
"Shortly before Question Time I was alerted that I may have been in contact with a person who was a close contact with a case," Mr Joyce said.
"I immediately sought further information and advice from deputy chief medical officer Professor Michael Kidd.
"As I am not a close contact, I'm now able to attend the chamber."
– Clare Armstrong
Victoria has recorded a second local Covid case, which has been linked to the New South Wales outbreak.
The new case emerged late Thursday morning, with the man being interviewed and a full public health response was under way, authorities said.
At the same time, the state government has declared all of Greater Sydney and Wollongong red zones from 1am Friday.
The man in his 60s had attended his daughter’s house in a green zone in Sydney at an event on Saturday night, Health Minister Martin Foley said.
He flew to Melbourne on Sunday evening and began showing symptoms about 10pm on Tuesday.
He was tested on Wednesday, with the health department notified on Thursday morning of the positive result.
“He is currently feeling unwell and is being supported by the public health team,” Mr Foley said.
There are concerns Sydney's coronavirus outbreak could reach the bush, with many regional MPs returning to their electorates following Wednesday's budget.
Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson is one of the latest party members who had returned to his electorate to go into isolation.
It’s understood Mr Anderson suddenly left a housing forum in his Tamworth electorate this morning to isolate.
It comes after his Nationals colleague Adam Marshall revealed a positive Covid-19 diagnosis on Thursday morning, while Deputy Premier John Barilaro also announced he would go into isolation ahead of likely being deemed a close contact.
Fellow regional MP, Shooters Fishers and Farmer Party member Phil Donato, said he would remain in Sydney instead of travelling back to his rural Orange electorate.
Mr Donato attended parliament on Thursday morning ahead of MPs receiving advice they and their staff should avoid the building.
Mr Donato said he had since received a negative test but would likely stay in Sydney instead of risking going back to his homebase of Orange as a “hyper-vigilant” measure.
“I’m still a bit concerned about going back to Orange. We know even if you get a negative test, you can become symptomatic in the next few days (after),” he said. – Lachlan Leeming
Covid cases are on the rise in NSW, and the true toll of the virus this year has been revealed, with almost 4000 Australians dying from the virus in 2023.
Twenty-three Australians are dying every day from Covid-19 - but one age group continues to dominate the numbers. Find out who is most at risk.