COVID NSW: New case of community transmission in Sydney

A new case of COVID community transmission has been detected in NSW with the infected man said to be “very active” across Sydney.

A man in his 50s tested positive to COVID on Tuesday after developing symptoms and returning a positive result on Wednesday morning.

The man had not recently returned from overseas, hasn’t worked in quarantine hotels, and has not had contact with the hospital system, Chief health officer Kerry Chant said.

“All of the usual routes where we would expect someone to have acquired the infection are not clear,” she said. Urgent testing is underway in an effort to link the case to other cases currently in NSW and interstate.

Dr Chant said the man had “higher viral load and (was) therefore potentially more infectious”.

Close contacts numbering in their 20s had been identified in the immediate hours after the positive result, she said.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the man had been very active in the community. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Tucker Barbecues in Silverwater is a new venue of concern.

It’s believed the man had been potentially infectious since Friday April 30, and had visited a raft of venues across Sydney. NSW Health urged anyone who visited the locations at the times listed to get tested and isolate until receiving further advice.

The man was praised for signing into venues using QR codes in a move which has assisted contact tracers. The case sparked a call for people in the community to continue COVID-safe behaviours.

“This is another good reason why people who are asked to get the vaccine come forward and get vaccinated,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

She said the more of the population which is vaccinated the less chance of people acquiring the disease.

Authorities stressed that even if people have been vaccinated for COVID-19, they need to take the same measures as unvaccinated people if they have attended a venue of concern.

A pop up testing clinic was established at Albion Street Centre Laverty Pathology.

Premier Berejiklian would not say whether restrictions would be reimposed if more cases emerge, but said the response will be “proportionate”.

“Our response will be proportionate to the number of cases that are established, the geographic location of the cases and whether or not they’re in isolation,” she said.

The Premier expressed her hope that the positive case would not burst the quarantine-free travel bubble between NSW and New Zealand.

“New Zealand had more cases and we didn’t we didn’t even flinch,” she said.