Coronavirus NSW: COVID-positive mourner at funeral, burial and two churches in 4 days
Woolworths is asking shoppers at its Fairfield and Liverpool stores to wear face masks in response to growing coronavirus clusters in Sydney’s west and southwest. It comes as NSW recorded 15 new COVID-19 cases overnight and Victoria reports 357 new cases and five deaths today.
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Woolworths is asking shoppers at its Fairfield and Liverpool stores to wear face masks in response to growing coronavirus clusters in Sydney’s west and southwest.
It comes as NSW recorded 15 new COVID-19 cases overnight and Victoria reports 357 new cases and five deaths today.
The latest deaths include a woman in her 90s, man and woman in their 80s, woman in her 70s and a woman in her 60s, bringing the state’s total death toll to 61. Dozens of Victorians are fighting for life, with 42 in intensive care.
On Saturday, NSW health authorities said nine of the 15 new reported cases were believed to be locally acquired and six were in hotel quarantine.
Eight of those new cases were tied to the cluster from the Thai Rock restaurant at Wetherill Park, while one is still under investigation.
WEAR FACE MASKS, SAYS WOOLIES CEO
“Face masks are increasingly becoming part of everyday life”, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci said today.
“If Toilet Paper was the symbol of the first phase of COVID, then masks are symbolic of this phase.
“In Greater Melbourne, face coverings have now become mandatory when people leave their homes. With face masks fast becoming part of everyday life in Victoria (and indeed in many parts of Europe and the United States), it feels prudent to prepare for the same in NSW.
“With that in mind, we have updated our advice in all our stores in the Local Government Areas of Fairfield and Liverpool with a close eye on other areas as the situation evolves. This is true for all Woolworths (including Metro), BWS, Dan Murphy’s and BIG W stores.
“In these areas, we strongly encourage customers to wear a face covering when coming into any of our stores.”
MOURNER AT CENTRE OF LATEST COVID-19 WARNING
A woman who attended a funeral, funeral parlour, burial service and two churches in four days is at the centre of NSW’s latest COVID-19 tracing blitz.
The Fairfield woman in her 40s tested positive on Thursday. On Friday night NSW Health revealed she had attended St Brendan’s Catholic Church Bankstown at 6.30pm on July 16, Ausia Funeral Services at Fairfield East from 1pm to 8pm on July 17, a funeral service at St Brendan’s Catholic Church from 10am followed by a burial service at St John of God Lawn at Rookwood on July 18, and a church service at our Lady of Mt Carmel at Mt Pritchard on July 19.
Ausia Funeral Services director Phillip Lam said the woman did not work for them. “She caught the COVID-19 but her husband and family, no one has anything,” he said.
“It is weird.”
It comes as the state recorded 11 new cases, 10 of which were linked to the growing Thai Rock restaurant cluster.
The source of one case remains unknown.
Four of the new cases are students — two at Cerdon College in Merrylands, one at Freeman Catholic College in Bonnyrigg Heights, and another at Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School in Bossley Park. All four cases were associated with Thai Rock and two of were linked to Our Lady of Lebanon church. Some of the students are related.
The schools have been closed to allow for cleaning and contact tracing.
The fear the virus has spread at these funerals or schools comes as the Crossroads Hotel opened for the first time since it was shut down on July 12 after a patron tested positive to COVID-19.
At least 56 cases of the virus have been linked to the Casula pub, with the most recent positive confirmed on Thursday.
While the hotel reopened yesterday for drinks service, few customers returned, with hopes more will attend when the bistro opens today.
“Our team has worked closely with NSW Health, who cleared the hotel to reopen on Sunday, July 12, and we are officially registered as a COVID Safe business with the NSW government,” the hotel said.
“We would like to thank everyone for the support that has been shown by our community of loyal customers during this difficult period and we look forward to welcoming you back soon.”
The venue now has limited entry points manned by staff and security, along with contactless QR scanning.
An on-duty COVID Safe hygiene marshal will enforce social distancing, cleaning and hygiene, and ensure patrons remain seated at all times.
NSW Health officials revealed last week that the cluster was set off by a truck driver who visited the venue after travelling from Melbourne.
The man, who claims he did not know he had COVID-19, infected at least six colleagues.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet vowed he would do “everything in my power” to avoid a second lockdown, after it was revealed Victoria’s new restrictions were costing the nation $3 billion.
WEATHER ALERT BRINGS FACE MASK WARNING
Residents who are ordered to head to an evacuation centre in the aftermath of the approaching east coast low have been warned they will need to come wearing a mask.
NSW Police and Emergency Services Minister David Elliott said the State was set to be hit with wild weather over the next 48 hours as the low pressure system built.
“The Bureau of Meteorology is suggesting there will be some significant wet weather across the State,” he said.
“This will be a new challenge under the auspices of a pandemic.
“Some of these evacuation centres are in small community halls and small clubs. When you are preparing for an evacuation with the current weather conditions, the appeal is of course to make sure that you have a face mask. We went to make sure that people who are unfortunately removed from their homes because of the natural disaster…they take every precaution.”
Mr Elliott said residents should also have a “plan B” such as being able to attend the home of a loved one.
NEW RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE : WHAT ARE THEY
Capacity restrictions on NSW cafes, restaurants, clubs, weddings and funerals came into place as the clock ticked over to July 24 this morning and mirror the tightened restrictions place on pubs last week.
All indoor hospitality venues are subject to a cap of 10 people per group booking and all patrons must be seated.
The one person/4 sqm capacity restrictions will also continue to apply alongside the new booking cap.
All venues must have a COVID-safe plan, register all patrons and log their contact details digitally within 24 hours.
Weddings and corporate events will also be able to accommodate fewer people, with an upper limit of 150 even if they could accommodate more under the 4 sqm rule.
Guests must be seated, and no dancing or mingling is allowed.
Authorities have previously said the cap may apply separately to individual rooms in large venues provided this is “COVID-safe.”
Funerals and religious venues will also be impacted, with venues allowed a maximum of 100 attendees.
Mr Dominello said today that there would be a “grace period” to allow venues to adjust to the new rules.
“There is a 24 hour grace period, i.e. up until midnight tonight to allow those businesses to register their plan and display their stickers,” he said.
