NSW coronavirus: Experts on edge over western Sydney transmission
Health authorities are zoning in on Sydney’s west and southwest fearing new potential areas of transmission as new venues were added to the alert list. Follow our updates.
NSW Coronavirus News
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW Coronavirus News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
• This coronavirus article is unlocked and free to read in the interest of community health and safety. Click here for full digital access to trusted news from The Daily Telegraph for just $1 a week for the first 12 weeks.
Health authorities are shifting their focus from Sydney’s east to Auburn, southwest and western Sydney as the NSW outbreak grows to 261.
NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said authorities were “really concerned” about those potential areas where there may be unrecognised transmission.
“We are asking for a really strong push in that Auburn community, particularly those who have been around the Auburn town centre, because we have seen some cases where there may have been exposure in that environment,” Dr Chant said.
FULL LIST OF COVID ALERT VENUES
NSW Health has advised anyone who visited Auburn Town Centre on or after June 27 to get tested, even if they have no symptoms.
“We have also had a detection in the Penrith sewage treatment. There may be an explanation for that in the sense that a worker worked there for a short period of time.
“However, repeat testing has also come up positive.”
The Penrith sewage treatment plant serves about 97,000 people in suburbs including Cambridge Gardens, Cambridge Park, Leonay, Emu Plains, Glenbrook, Penrith, South Penrith, Glenmore Park, Jamisontown, Regentville, Lapstone, Orchard Hills, Kingswood, Castlereagh, Cranebrook, Llandilo, Sun Valley, Mount Riverview, Emu Heights, Jordan Springs, Mulgoa, Warrimoo, Blaxland and Yellow Rock, as well as the Blue Mountains National Park.
NSW Health is not aware of recently diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in Penrith and people in the area are urged to watch for symptoms and get tested.
BOWRAL CAFE CHARGES
Police have charged two women over further Public Health Act breaches in relation to the cafe in Bowral.
Officers visited the Bowral St cafe on Saturday and noticed 20 people in the store — including two female employees serving customers but who were allegedly not wearing masks.
“Police requested staff and customers, not consuming food or drink, to put a face mask on,” NSW Police said in a statement.
“The employees expressed they had no intention of complying and the two women, aged 62 and 43, were arrested and taken to Southern Highlands Police Station.”
Police charged the women with not wear fitted face covering in retail/business premises. They will face court at a later date.
Police fined 78 people in the past 24 hours, including three Sydney residents who fled Sydney to visit Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains.
More than 350 calls about lockdown breakers were made to Crimestoppers.
UNVACCINATED NURSE
The already strained healthcare system is on high alert as cases connected to an unvaccinated student nurse at Royal North Shore hospital continue to climb.
Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has shed light on the healthcare cases, which have now hit 10 connected to the nurse.
The young nurse, who had worked at both RNS and Fairfield hospitals tested positive late Tuesday evening.
“They tested staff throughout that night and they tested patients so that throughout the hours our comprehensive plan for controlling this exposure was put in place,” Dr Chant said.
“There is stress on our healthcare system overall and we ask people to be patient there were some impacts, some small impacts on elective surgery.”
Eight cases across three linked households were identified after testing of close contacts of the student nurse.
Of these, five worked in aged care and healthcare, two worked at the Baulkham Hills SummitCare and one worked while infectious at Royal North Shore, Royal Ryde Rehab and Fairfield Hospital.
Further testing found another two cases, both workers at Royal North Shore however neither was at work while positive.
Dr Chant said some wards were locked down to prevent staff moving around.
“You don’t want any movement in and out of that ward … you want to contain and make sure any staff working there wear upgraded PPE,” she said.
“Other hospitals will support them if there are any issues.”
Dr Chant said the exposures were contained to the wards and did not impact the emergency department.
“We have a connected healthcare system, that’s one of the strengths that we can work as a network and support any gaps or areas where North Shore may experience some challenges.”
CENTRAL COAST CASES CONFIRMED
Two Central Coast residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19, health authorities have confirmed.
A statement from Central Coast Health today confirmed the two cases were in self-isolation at home, with health staff undertaking daily wellness checks.
One case is linked to the Great Ocean Foods seafood wholesaler in Marrickville.
The second case is a household contact of the first case.
Both cases were in self-isolation during their infectious period and there is no identified risk to the community.
One close contact has been identified and is in home isolation. They have tested negative for COVID-19.
Dr Kerry Chant praised the two people infected.
“We did not have their details but they watched the media and followed the health advice, so when they tested and when they came up positive, they had been isolating for the full period and pose no risk to the community,” Dr Chant said.
WEEKEND CRITICAL, WARNS PREMIER
As parks and outdoor spaces heave with Sydneysiders seeking lockdown relief, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned people to heed public health orders.
Fine weather has seen a surge of people outdoors including at Bondi, Coogee, Centennial Park and Sydney Park, with apartment living and school holidays driving many outside.
NSW recorded 35 new cases overnight, and while there were signs lockdown was working, Ms Berejiklian warned the weekend could be disastrous.
“If all of us continue to do the right thing, we are able to leave the lockdown in a timely way. The next few days will be telling,” she said.
“So far I’m relieved there hasn’t been a huge surge in numbers but I don’t want to see all our good work ruined today and tomorrow because the weather is great and people are deciding not to follow the orders.
“We’ve done so well so far, let’s not waste it because the sunshine is great.”
Dr Kerry Chant said outdoor areas were lower risk.
“If you are cooped up and you have children, take them to a park, stay a distance from anyone else. Let them run around,” she said.
“That is a low risk exposure, rather than being tempted to allow people into your home or think about other more risky activities of going to retail.
“I did not want to see a surge of people outdoors but we do need people to understand that you can walk the dog around the street.”
LOCKDOWN HAVING ‘DESIRED EFFECT’
Of the 35 cases recorded to 8pm last night, 29 were linked to previously confirmed cases.
Nine cases were active in the community, fewer than the 13 reported on Friday.
Six cases remain under investigation.
Ms Berejiklian said a huge surge of cases had so far been avoided and contract tracers were catching chains of community transmission.
“While as predicted the number of cases is going up, we are seeing a greater proportion of those cases in isolation, which is exactly what we want to see,” she said.
“The green shoots are there, demonstrating the lockdown is having the desired effect.”
She urged people to maintain social distance, wear a mask and avoid shopping centres or indoor areas because “that is where the virus is transmitting”.
“The next few days are critical. Let us not give up, but instead keep respecting what the stay-at-home orders and the lockdown mean.”
She said how the lockdown played out depended on whether the number of people exposed in the community with the virus continued to decline.
“I anticipate that obviously some time next week we’ll be in a position to tell the community where things are at. It’s a bit too soon at the moment.”
COVID COMPLAINTS RISE
The number of people calling Crimestoppers to report people breaching public health orders has risen sharply in recent days.
Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said there were 350 reports from the public and in the last 24 hours, 78 personal infringement notices issued.
The owner of a Jindabyne cafe was arrested and placed on bail for not wearing a mask and not providing QR codes, he said.
“The next step will be if that cafe refuses to comply with the public health order and putting peoples health at risk. The Health Minister would only be in a position to issue a closing notice under the public health act,” he said.
Three Sydney residents were also fined for travelling to the Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains. The tour operator called police, who told police they broke the rules because they were bored.
“At Tuggerah Lakes, a group of people decided they would go to the industrial area and prepare their vehicles and the space around them for some sort of burnout activity,” Mr Worboys said, adding each person was fined $1000.
‘WACKO’ VIEWS COULD DERAIL LOCKDOWN
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has slammed people breaching health orders based on ‘wacko views’ and threatening Sydney’s reopening.
Mr Hazzard said health authorities were “deep in a war” with the virus and they couldn’t win it unless the community was on their side.
“Most of the community understand the weapons we have in this war; QR codes, getting tested if you’ve been at a venue of concern or if you have symptoms … (and) wearing masks,” he said. “When you’re in a war, you don‘t win it with wacko views.
“Unfortunately, we’re seeing that with some people, who think it’s OK not to wear masks.”
Mr Hazzard’s blistering attack comes as police crack down on people flouting health restrictions and not complying with mask mandates.
They included a fiery arrest in Bowral on Thursday involving the owners of an organic store.
“We will only win this war against the virus if people wear masks and follow all the other instructions that we understand will keep us safe,” he said.
“We owe this to the community more broadly, we owe this to our families.”
‘DO NOT DELAY TESTING’
There were 56,331 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s 73,602.
There have been 261 locally acquired cases reported since June 16 when the outbreak began.
Dr Chant said the speed of the Delta variant’s transmission meant people should not delay testing for even minimal symptoms.
“We are seeing the impact on the flattening, but have had bumps because we have had some super spreading events,” Dr Chant said.
“When someone has been infectious in the community, by the time we get to them, if they have had symptoms for a few days, the rest of their household has already been infected, and that is too late. The message is do not delay.”
HEALTHCARE CASES GROW TO EIGHT
Eight cases have now been linked to a student nurse who worked at Fairfield and Royal North Shore hospitals while infectious, reported on Wednesday.
Five of those cases worked in health or aged care — two at the Baulkham Hills SummitCare facility while infectious, one at North Shore, Royal Ryde and Fairfield while infectious. The remaining had not worked while infectious.
There have since been two more cases linked to Royal North Shore, however these were in isolation while infectious and did not pose a threat to the community.
Dr Kerry Chant said while some wards had been impacted and there was minimal impacts to elective surgery and the emergency department had not been affected.
STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS CHANGE
Stay-at-home requirements for people in NSW who have been in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and certain local government areas in Queensland have been lifted.
However, anyone entering NSW who has been in WA, the NT, Queensland and Victoria in the previous 14 days must still complete a declaration form confirming they have not been to any of the exposure venues.
Restrictions still apply if people have been to an exposure venue.
QLD RECORDS FIVE NEW CASES
Queensland has recorded five new local cases overnight as the state’s lockdown end is announced.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the extended three-day lockdown for the Brisbane City and Moreton Bay regions would lift at 6pm tonight but the state was “not out of the woods yet”.
Masks will still be mandatory for residents and Ms Palaszczuk said businesses should not let people enter unless they had checked in.
“This is vital for our contact tracers,” she said.
Three cases are in hotel quarantine but some of the five locally-acquired cases have emerged from close contacts.
BUNNINGS ALERT IN SOUTHWEST SYDNEY
A spate of new venue alerts revealed late on Friday have put a new area of Sydney on alert for the first time since the Bondi outbreak began.
Two Bunnings stores in the Sutherland Shire were added to an extensive list of exposure sites across the city, causing concern about a potential rise in coronavirus cases.
The stores, in Kirrawee and Caringbah, are the first venues from the region, more than 25km south of Bondi, to be listed since the first case on June 16.
NSW Health has been releasing new exposure sites multiple times a day since the first case was discovered.
Dozens of venues across the Greater Sydney area are now included in the ever-growing list.
NSW Health also revealed its sewage surveillance program has detected fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 in a number of suburbs, including Hornsby Heights, Dulwich Hill, Canterbury, Homebush, Cronulla and West Camden.
“NSW Health is aware of recently diagnosed cases of Covid in all of these areas except Hornsby Heights,” it said in a statement.
“Hornsby Heights sewage treatment plant serves about 25,600 people in suburbs including Hornsby, Asquith, Mount Kuring-Gai, Mount Colah, Hornsby Heights, Berowra Heights, Cowan and Berowra.”
“Anyone who lives or works in any of these areas is asked to be particularly vigilant for the onset of even the mildest of cold-like symptoms, and if they appear, to immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.”
Covid cases surge in NSW as 2023 death toll revealed
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.
Revealed: The Aussie age group still dying from Covid
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.