NSW Covid updates: Lockdown for 4 Sydney LGAs, 22 new cases

Anyone who lives or works within the Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and City of Sydney council areas are under Covid lockdown for at least a week by order of the state government. This comes after 22 local cases were recorded on Friday, as the Delta strain is proving too contagious to contain.

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NSW Health announced 22 new Covid cases on Friday - including 17 infections detected after the 8pm cut off on Thursday night. 

Eleven new cases were officially recorded from Thursday's reporting period - six of which were revealed by authorities yesterday and five are newly reported.

Authorities revealed on Friday a man in his 40s from Sydney's northwest who was a positive case on Friday, June 18 has now been ruled out following further testing.

The five newly reported cases include:

• A man in his 30s, a woman in her 30s and their child who are household contacts of each other from Sydney's eastern suburbs.
• A woman in her 80s from Sydney's eastern suburbs
• A man in his 20s from the Sutherland Shire who is a close contact of a previously reported case and has been isolating while infectious

The 17 new cases detected overnight will be included in tomorrow's numbers. NSW Health says 14 are linked to known cases and three are under investigation.

NSW recorded 11 locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, six of which were announced Thursday morning.

NSW Health has also been notified of an additional 17 locally acquired cases overnight. These cases will be included in tomorrow's numbers. pic.twitter.com/YQ9dd4HeOd

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 25, 2021

Updates

9:10 pm June 25, 2021

COVID SUPPORT

Evelyn Yamine

Sydney’s Covid hot spot areas will be propped up by federal support for another week, Australia’s chief medical expert has declared.
Affected parts of Sydney including the City of Sydney, Waverley, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, the Inner West and Randwick council areas and their communities will receive Covid disaster payment funding as well as essential medical supplies, Professor Paul Kelly said on Friday night.
The statement on behalf of Prof Kelly said the hot spot declaration would provide the Sydney communities with a range of support.
“Declaring a hotspot for Commonwealth support triggers, if required: Provision of PPE from the National Medical Stockpile, assistance with contact tracing … access to Covid-19 disaster payment, if eligibility criteria are met,” the statement read.

Professor Paul Kelly. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

The LGA’s support from the federal government will also see ages care facilities in the affect zones be given PPE, extra staff and an aged care response centre will be established.
People who are asymptomatic and need a Covid test in the areas will also now be able to get tested at their local GP.
The Federal Chief Medical Officer originally named the seven LGAs as hotspots eligible for support for one week from June 23, but said last night he would now extend it until next Friday July 2 due to the growing cluster.
“There have been a further 26 cases across since the hotspot declaration. This takes the total number of cases associated with the outbreak to 65,” the statement read.
The federal support for Sydney’s hotspot areas will be reviewed again on or before July 1.

8:00 pm June 25, 2021

TOP CHEF DELAYS OPENING

Evelyn Yamine

Sydney restaurateur to the stars Neil Perry conceded to the Covid lockdowns and skitt­led his entire opening night plans for anticipated new Double Bay restaurant Margaret on Friday night – instead opting to bag up all food for his staff and charities and postpone his curtain-raiser a week.

Perry donated most of the food – an array of fining dining dishes valued at hundreds of dollars per plate – via Hope Deliveries food charities initiative.

Chef Neil Perry has delayed the opening of his restaurant Margaret. Picture: John Appleyard

It was, Sydney’s most lauded celebrity chef admitted, a bittersweet start to the grand opening of a restaurant months in the making and one which would have seen more than 150 guests clink glasses at what would have been a storied debut.
“What a time to be opening a restaurant in Sydney,” said a downcast Perry, who decided to cancel the entire service rather than attempt a limited, socially-distanced opening.
“I actually decided to call off the suffering today because I thought we were opening and I had to stand all of my staff down from midnight tonight. So they’re not getting paid for a week."

7:40 pm June 25, 2021

PANIC BUYING BEGINS

Evelyn Yamine

Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s pleas to avoid panic buying fell on deaf ears for Double Bay residents who emptied supermarket shelves of toilet paper within an hour of the lockdown announcement, leaving only tissues on the shelves.

­

7:16 pm June 25, 2021

Sewage detections

Evelyn Yamine

NSW Health has revealed there has been Covid-19 detected in suburbs including St Marys, Lough Park, Maroubra and Auburn.

This comes as new venues were added to the list of where confirmed cases attended. FULL LIST: https://bit.ly/3wXoSwz

6:50 pm June 25, 2021

Update from Premier

Evelyn Yamine

Premier Gladys Berejiklian outlines the stay-at-home orders just hours away from when the restrictions begin.

New restrictions are in place, these restrictions apply to anyone who currently or in the past 14 days has lived or usually worked in one of the four LGAs. pic.twitter.com/8wLfkZyJHv

— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) June 25, 2021

3:55 pm June 25, 2021

Weddings, funerals can go ahead: Hazzard

It's understood that under the public health order that will come into effect at 11.59pm on Friday, people may leave their home within the four LGAs of Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and City of Sydney for the purpose of attending a wedding, funeral or community sport.

Note in Waverley, Woollahra, City of Sydney & Randwick Local Government Areas, despite Covid related travel restrictions on leaving home, retail ,weddings ,funerals ,community sport can continue. Other non essential businesses & other services in houses of Worship will cease

— Brad Hazzard (@BradHazzard) June 25, 2021

12:29 pm June 25, 2021

SIGH OF RELIEF FOR CANBERRA

Dani Pogson

A man who was told to get tested and isolate after being at an event in Sydney with Covid-positive NSW agriculture minister Adam Marshall and then attending a number of venues in Canberra with federal politicians and staff has returned a negative test.

The man, NSW Pharmacy Guild chief David Heffernan, was advised of his results late this morning after taking a Covid test as directed.

On Tuesday night Mr Heffernan 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.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian is also understood to have made a brief appearance at the event.

He travelled to Canberra on Wednesday and attended a number of functions and social events, including a visit to the popular political watering hole, the Kingston Hotel.

However, upon learning of Mr Marshall's positive test Thursday morning, Mr Heffernan immediately sought advice and underwent testing himself.

“As soon as I heard the news about Adam Marshall this morning I cancelled my plans to visit Parliament House and spoke with my office, which made contact with Kerry Chant’s office, and I was advised to get tested right away," Mr Heffernan told The Daily Telegraph, adding that he has been conscious at every stage to do "the right thing" by health authorities.

11:43 am June 25, 2021

CLUSTER LIMO DRIVER WAS WAITING FOR PFIZER JAB

Mark Jones

The limousine driver at the centre of the Bondi Covid outbreak told Channel Nine's A Current Affair he wasn't vaccinated because he was waiting to get the Pfizer vaccine, however Health Minister Brad Hazzard said this was no excuse.

"I want to point out on the back of some recent media that even those drivers who are over 60 have been able to have the pfizer vaccine because that's what's been available for those who work in the quarantine system," he said.

"That's been in place for a long long while, so there is no excuse." – Jess McSweeney

11:37 am June 25, 2021 Highlight

POLICE OUT TO REINFORCE MASK RULES AFTER 7 FINED

Mark Jones

Overnight seven people were fined for not wearing masks and today NSW Police will be out in force for a compliance blitz.

"Police are willing and able right across the state and in particular the areas in and around Sydney to make sure people comply," Assistant Commissioner Gary Worboys said.

Police are yet to fine the limousine driver believed to be patient zero.

"What's also clear as police go about the investigation they look at CCTV where its available is that the vast majority of drivers have applied with not just the guidelines but also with the health order."

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said from 4pm today guidelines of mask wearing will be stepped up for airport drivers.

The orders will be "very clear" and have "very clear consequences" for those who don't wear masks.

"We have to recognise it is very hard to make a law against stupidity," Mr Hazzard said. – Jess McSweeney

11:18 am June 25, 2021 Highlight

STAY AT HOME ORDERS FOR FOUR LGAs

Mark Jones

Due to the risk associated with an increasing number of exposure venues where transmission has occurred, from 11.59pm tonight until at least 11.59pm on Friday 2 July, residents of four LGAs – Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and City of Sydney Councils – must stay at home unless it is for an essential reason.

The reasons you may leave your home include:

Shopping for food or other essential goods and services;

Medical care or compassionate needs;

Exercise outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer;

Essential work, or education, where you cannot work or study from home.


People should only enter the four LGAs for essential purposes.

If you live or work in the City of Sydney, Waverley, Randwick, Canada Bay, Inner West, Bayside, and Woollahra local government areas, you cannot travel outside metropolitan Sydney for non-essential reasons.

Residents across greater Sydney should also limit unnecessary activity and avoid large gatherings in coming days and comply with the current restrictions.