Gladys Berejiklian speaks live, Four NSW Covid-19 cases

There are now three Covid cases linked to Sydney’s eastern suburbs while a fourth case is being investigated by NSW Health.

Four people have now tested positive to Covid-19 in NSW after two more cases were detected on Thursday.

A 70-year-old woman and a man in his 40s have now been diagnosed with the virus after a limousine driver and his wife from Sydney’s eastern suburbs tested positive on Wednesday.

The driver is a man aged in his 60s who transports international flight crew.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the 70-year-old woman visited a cafe also attended by the driver or his wife.

“We can further update you this morning saying a woman of 70 years of age, who was at the Belle Cafe in Vaucluse has also tested positive. So it’s really, really important for everybody in the eastern suburbs or everybody who may have attended any of those venues to follow the health advice,” she said.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

FOURTH CASE COULD BE ‘FALSE POSITIVE’

The virus was also detected in a man aged in his 40s in Baulkham Hills.

His test results showed low virus levels.

The man’s three household contacts have all returned negative results to date.

On Thursday morning Dr Chant said the man had no connection to the other three cases.

“The gentleman had high CT values and for us, that means a low viral load. We do the usual things. So when you get that, you are uncertain about the timing of infection, so we repeat the testing the next day,” she said.

“Sometimes it can be early in an infection when you get the high CT value-low viral load. High CT values can indicate that you might be beginning to be infectious or it could be an old infection or a false positive.”

An expert panel convened by NSW Health reviewed the results of additional testing on Thursday evening and was unable to rule out the possibility the man had COVID-19.

Several venues in northwest Sydney have been added to the list of venues on alert.

DELTA STRAIN DETECTED IN LIMO DRIVER

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said pathology had confirmed that the driver has the Delta strain of the virus, which hasn’t yet been seen in Australia.

“This strain does not match anything that’s been uploaded in Australia at this time, but it does match a sequence that’s been uploaded from the US and so that fits with a plausible hypothesis,” she said.

“The obvious hypothesis is he has transported a flight crew who has subsequently been testing positive. We need to check and double check,” Dr Chant said.

“While we do test flight crew on the way in, there’s always a chance.

“That’s why one test at one point in time does not confirm your infectiousness and you may develop infection at any point before you depart Australia.”

POLICE INVESTIGATING DRIVER’S INFECTION

Police are also investigating whether the driver was wearing a mask while ferrying international aircrew staff.

The infection was discovered after a saliva test, a less invasive and confronting method, and is used when sequential testing is required.

Drivers transporting flight crew are required to do a daily saliva test but it is understood the man did not undertake any tests prior to the one on June 15.

Ms Berejiklian said people working directly around the quarantine system employed by the NSW government were all vaccinated but she could not say the same for subcontractors because the National Cabinet had not given the “green light” on mandating vaccines for them.

“All workers and drivers within the quarantine system have strict obligations which are covered in our health orders,” she said.

“People who are employed directly by police or NSW Health have all been vaccinated, but we also have to appreciate there are new people coming in every day to the system.”

Health Minister Brad Hazzard issued a stern warning to those who are involved with airport transfers.

“What I will remind all drivers who pick people up from the airport more broadly is that you have obligations.

“Your obligations are legal and they are to get saliva-tested every day and to make sure you wear appropriate PPE. If you don’t do that, you’re breaching the orders and the police will investigate you.”

COVID TESTING QUEUES IN BONDI

Hundreds of people have flocked to testing clinics across NSW amid fresh concerns of a resurgence of Covid-19 cases.

Drivers have been forced to wait in long queues at the Bondi Beach pop-up testing clinic on Thursday morning after a transport worker tested positive to the virus.

The test has sparked new concerns about a potential outbreak because the patient, a man in his 60s from Bondi, visited several eastern Sydney venues over the past week.

Long queues outside the Bondi Covid testing clinic on Thursday morning. Picture: Tim Pascoe

Queues stretched for hundreds of metres on Thursday after NSW Health on Wednesday night reported a household contact of the man also tested positive.

Long queues also formed outside the testing clinic in Haberfield, where people were forced to wait up to 30 minutes for a swab.

Business was slow for retailers at Bondi Junction Shopping Centre as more people chose to stay home amid concerns about the outbreak.

Retail assistant Corey Everett from R.M Williams – which is next to Sourdough Bakery, one of the venues visited by a case – said the centre would usually be bustling.

“I’m surprised more shops aren’t closed. But it is much quieter than usual and usually the cafe would be completely full,” he said.

“Cleaners were spraying all around and deep cleaning the cafe this morning.”

Several shops subject to Covid-19 alerts have been forced to close their doors including David Jones and Sourdough Bakery.