Coronavirus NSW: spitters charged under public health order
Two spitters and a man fined three times are among the latest COVID-19 fines and charges, while Gladys Berejiklian has urged any NSW residents showing mild symptoms to be tested.
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Two spitters and a woman fined three times are among the newest penalty infringement notices dished out by police in the last 24 hours.
Police were forced to chase after a man across several Central Coast suburbs on Thursday after reports the man spit on and harassed a woman.
The 34-year-old man was approached by security staff in a Tuggerah shopping centre. Before police arrived, the man allegedly ran away, boarding a train at Gosford and finally being arrested by police at Woy Woy train station.
The man was charged with a slew of offences including shoplifting, assault and for spitting under the public health order.
In a separate incident on Thursday a police officer was allegedly spat on by a woman when they approached her unit in Wentworthville.
Police were there to speak to the 49-year-old woman about medical treatment when she became aggressive, yelling at officers and assaulting them.
She was also charged with spitting under the public health order and assaulting an officer.
Just after 6pm on Thursday police split up an illegal gathering in a car park in Mt Druitt.
Four people were found not to have a reasonable excuse for meeting together and three were issued warning and told to move on.
The fourth, a 22-year-old woman, was found to have already received three $1000 fines for not obeying the public health order.
She was charged with not complying with the public health order and will face court later this year.
21 people were charged or fined in the 24 hour period.
PREMIER URGES TESTING FOR MILD SYMPTOMS
NSW has recorded nine new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours after more than 7000 people were tested.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said half the new cases were from community to community transmission and urged people to be vigilant, especially as self isolation restrictions begin easing from today.
“Please come forward even if you have the mildest symptoms,” she said in Sydney.
“You don’t need to wait until Monday. You could be unintentionally passing on the disease without knowing you have it.”
The changes to restrictions from Friday allow up to two adults and their dependent children to visit another household anywhere across the state.
Meanwhile, Anglicare’s Newmarch House recorded its 13th death among residents yesterday.
And five ADF personnel who contracted COVID-19 while on tours of duty in the Middle East have been flown home to Australia.
13th NEWMARCH DEATH RECORDED
Another resident of the Newmarch aged care home in Western Sydney has died after contracting coronavirus, the facility’s thirteenth COVID-19 related death.
Anglicare Sydney has released a statement saying it was deeply saddened by the death on Thursday afternoon of a 74-year-old man, and extended its deepest sympathies to the family. It is NSW’s 43rd coronavirus death, taking the national toll to 92.
“The coronavirus has had a devastating impact on all our residents and families as well as our staff over the last three weeks”, the statement said.
On Thursday, another three Newmarch residents were identified as positive for coronavirus.
A total of 34 residents and 22 staff members at the home have tested positive to the coronavirus.
Anglicare said the latest cases came despite “having strict procedures and enforced infection control practices in place”.
“These new cases may reflect historical transmissions and reflect the rigorous and ongoing testing at Newmarch House.
“We will be investigating further how this has occurred.”
The statement also said the home has been able to turn more attention to communicating with families, and window-visits were proving successful.
NSW Chief medical officer Dr Kerry Chant said it was possible the infection was spreading through staff after maintaining it was unlikely residents were contracting the illness from one another.
“We are having another infection control review. Those patients were picked up as part of the screening program so they had very minimal or no symptoms,” she said.
“It’s a question of whether it’s the staff that has infected the patient or whether there is something else. It’s always important to go into investigations with an open mind so you don’t miss anything.
“We will continue to support Newmarch House with expert infection control advise.”
All tests conducted on staff and patients at the Bondington aged care facility have returned negative and the total number of cases remains at one.
“A third and final round of testing will commence today,” she said.
ADF OFFICERS CATCH VIRUS IN MIDDLE EAST
Five defence force officers who contracted coronavirus in the Middle East have been flown home to Australia.
Personnel serving in the region were tested after a number of local contractors became infected with the virus.
The five Australians are all asymptomatic.
Four returned to Australia on Friday morning on a routine defence force flight and were taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for assessment.
The fifth, who recently completed their deployment, previously returned to Australia and is currently in mandatory quarantine in Brisbane.
The Australian Defence Force says it decided to test personnel “after being notified that a number of locally engaged contractors had tested positive”. It did not say exactly where the officers became infected.
“Defence will take all necessary measures in consultation with our Coalition partners, relevant host nations and Australian federal, state and territory governments to ensure ADF personnel receive the treatment and care required,” it said in a statement on Friday.
BUSINESS BOOSTER
More than 1800 businesses have joined the state government’s fight against COVID-19 by supplying critical personal protective equipment like gloves, gowns and masks.
The government announced it has engaged with more than 1600 local businesses already and ordered face masks, sanitisers, disinfectants, gloves, surgical gowns and paper products.
About 20 per cent of the businesses who have registered on the government’s Emergency Supplies portal are from regional NSW.
“We know businesses in regional NSW are struggling, having dealt with drought, bushfires and now COVID-19,” Deputy premier John Barilaro said.
“However, people in the bush are resilient and resourceful and that’s never been more evident than now as companies re-purpose their product line to provide medical and cleaning products, to help during the COVID-19 crisis.”
Jobs and Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres said the eligibility of suppliers was decided per the Therapeutic Goods Administration standards.
“Over a 100 business have qualified. We have been able to put a number of businesses in contracted positions,” Mr Ayres said.
“I’m very confident that the PPE arrangements that we have across our medical system in the medium term are well supported.”