NSW Covid updates: 319 cases, five deaths as Delta strain spreads
With 319 locally acquired cases and five deaths on Saturday, authorities fear the numbers will continue to rise if people continue to congregate together.
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It was the state’s worst day ever for Covid cases but despite pleas from authorities for people to remain at home, thousands flocked to beaches, parks and cafes to take advantage of the warm, sunny weather.
Undeterred by 319 locally acquired cases and five deaths – with even higher numbers expected on Sunday – there also remains a significant number of people lingering around retail stores.
“The police at Bondi are currently handing out tickets like ice-creams,” Police Minister David Elliot told The Sunday Telegraph.
“They’re also targeting Bankstown. But after numerous reports of crowds on the northern beaches, especially around Manly and Fairy Bower, they’re also about to head there.”
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said many people are buying their takeaways only to then congregate with people who aren’t from their household.
Officers handed out 335 penalty infringement notices in the 24 hours to yesterday morning.
“What we’ve seen in and around Canterbury-Bankstown and the Campsie area is that people are going out to try to get food … and then they are using that to then gather and congregate,” he said.
“And clearly, that is an area of risk that we really want people to appreciate that that’s where the virus will spread.”
Bureaucrats also issued an apology to the families of five people who died after contracting the virus in the geriatric and vascular wards at Liverpool Hospital.
Four staff and 29 patients contracted Covid-19 after a staff member unknowingly worked while infectious.
“The staff member had already received one dose of the Pfizer vaccine and was awaiting their second,” a South Western Sydney Local Health District spokeswoman said.
KFC at Punchbowl remained closed yesterday after 12 staff members tested positive earlier this week.
There are concerns the virus is moving further west into the Nepean area, with 23 new cases.
“And the advice I’ve had this morning; we expect there to be more tomorrow,” Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.
Armidale in northern NSW went into a one week lockdown at 5pm yesterday after a young person travelled there and transmitted the virus.
Four new cases have been diagnosed in young people in Newcastle, bringing the number of cases in that area to 11.
‘We can’t survive months of rolling lockdowns’
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns said the state opposition would support further measures to bring the current outbreak under control should chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant suggest they were needed.
“The NSW government must hold to the strategy of bringing community transmission to zero or close to zero,” Mr Minns said.
“If the CHO and NSW government think that more measures are needed, NSW Labor will support them.
“We’re six weeks into this lockdown. Workers and businesses can’t afford months of rolling lockdowns.
“The people of NSW want the government to get on top of the outbreak now.”
It comes after Australia’s most senior health official delivered a blunt assessment of the worsening Covid-19 situation in NSW as case numbers continue to soar.
Dr Paul Kelly said there were still worrying signs in Sydney in terms of unlinked cases, new chains of transmission, new exposure sites and geographic spread.
“There is clearly a need for a circuit-breaker. I’ve had many discussions with my colleague in NSW around that.”
Another record day for NSW
NSW has reported another shocking coronavirus caseload overnight, with 319 new local infections confirmed. It is the worst daily number recorded in NSW.
Tragically, a further five deaths were reported: a woman in her 80s, a man in his 80s, a man in his 60s and a man in his 90s, all at Liverpool Hospital. A man in his 80s also died at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. None were vaccinated.
Three of the deaths are linked to an outbreak at Liverpool Hospital, after an infected nurse worked across aged care wards.
In regional NSW, a seven-day lockdown will begin in Armidale at 5pm tonight after two cases were confirmed, while four young people in Newcastle also tested positive to the virus.
The state’s Delta outbreak now stands at 4929 cases since June 16, when the first case was reported.
NSW deputy chief medical officer Dr Jeremy McAnulty said hospitalisations were rising and young people were also getting “very sick in intensive care and require ventilation”.
“We are seeing lots of cases in hospital. There are now 345 people with Covid in hospital, including 56 in intensive care, and 23 are ventilated,” he said.
Of the 56 cases, four were in their 20s, four were in their 30s, and three were in their 40s.
“So this disease is infecting people of all ages. Of the 56 people in ICU, 51 were not vaccinated at all, four had received the first to dose of AstraZeneca vaccine, and one has received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccines,” he said.
New epicentre emerging
Despite infection numbers appearing to be flattening in previously stricken areas like Fairfield, cases are growing in suburbs across the Canterbury-Bankstown council area.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard today urged people in the LGA to follow health orders.
“I want to stress to the families, particularly who are probably still visiting each other, going from one household to another, you cannot do that,” he said.
“You might think you are outside the LGA boundary or maybe, you’re not thinking about it at all, but you cannot go and visit other households.
“I particularly put people on notice as to where cases are from last night. Coulton, Ascot Park, Kingswood, Santa Clara, St Marys, North St Marys, Ropes Crossing.”
Authorities on Friday warned the area was the new epicentre of the outbreak, with cases rising, among them 12 staff members infected at a KFC at Punchbowl.
Mr Hazzard said Canterbury-Bankstown was a major area for essential workplaces, including big distribution centres, and while larger companies including supermarket chains were doing a “fantastic job” some of the smaller businesses were “not so good”.
“You need to actually have your Covid-Safe plan and stick to it because you don’t want your business to be the one that gets shut down, but you also don’t want to see your staff end up positive.”
Police numbers have been increased in the area this weekend to assist with compliance
Today’s numbers explained
Of the 319 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night, 112 are from South Western Sydney Local Health District, 98 are from Western Sydney LHD, 57 are from Sydney LHD, 23 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, 20 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD.
Seven are from Northern Sydney LHD, and two from Hunter New England LHD.
Four new cases have been diagnosed in young people in Newcastle, bringing the number of cases in that area to 11.
Two new cases were detected in Armidale including a woman who recently travelled to Newcastle. There were no new cases on the Central Coast.
The source of infection for 194 cases remains under investigation. At least 51 cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 98 cases is unknown.
There were 108,449 Covid-19 tests reported to 8pm last night.
Armidale to lock down
Armidale in regional NSW will go into lockdown from 5pm on Saturday after two Covid-19 cases were detected in the area.
NSW Covid-19 Public Health Response Branch executive director Jeremy McAnulty said the cases were a woman who recently travelled to Newcastle and one of her household contacts.
The Armidale Local Government Area will go into lockdown for one week with the same rules as Sydney and Newcastle, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard confirmed.
Mr Hazzard said the woman who travelled from Newcastle to Covid-free Armidale had “possibly” broken the rules with investigations ongoing.
Authorities are also concerned about another regional area, with sewage detections of Covid-19 in Dubbo.
Dr McNulty said there were no known cases in Dubbo and urged residents to get tested.
“Take it very seriously,” he said.
Food workers offered vax
NSW reached a milestone today with 50 per cent of the adult population over 16 now having received one vaccine shot.
Mr Hazzard said on Sunday at the Sydney Olympic Park vaccine hub, 4000 of 5000 spaces were still available to food workers wanting to get vaccinated with AstraZeneca.
Any supermarket and food supply worker over 18 is eligible. Bookings can be made here.
Hospital among new venue alerts
Close contact alerts have been issued for John Hunter Hospital emergency department in New Lambton Heights.
Anyone who attended emergency between August 5 from 8.42pm to August 6 at 1.50am is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.
Following the confirmation of two Newcastle University students testing positive, anyone who attended Hamilton’s Corset Bar and Supper Club on July 28 from 7.30pm to 10pm is now a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days.
In Sydney, the Easy Script Compound Pharmacy in Queen St, St Marys, in Sydney West for both August 2 and 3, and Forest Lodge Fish and Co. at the Tramshed, 1 Dagal Way, on July 24, from 1.20pm to 2pm are now close contact venues.
Anyone who attended during the above times must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.
Unit block cordoned off
On Friday night an apartment building in Liverpool’s CBD was cordoned off after 14 residents tested positive to the virus.
Police and health workers were called to the 10-storey apartment block on Campbell St to secure the area, with all residents required to isolate in their units for 14 days.
“Testing of residents will be done in their apartments, as they cannot leave during their isolation period,” the NSW Health spokesman said.
“Food and other services, including daily welfare checks, will be provided to residents safely during their 14-day quarantine period.
“Tailored support services will be provided to all isolated residents as needed.”
NSW Police officers and private security guards are ensuring the safety of the building.
NSW Health said the situation reinforced the need for everyone to wear a face mask in shared foyer or lobby areas, lifts, stairways, and shared laundry facilities of apartment complexes.
‘We have to live with Delta’
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has given her strongest indication yet that the government has abandoned the goal of getting to zero Covid cases, saying it is “obvious … given the experience of Delta overseas, we now have to live with Delta one way or another”.
It comes after Friday’s new outbreak high of 291 Covid-19 cases was announced, with the Premier warning she was expecting higher case numbers in the (next) few days.
With Sydney nearing six weeks in lockdown, the Premier said getting to zero cases “has to be our aspiration”.
But she signalled the government would increasingly look at where Covid cases were concentrated and what the vaccination rates were in those areas when considering rolling back lockdown restrictions.
“Even though we may not be going back to life pre-Covid … we can have more freedom once we get those vaccination rates up and that is the key,” she said.
NSW hospitals coping
Health authorities say pressure on hospitals is building but the system is now overwhelmed.
With 304 people hospitalised because of the virus, Dr Chant backed the health system’s “increased capacity” if Covid cases requiring hospitalisation continued to surge.
“Just to reassure everyone, anyone’s urgent health needs are able to be met by our hospital system … At the moment we have 50 people in intensive care and we certainly have increased capacity, and when we cease elective surgery, that frees up that capacity,” she said.
“We don’t want anyone thinking that they can’t get urgent care, and that is critical.”
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