Coronavirus NSW: Seven new cases, COVID traces in Bathurst sewage
COVID complacency has returned on public transport, with mask use halving in the past month. It comes as NSW recorded seven new COVID-19 cases, Meanwhile, virus traces have been detected in Bathurst sewage after last weekend’s race.
NSW
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Mask use on public transport has halved in the last month, with the government now pleading with commuters to follow health guidelines.
Commuters are told to wear a mask on public transport but face it is not mandatory or enforced.
“Unfortunately mask wearing has declined on public transport and we desperately need it to go back up,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
She said passenger capacity on public transport can increase if more people start to wear masks.
“We want to increase the number of people that can ride on trains and buses and ferries, but we won’t have the confidence to do that unless more people are wearing masks,” she said.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance said it’s “critical” for people to put masks on public transport, “particularly buses”.
NSW LOCAL CASES REMAIN LOW
There have been seven new cases of coronavirus diagnosed in NSW up to 8pm on Wednesday.
Of those, only one was locally acquired, and has been linked to an existing case. The further six cases were from returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday morning testing numbers had risen to more than 15,000 overnight, but there was more work to be done.
ALERT FOR BATHURST AFTER COVID FOUND IN SEWAGE
Coronavirus has been found in Central Tablelands sewage after the Bathurst 1000 race last weekend.
Punters who went to the Supercars race are asked to be on high alert for symptoms after health officials found traces of the virus today in wastewater testing samples over the past weekend.
A statement from NSW Health said officials found remnants of COVID-19 in raw sewage in Bathurst.
The positive result “could indicate” a person with the virus went to the race, the statement said.
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“The sample comprises wastewater from over the past weekend, and could indicate a current or a previous infection in someone who attended or worked at the Bathurst 1000 motor race, a visitor to Bathurst, or even a local resident,” the statement said.
“Visitors to and residents of Bathurst must be aware of any symptoms of illness, and immediately isolate and get tested should even the mildest of symptoms appear.”
NSW Health statement said the department was “urgently” investigating by making lists of previous positive cases who went to the race or worked there over the weekend.
A maximum of four thousand people attended the supercars event each day of the racing weekend, which typically attracts upwards of 40,000.
ALERTS FOR SOUTHEAST SYDNEY
NSW Health issued new alerts for southeast Sydney on Wednesday night.
Anyone who visited the following venues and develops symptoms must isolate and get tested:
– Souths’ Juniors Club, Anzac Parade Kingsford, in the poker machine room or the high roller room at any time between Saturday 26 September and Saturday 2 October
– Century 21 Dixon Real Estate, Anzac Parade Kingsford, at any time between Saturday 26 September and Friday 9 October.
– The Shed Café Royal Randwick Shopping Centre on Saturday 3 October between 3pm and 5pm.
Souths’ Juniors said the club remains open and the site is routinely cleaned “every night using government approved COVID effective chemicals.”
INTERSTATE VISITORS TO PAY UP
It’s payback time as the NSW government prepares to send multimillion-dollar invoices across the border seeking compensation for putting up interstate citizens in our hotels over the hotel quarantine period.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian fired a salvo across the border, declaring “it’s time for Queensland to pay up”.
It can be revealed NSW Treasury is finalising bills to be sent to all states to seek financial reimbursement for the cost of rooms, food, cleaning, health, security, incidentals and other associated costs.
The bills will be sent to interstate governments, covering the period to the end of the year.
It is understood the bill for Queensland will amount to $35 million by December, and the bill for Western Australia $8.5 million. Other states will also receive individual bills.
“Not only won’t Queensland lift its border to NSW, but we are doing the heavy lifting processing Queenslanders coming back home,” Premier Berejiklian said. “Enough is enough”.
The Daily Telegraph revealed in March that Treasurer Dominic Perrottet had demanded an arrangement be struck for other states to pick up the tab for their own residents quarantining in NSW hotels.
“The people of NSW are not going to pay for people from other states to stay for two weeks in our hotels,” Mr Perrottet said at the time.
“We may as well throw in a BridgeClimb.”
He won that battle, but it is understood some queries over the terms of the arrangement and what governments are required to pay for remain.
Another senior source said the states had been “collegiate” and are expecting the bills shortly. Treasurer Perrottet said it is only right the other states and territories honour the agreement reached back in March.
“Sydney is the international gateway to Australia and NSW has done more than its fair share of the heavy lifting to keep the virus at bay,” he said.
“NSW is happy to shoulder the burden but and we don’t expect any of the states to bail on their commitment especially Western Australia which is boasting about a $1.2 billion budget surplus.”