New cases linked to Casula Hotel in southwest Sydney

NSW remains on high alert against a second wave of COVID-19 after new cases emerged linked to a Sydney pub. It comes as Victoria recorded 216 new cases and a man in his 90s died, became the state’s 23rd victim of the virus.

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New COVID-19 cases linked to a southwest Sydney hotel were confirmed today as NSW remains on alert against outbreaks imported from Melbourne.

Of the seven new virus cases confirmed overnight, one was a Blue Mountains man who visited The Crossroads Hotel in Casula on Friday July 3.

Three of his household contacts have since tested positive and are now isolating, however they will be included in tomorrow’s figures, NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty said.

Another case was a traveller from Victoria who drove from Melbourne on July 7 and has since tested positive. The five others were returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

“There’s been recent community transmission of COVID-19 in NSW so we’re at a critical point in the fight to contain the virus,” Dr McAnulty said today.

At the Crossroads Hotel at Casula, cleaners work to deep clean the premises. Picture: David Swift

“It’s essential that we all take the risk of transmission very seriously and take steps to protect ourselves and loved ones.”

The Crossroads Hotel was closed on Friday and a pop-up clinic opened in the carpark after two people — a man in his 50s and a woman in her 30s — visited on July 3 before testing positive this week. The hotel is being deep cleaned while contacts are traced.

Anyone who attended the hotel on the evening of Friday 3 July has been told to self-isolate, monitor for symptoms and come forward for testing immediately if they develop symptoms.

NSW Health have established a COVID-19 pop-up testing clinic at the carpark of Crossroads Hotel at Casula after two people tested positive to the virus. Picture: David Swift

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Victoria recorded another 216 cases and a man in his 90s died overnight, becoming the state’s 23rd COVID- related death

The state’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton said only 30 of today’s cases were linked to known outbreaks, with the other 186 under investigation.

“Essentially we’ve got over 100 cumulative outbreaks now, so it’s very difficult to speak to the 30 cases with each and every one of those outbreaks, but we are seeing single cases with staff members in aged care facilities,” Professor Sutton said.

Cars line up for testing at a Covid-19 pop-up testing clinic at the carpark of Crossroads Hotel at Casula. Picture: David Swift

As Victoria grapples with its second wave, NSW authorities fear it could be at least a month before­ experts could determine how far the Melbourne outbreak had spread interstate.

Yesterday, NSW Health confirmed a Melbourne man in his 20s who had recentl­y crossed into NSW tested positive for COVID-19.

He was staying in a caravan park in the Sutherland Shire when he presented for testing, fuelling fears NSW had been too late closing its border with Victoria.

Earlier in the week, a Victorian teenager tested positive while holidaying in Merimbula.

A shaken Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews heading to a daily briefing on Friday where he reported a record 288 cases. Saturday’s total was 216. Picture: Getty

Acting Chief Medical Offic­er Paul Kelly said targeted testing on the NSW border and in regional Victoria would help determine if enough had been done to lock down the infection in Melbourne.

“We know that the usual incubation period is about a week, so within a week we may be able to see something,” he said.

“But it will take … even four incub­ation periods to know whether this is under control.”