Coronavirus: Community transmission hotspots revealed

NSW Health data shows where in Sydney people are picking up the potentially deadly coronavirus with no known source of infection.

Waverley local government area, which includes Bondi, is recording the highest number of community infections with no known source. Picture: Rohan Kelly

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Sydney’s eastern suburbs and upper north shore are the state’s hot spots for locally acquired COVID-19 cases with no known source of infection, new data has revealed.

Information released by NSW Health on Thursday showed that as of March 25, eight confirmed cases of coronavirus were contracted within the Waverley and Hornsby local government areas respectively by people whose point of contact could not be pinpointed.

The City of Sydney, Ryde and Ku-ring-gai council areas followed with five locally acquired cases each, as NSW’s infection rate rose to 1219 as of 8pm on Wednesday night – leaping 190 cases in 24 hours.

Waverley local government area was also home to the highest number of people sick with coronavirus in NSW with 105. Picture: Rohan Kelly

In total 88 people have caught the potentially deadly disease from unknown sources in NSW, with 647 contracting it overseas and 221 cases passed on by known patients.

Health experts have warned the pneumonia-like virus can be spread through water droplets landing on a person or hard surface via a cough or sneeze from an infected patient.

Australians are advised to maintain social distancing of 1.5m from others, refrain from physical contact, not to touch anything they don’t need to, wash hands regularly and stay home whenever possible.

Waverley local government area was also home to the highest number of people sick with coronavirus in NSW with 105, followed by City of Sydney (69), Northern Beaches (68) and Waverley (66), the data shows.

Coronavirus in the City of Sydney has reached 69 cases. Picture: Toby Zerna

Waverley’s numbers have been boosted by two ‘cluster’ events infecting 19 and 16 people respectively, including one Bondi beach party that led to at least 11 backpackers contracting the potentially deadly disease.

The Central Coast had 44 confirmed COVID-19 patients, while Canterbury-Bankstown (410), Sutherland Shire (35), Ryde (33), Randwick (33), Hornsby (31), Blacktown (30) and the Inner West (29) experiencing rises.

Ku-ring-gai (28), Newcastle (26), Penrith (25), Parramatta (25), Wollongong (24), the Hills (24), Cumberland (24), Mosman (23), North Sydney (20) and Lake Macquarie (20) also featured prominently on the list.

The South Eastern Sydney and North Sydney local health districts have born the brunt of the state’s epidemic, with 319 and 247 confirmed cases respectively.

LOCALLY ACQUIRED CASES FROM UNKNOWN SOURCE (BY LGA)

Waverley – 8

Hornsby – 8

City of Sydney – 5

Ryde – 5

Ku-ring-gai – 5

Woollahra – 1-4

Wollongong – 1-4

Wollondilly – 1-4

Willoughby – 1-4

The Hills – 1-4

Sutherland – 1-4

Randwick – 1-4

Penrith -1-4

Parramatta – 1-4

Blacktown – 1-4

Inner West – 1-4

Georges River – 1-4

Bayside – 1-4

Cumberland – 1-4

Hawkesbury – 1-4

Hunters Hill – 1-4

Canterbury-Bankstown – 1-4

Campbelltown – 1-4

Liverpool – 1-4