Omicron Covid-19: Sydney, Central Coast exposure sites revealed

As more cases of the new Covid strain emerges, a growing list of Sydney pubs have been added to the list of exposure sites. Follow our rolling coverage.

The Albion Hotel at Parramatta and Golden Sheaf at Double Bay have been added to the list of Covid exposure sites on Friday when NSW recorded 516 new Covid cases.

There are 42 people who tested positive to Omicron but no cases with the new variant were recorded overnight.

There are 158 Covid patients in hospital with 24 people in intensive care and nine whom require ventilation.

NSW Health has raised concerns about the increased transmission in larger venues such as pubs and clubs following recent outbreaks at the Golden Sheaf at Double Bay, the Oxford Tavern at Petersham and Parramatta’s Albion Hotel, where a positive case visited the George St venue on Sunday December 5 from 4.30pm until close.

The Albion Hotel at Parramatta has become a venue of concern.

An infected person visited the Golden Sheaf at New South Head Rd, Double Bay, on Saturday November 20 from 2.30pm to 9pm and Saturday November 27 from 9.15pm to 1.15am.

Anyone who visited the Golden Sheaf or Albion is a casual contact and must get tested.

However, anyone who visited the Oxford Tavern at New Canterbury Rd, Petersham, on Tuesday November 30 from 4pm to 10.30pm is a close contact.

“The transmission in these types of settings is contributing to the increase in cases in NSW and we urge people not to attend social functions if they have any symptoms, even if mild,’’ NSW Health said.

“NSW Health also strongly encourages people to wear a mask in situations where you cannot physically distance, especially indoors.’’

December 4

The number of Covid-19 cases at Regents Park Christian School has spread to 13, with three students confirmed as having the Omicron variant.

Since Friday afternoon, when one student at the senior school was confirmed as having the Omicron strain, two more cases have been confirmed and urgent testing is under way on another 10 cases.

The school, which has students from kindergarten to Year 12, has been dismissed for the year.

Students and staff have been identified as close contacts and must get tested and self-isolate.

NSW Health has also said an infected person visited the following centre and anyone who attended the venue at the times listed is a close contact who must immediately get tested and isolate.

• Villawood

Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym

5/850 Woodville Rd, Villawood

Saturday November 27

9am to 4.30pm

December 3

A student at Regents Park Christian School has been infected with the Omicron Covid variant, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to nine.

NSW Health on Friday said the school had been dismissed for the year and contract tracing and investigations were under way.

NSW Health is concerned the virus may have been acquired in the community because the case has no overseas travel history or links to people with overseas travel history.

Regents Park Christian School. Picture: Google Maps

NSW recorded 337 new cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

There are 140 Covid patients in hospital, with 25 people in intensive care, 10 of whom require ventilation.

There were 80,930 COVID-19 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s total of 81,877.

Thursday, December 3

As the number of Omicron case numbers grow to eight, the Mantra serviced apartments at Chatswood has been named as an exposure site.

NSW Health confirmed a traveller who arrived on flight SQ231 from Singapore, which arrived in Sydney on November 28, has been infected with the Omicron variant.

They are fully vaccinated and had recently been in southern Africa. The person has been in hotel quarantine since arriving, as required under the

NSW public health order.

NSW Health is requesting every person who was on flight SQ231 from Singapore to

Sydney on November 28 to immediately get their first Covid-19 PCR test if not

already completed and isolate until they receive a negative result.

Chatswood exposure sites

Earlier on Thursday afternoon, NSW Health confirmed a traveller had been infected with the Omicron Covid-19 variant, bringing the number cases for that strain to seven.

The person arrived on flight QR908 from Doha to Sydney on November 23 and is isolating in the special health accommodation with their family.

Two other members of their household are confirmed cases of Covid-19 and urgent genomic sequencing is under way to confirm they have also been infected with Omicron.

These travellers have not been in southern Africa and NSW Health is concerned transmission could have spread on the flight.

The Mantra at Chatswood has been listed as an exposure site.

NSW Health is now requesting every person who was on flight QR908 from Doha to Sydney on November 23 immediately get a PCR test and isolate while waiting more health advice.

The traveller was at the Mantra serviced apartments at 10 Brown St, Chatswood, all day between November 23 and November 30.

Child infected with Covid

A child who was on flight the same QR908 flight from Doha to Sydney has been infected with Omicron.

The child, who is too young to have been vaccinated against Covid.

The child and their family visited the following venues:

• Chatswood

Vodafone, Level 3, Westfield Shopping Centre

1 Anderson St

Wednesday 24 November

12.25pm to 12.40pm

• Chatswood

Centrelink and Medicare

56-64 Archer St

Wednesday 24 November

1pm to 2.30pm

• Chatswood

Priceline Pharmacy, Chatswood Interchange

Shop 40, Concourse Level, Chatswood Interchange,

Victoria Ave

Wednesday 24 November

1pm to 1.10pm

• Chatswood

Woolworths, Chatswood Interchange

Shop 55, Chatswood Interchange,

Victoria Ave

Wednesday 24 November

1pm to 2.30pm

Anyone who attended the venues at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received. You should continue to monitor for symptoms and if any symptoms occur, get tested again.

All travellers arriving in NSW who have been in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and Malawi during the 14-day period before their arrival in NSW must enter hotel quarantine for 14 days, irrespective of their vaccination status.

All fully vaccinated travellers who have been in any other overseas country during the 14-day period before their arrival in NSW must travel directly to their place of residence or accommodation and isolate for 72 hours.

They will only be able to exit isolation at the end of the 72-hour period if they have received a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken after arrival in NSW. These people must also complete a PCR test on day six after arrival.

Any passengers aged 18 years and over who are not fully vaccinated go directly into 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine.

Anyone who has already arrived in NSW who has been in any of the eight African countries within the previous 14 days must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, and call NSW Health on 1800 943 553.

Tuesday, November 30

NSW Health has confirmed initial testing “strongly indicates” another overseas traveller, who recently arrived in NSW and is isolating at home on the Central Coast, has been infected with the Omicron Covid-19 variant of concern.

When confirmed, the person who had been travelling in southern Africa, would take the total number of confirmed cases of Omicron in NSW to five.

The fully vaccinated traveller arrived in Sydney on flight QR908 from Doha to Sydney November 25 and travelled by private car to the Central Coast.

Everyone on the flight is considered a close contact and will need to get tested immediately and isolate for 14 days, regardless of their vaccination status.

NSW Health advises the traveller visited several venues in Sydney and on the Central Coast before NSW Health directed travellers from southern Africa to go into isolation.

Anyone who attended the following venues listed below must get tested immediately isolate until a negative result is received. You should continue to monitor for symptoms and if any symptoms occur, get tested again:

• Coles, Top Ryde Shopping Centre, Devlin St, Ryde, Friday November 26, 9.30am to 10.45am

• Target Parramatta, Westfield Parramatta, 159-175 Church St, Friday November 26, 10.45am to 11am

• H&M Parramatta, Westfield Parramatta, 159-175 Church St, Friday November 26, 11am to 11.15am

• The Athlete’s Foot, Westfield Parramatta, 159-175 Church St, Friday November 26, 11.15am to 11.30am

Several shops at Westfield Parramatta are on the list of exposure sites.

• JD Sports, Westfield Parramatta, 159-175 Church St, Friday November 26, 11.15am to noon

• Rebel Sports, Westfield Parramatta, 159-175 Church St, Friday, November 26, noon to 12.45pm

• North Wyong, IGA, North Wyong, 34-38 Cutler Drive, Friday November 26, 6.15pm to 7pm

• Pizza Hut, Wyong, 300 Pacific Highway, Friday November 26, 7pm to 7.15pm

• KFC North Wyong, 300 Pacific Highway, Friday November 26, 7.15pm to 7.30pm

• Woolworths Wadalba, 1 Figtree Blvd, Friday November 26, 7.30pm to 8.15pm

• Aldi Toukley, 127 Evans Rd, Saturday November 27, 4.45pm to 5.45pm