Covid-19 NSW: Sydney virus update

There are now contagion fears at an aged care facility in Sydney's south where a worker has tested positive for coronavirus and plunged 65 residents into isolation awaiting test results.

Eliza Barr, Emily Macdonald, Nicole Pierre, David Barwell and Anton Rose

12 min read

July 22, 2021 - 9:37AM

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UPDATE JULY 22, 10AM

Residents at an aged care facility in Sydney’s south have been plunged into two weeks of isolation after a nurse tested positive for coronavirus.

A staff member at The Palms in Kirrawee tested positive on Tuesday night which has now sent all 65 residents into quarantine.

The Palms is now only allowing essential staff to come in and visitors are not permitted in “until further notice” the facility said in a statement.

Several other staff members are also in isolation as close or casual contacts with more test results expected back today.

“We recognise this is a difficult time for families and friends, but we are committed to providing the latest information and updates, and alternative methods of connecting with their loved ones such as via the CareApp, Facetime, email and phone.” The Palms’ operations manager Mathew Hafford said.

The facility said that most residents have already been fully vaccinated, however, not all of its staff have had the jab yet.

New restrictions come into force tomorrow only allowing aged care workers who live in the Canterbury-Bankstown area to work outside their LGA if they have been tested and returned a negative result in the last three days.

UPDATE JULY 22, 9.30AM

New eastern suburbs exposure sites have been named overnight.

Anyone who was at the following venues is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.

Bondi Junction Post Office, Eastgate Shopping Centre, 12.55pm to 1.40pm on Thursday, July 15.

Flower Power Mascot - landscape section, 84A Wentworth Avenue, 8.30am to 11.30am on Saturday, July 17.

Anyone who attended the following venues is a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.

Commonwealth Bank Bondi Junction, 197 Oxford Street, 1.45pm to 2.15PM on Thursday, July 15.

Flower Power Mascot - anywhere except for the landscape section, 84A Wentworth Avenue, 8.30am to 11.30am on Saturday, July 17.

UPDATE: JULY 21, 11.30AM

Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed 110 new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed in NSW to 8pm last night.

Of those cases, 37 were infectious for part or all of the time in the community.

“We’ve been extremely successful in limiting the spread but we need to work harder,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“If you’re going shopping, as difficult as it is, do not talk, don’t engage, go in, get what you need and come home.

“If you’re going to work have as little interaction as possible - please limit conversations and limit interaction.”

Ms Berejiklian said NSW had made a massive effort to limit the highly contagious Delta strain from spreading.

“The simple message is this is really serious,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“We’ve done well to stem the growth other countries have seen - we’ve stopped the thousands of cases - but our vaccination rates are so low, we’ve done a great job stemming it but we need to quash it because we can’t live freely and safely unless we quash this.”

UPDATE: JULY 20, 2.30PM

An inner west GP has been flooded with 800 calls a day as local practitioners face the brunt of a rush for the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

Erskineville Doctors is reportedly being bombarded with hundreds of calls every day since the start of Sydney’s lockdown and has now run out of doses of Pfizer.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the doctors surgery issued a dire warning about their situation.

“Please do NOT phone for appointments for Pfizer COVID vaccines. We do not currently have any Pfizer vaccine appointments and we do not anticipate any stock until SEPTEMBER. Appointments will be available ONLINE ONLY,” they wrote on Monday.

“Our receptionists are very busy and cannot give you any information beyond this. Please check our website for updates.”

The sheer volume of calls prompted a similar warning last week when they asked the public to stop calling about their Pfizer availability.

Pfizer is the recommended vaccine vendor for under 50s while Astra-Zeneca, which the GP still has stocks of, is suggested for those above 60.

NSW Health administered 22,732 jabs into arms in the last 24 hours up to 8pm on Monday night.

UPDATE: JULY 20, 11.20AM

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed 78 new cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed to 8pm last night.

However, 27 of those cases were infectious in the community.

“If you’re living in a community that has a lot of cases, don’t assume you don’t have the virus,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“You could have the virus, not know, and take it home to your loved ones.”

Ms Berejiklian said the number of cases infectious in the community was the key number NSW Health wants to see reduced.

“The main place we are seeing transmission is in workplaces and that’s why we’ve had to take some of these difficult decisions, it’s across all of Sydney,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“People unknowingly might get the virus and take it home to their famlies and this variant is so tranmissible it means everyone in that household is going to get it and we’re seeing younger people getting it because of that.”

Gladys Berejiklian at today’s press conference.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said the areas of particular concern in terms of case numbers and unlinked cases were Fairfield, Canterbury Bankstown, Hurstville, Kogarah, Merrylands, Guildford, Mt Druitt and Rooty Hill.

“Covid is a very serious disease, and we are seeing more hospitalisations, more admissions to ICU, more people on ventilators,” Dr Chant said.

“We have to stop the spread of Covid – we all need to work together.

“We limit our movement, we need to consider whenever we leave our households, that anyone we come into contact with could convey the virus.”

Dr Chant also stressed that interactions with people outside the houeshold should be limited.

“Even if you run into your neighbour at the shopping centre, don’t start up a conversation,” Dr Chant said.

“Even if you have a mask on, do not think that assures total protection.”

UPDATE: JULY 20, 9.45AM

Three beloved independent eastern suburbs cinemas crippled by Covid-19 have been granted a combined $180,000 from the federal government.

The Ritz Cinema in Randwick and the Chauvel Cinema and Verona Cinemas in Paddington have been given a combined $180,000 through the

Federal Government’s $20 million Supporting Cinemas’ Retention Endurance and Enhancement of Neighbourhoods (SCREEN) Fund.

Dave Sharma Wentworth MP outside the Chauvel cinema in Paddington

Wentworth MP Dave Sharma said independent cinemas have suffered greatly during the pandemic as social distancing and other restrictions have led to significant declines in revenue.

“They are part of the fabric of the arts community in the eastern suburbs,” Mr Sharma said.

UPDATE JULY 16, 9.30AM

NSW Health has avoided a potentially deadly outbreak at a Sydney cancer facility after a worker who tested positive for coronavirus has now returned a negative result.

Camperdown’s Chris O’Brien Lifehouse had sent scores of staff into isolation after the healthcare worker, from Fairfield, tested positive for the disease on Thursday morning.

The facility underwent a deep clean before given the all clear in the afternoon.

The result was picked up as part of surveillance testing requiring people who live in Fairfield to be tested every three days if they wish to work outside of their LGA.

“As of 2:15pm today, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse has received notification from NSW Health that the re-testing of the staff member who received a preliminary result has returned a negative result for COVID-19,” Cheif Clinical Officer Professor Michael Boyer said.

“All contacts of this staff member who were issued self-isolation notifications have been informed they no longer need to. We are grateful for the rapid communication from NSW Health, and wish to thank our community for their support.”

UPDATE: JULY 15, 11.15AM

Cancer research facility Chris O’Brien Lifehouse has sent several staff into isolation after an employee tested positive to coronavirus.

It’s understood the case could be a false positive and a second test is currently under way.

The Camperdown facility treats some of the most vulnerable cancer patients in the state and an outbreak there could pose serious health risks.

The staff member in question is currently in isolation, as is every other worker who they came into contact with.

Lifehouse chief clinical officer Michael Boyer said the hospital was undergoing a deep clean.

“In compliance with NSW Health orders, all Chris O`Brien Lifehouse staff who live in the Fairfield Local Government Area have undergone surveillance COVID-19,” Lifehouse Chief Clinical Officer Professor Michael Boyer said.

“Through this surveillance screening, we have been notified of a preliminary result for a member of staff. Further testing is ongoing, and we are awaiting further information from NSW Health.

“As a precaution, all staff in contact with this person are in isolation, the hospital is undergoing a deep clean and we have postponed all non-urgent treatment.

“As always, our priority remains the wellbeing of our patients and staff.”

UPDATE: JULY 15, 9.50AM

North shore residents have come out in droves at the region’s testing clinics after exposure alerts were issued for venues including a Woolworths supermarket.

The COVID-19 drive-through testing clinic at St Ives Showground was continuing to experience high visitor numbers on Thursday morning with heavy traffic reported along Mona Vale Rd.

The COVID-19 testing station at St Ives Showground.

It comes after NSW Health released a list of casual contact alerts, urging anyone who visited the sites to get and isolate until a negative result is received. These included:

- O’Loughlin’s Medical Pharmacy, St Ives - Friday 9 July. 6pm to 6:30pm
- Oscars Chargrill, St Ives - Monday 12 July. 5:20pm to 5:45pm
- Gyronimo’s, Frenchs Forest - Sunday 11 July. 1:30pm to 2:15pm
- Woolworths, Frenchs Forest - Sunday 11 July. 1:30pm to 2.15pm.

An alert was issued for Woolworths at Forestway Shopping Centre.

Anyone who attended the following venue at the times listed must monitor for symptoms and if they occur get tested and self-isolate until you receive a negative result:
- St Ives Shopping Village - Friday 9 July. 6pm to 7pm. Monday 12 July 5:20pm to 6pm
- Forestway Shopping Centre. Sunday 11 July. 1:30pm to 2:15pm

St Ives Showground has encouraged the broader community not to visit the showground unless they are getting tested. The clinic is open daily from 8am to 8pm.

Nearby clinics include the Killara Histopath Pathology drive-through clinic, Frenchs Forest 4Cyte Pathology clinic and Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital.

UPDATE: JULY 13 11.43am

A new drive through Covid testing clinic will be opening at a school in Sydney’s northwest as NSW recorded 89 positive cases overnight.

Hills Grammar School will be opening a pop up clinic from 1pm Tuesday, according to a letter from principal Michael Smith.

“Following a positive covid case in the Dural (sic) area, NSW Health has requested access to our campus for a drive-through pop-up Covid Testing Centre inside Gate 1,” Mr Smith said.

A new Drive Though Pop Up Covid Testing Centre inside Hills Grammar School

“After much considerations, and as the clinic is drive-through only with visitors not able to exit their vehicles, we have agreed to this request to assist their operations and in support of the wider Hills community.”

The school said that the area will undergo a “thorough deep clean” when the site is closed and before students return to campus.

UPDATE: JULY 13, 10.40AM

A resident has revealed what the emergency response looked like after eight cases of Covid swept through five families in a Bondi apartment block.

Yesterday, police surrounded the locked down units with a number of residents eventually evacuated.

A police van secures the perimeter of a Bondi Junction apartment block that is in quarantine after eight cases of COVID-19 were detected. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Everyone inside the block is considered a close contact and must isolate for 14 days even if they have returned a negative result.

The resident revealed how they initially found out about the outbreak through a flurry of emails from their strata and the health department.

By the evening, every resident of the block had been administered a Covid test in their apartments by a visiting team of nurses from the St Vincent’s Clinic who operate the Bondi drive through test site.

A note seen in a window of 8-18 Botany St Bondi Junction. Picture: John Grainger

Residents say they have spoken to NSW Health via phone several times since and it took some time to iron out logistics such as how to dispose of their rubbish.

“NSW Health is working with residents of an apartment block in the Eastern Suburbs where eight cases of COVID have been identified in recent days across five different households,” NSW Health confirmed on Twitter yesterday.

UPDATE: JULY 13, 7.30AM

People in Sydney’s north, east and south have been urged to comply with public health orders as Covid-19 continues to spread across Sydney’s suburbs.

NSW Health issued a statement imploring people across greater Sydney to stay at home unless it was absolutely necessary.

“While there are a large number of cases and exposure venues in southwest Sydney, particularly the Fairfield area, we are now seeing cases of COVID-19 and exposure venues throughout many parts of Greater Sydney, particularly in retail settings,” NSW Health said.

“People in Greater Sydney must stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary to leave.

“You should only be shopping for essential items and only leaving the house for as short a period of time as possible – we encourage people to shop online or use click and collect options.”

A spokeswoman for NSW Health was unable to provide further breakdowns as to whether recent cases in Sydney’s east and south could be attributed to essential workers, people doing their shopping or continued defiance of public health orders.

“Transmission in workplaces remains a concern and everyone should work from home if possible,” NSW Health said in their statement.

“We cannot have visitors to our homes, and everyone is reminded that your household only includes those who live with you, not any other family members.

“We are asking people not to seek exceptions to the rules, but to ensure they comply with them, so we reduce the number of infectious cases of COVID-19 in the community.”

UPDATE: JULY 12, 11.30AM

Several Sydney suburbs are on high alert as the NSW Government confirms 112 new cases of Covid-19 across the state.

More than 48,000 tests were recorded to 8pm last night and 48 of the new cases were in the community for some or all of their infectious periods.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian implored people not to socialise with anyone outside their household after confirming most new transmissions were close contacts.

“The vast majority are family members, close contacts or close friends,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“I want to stress again if you put yourself at risk, you put your family, you put your entire family, your extended family and your friends at risk.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Sunday.

As previously identified, Fairfield City LGA and neighbouring LGAs Canterbury Bankstown and Liverpool are the areas of most concern.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant identified Fairfield, Smithfield, Bossley Park, Fairfield Heights, Fairfield West, Wakeley, Bonnyrigg, Glenfield and West Hoxton as the areas of greatest concern.

However, Dr Chant also said southeast Sydney was an area of increasing concern.

“We’re seeing transmission of the virus between people aged 18 to their 20s in the Georges River, Bayside and Sutherland areas,” she said.

“They are largely spreading it to their closest friends and family members and it is crucial that young people limit their interactions at this time.”

Sydney’s CBD shows the sign of the times as NSW remains in lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Of the new cases recorded to 8pm last night, 84 were in Sydney’s southwest, 16 were in Sydney’s southeast, seven were in Sydney’s west and five were in the Nepean Blue Mountains region.

Four new cases were connected with a gathering at the Meriton Suites Waterloo on June 26, as close contacts of others who attended the parties.

That brings the number of cases linked to that venue to 50.

NSW Health is also working with residents of an eastern suburbs apartment block where eight cases have been diagnosed across five different households.

“These cases reinforce the need for everyone to wear a face mask in a shared foyer or lobby, lifts, stairwells and corridors, and shared laundry facilities of apartment complexes,” NSW Health said in a statement.

“This advice applies to everyone, including residents, visitors, building managers, concierge staff, contractors, delivery drivers and cleaners.”

A couple wearing face masks take a selfie while waiting in line to receive a COVID-19 vaccination at the NSW vaccination hub in Sydney. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller also confirmed Fairfield, Bondi and Sutherland were the areas under the microscope for police in terms of public health order compliance.

More to come.