COVID-19: Hazelhurst Gymea, Sutherland Court close over case fears
A suburban Sydney art gallery and a nearby courthouse will be shut temporarily after confirmed COVID-19 cases attended both locations in recent days.
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A suburban Sydney art gallery and a nearby courthouse will be shut temporarily as a precaution after a potential brush with COVID-19.
Cronulla state Liberal MP and NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman confirmed a case of COVID-19 had attended Sutherland Local Court on July 15, which is now shut today for extensive cleaning.
An individual who attended Sutherland Courthouse last Wednesday has since tested positive to #COVID19.
— Mark Speakman #PractiseSocialDistancing (@MarkSpeakman) July 19, 2020
This case is under investigation with further testing underway. @NSWJustice is taking precautionary measures to arrange the courthouse to be forensically cleaned +closed today. https://t.co/M04u5ToQ0g
“An individual who attended Sutherland Courthouse last Wednesday has since tested positive to COVID-19,” Mr Speakman tweeted.
“This case is under investigation with further testing underway.”
All affected parties due to appear in court on Monday will be contacted so their matters can be relisted.
Sutherland Local Court runs children’s court, domestic violence matters and apprehended violence order matters on Wednesdays.
Some courtrooms had more than two dozen listed matters each on July 15, as the court is now addressing a backlog caused by safety limits during the initial outbreak.
Anyone who attends the courthouse is required to take a temperature check and disclose whether they are having symptoms on their way into the building.
Sheriffs have also stopped anyone who is not directly appearing in a court matter from entering the courthouse to minimise the number of people inside.
A contracted cleaning agency has also been regularly deep cleaning the courtrooms, common areas and the court registry several times a day every day since the virus first broke out.
Social distancing has also been strictly enforced by both magistrates and staff, who limit the number of people who can be inside the courtroom at any given time and how close they can sit together.
Hazelhurst Arts Centre in Gymea will also be closed on Monday as a precaution after NSW Health informed Sutherland Shire Council of a possible COVID-19 case in a visitor on July 16.
The closure will allow NSW Health to confirm whether further action is necessary to ensure the safety of recent gallery patrons.
“The council is working closely with NSW Health as the lead public health agency, and will follow its advice,” the council stated on Facebook.
“The recent increase in cases across NSW and Victoria are an important reminder that every one of us need to keep observing social distancing, hand washing and monitoring our own health.
The council urged the Sutherland Shire community to follow NSW Health advice.
“If you are showing any symptoms, no matter how mild, attend a clinic for testing,” the council stated.
“We understand this is a concerning time, and ensuring our facilities and services are COVIDSafe continues to be our utmost priority.”
SUTHERLAND SHIRE + ST GEORGE TESTING LOCATIONS
Sutherland COVID-19 Drive-Through, Flora + Belmont Sts
Sutherland Hospital, the Kingsway
Caringbah COVID-19 Clinic, 348R Kingsway
Jannali COVID-19 Drive-Through, 2 Roberts St
Miranda Laverty Pathology, 125 Kareena Rd
Helensburgh Respiratory Clinic, 129 Parkes St
Kurnell COVID-19 Clinic, 100 Captain Cook Dr
St George Hospital, Princes Hwy
Oatley Douglass Hanly Moir, 111 Mulga Rd