Covid: Hunter goes into week-long lockdown after virus spreads from Blacksmiths beach party
Panic buying and long queues for testing followed a decision to send seven local government areas into a lockdown after the virus spread at a party at Blacksmiths Beach.
Newcastle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Newcastle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A beach party has plunged more than 600,000 Hunter residents into a snap one-week lockdown, with growing fears the outbreak could see restrictions remain in place for a longer period.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the Hunter lockdown on Thursday morning after health authorities linked six cases of Covid-19 to the gathering on Blacksmiths Beach last Friday night.
An infected person from western Sydney is believed to have attended the beach party and passed on the virus.
Health authorities have confirmed that five Hunter people, two women and a man all aged in their 20s, as well as two Maitland Christian School pupils, aged eight and 11, had tested positive to the virus on Wednesday.
All five cases, as well as a sixth positive case of a Central Coast man in his 30s, have been linked back to the beach party.
It remained unclear how long they had been infectious in the community before the positive results were confirmed on Wednesday.
And NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has warned that the cases did not “fully explain” high levels of fragments found in three Hunter sewage treatment centres on Monday.
“We don’t want anyone to be complacent that we have got the full picture at this stage,’’ she said.
Both Maitland Christian School and Morisset High School were immediately shut for contact tracing and deep cleaning and staff and students told to self-isolate.
The lockdown, which began at 5pm on Thursday, prompted panic buying across sections of the Hunter, where some lines stretched for over 100m to get into grocery stores.
It also caused traffic chaos at Covid-19 testing stations.
Northern Region police commander Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said a regional emergency operation centre would be set up at Newcastle police station to help co-ordinate the inter-agency response to the lockdown.
He warned residents to abide by the public health order of face the consequences.
Swansea MP and shadow minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Caltey, said if people obeyed the restrictions, she remained optimistic the lockdown could end next Friday.
“But I am concerned that it could be further in the community than we think,’’ Ms Catley said.
The Hunter’s business community leaders also had fears the stay-at-home orders could last a lot longer.
“There has been some talk of standing staff down because of the constraints of being locked down, your productivity, your sales,” Maitland Business Chamber President Shane Hamilton said.
“It’s about to have a big impact on some local businesses, particularly restaurants and cafes.”
Maitland Mayor Loretta Baker said the community needed to learn from the past and take the lockdown seriously.
“It is our behaviour that will get us out of this,” she said.
“People don’t really understand how lethal and contagious that delta strain is, and it doesn’t spare anyone.”
Ms Baker agreed with the snap lockdown as soon as a few cases popped up in the Hunter.
“I’m pleased the lockdown was straight away because I think we are learning from our experience over the last couple of months and what has happened in Sydney,” she added.
“There’s no room for complacency. Businesses will all be devastated but one week is better than one month.”
“We’ve got to look at the long game and do what we need to do with an end in sight.”
More Coverage
Traffic chaos as thousands of litres of diesel threatens waterway
One of the state’s busiest roads has been brought to a near standstill for most of Monday after a two-truck crash led to one wedging itself in the median strip and leaking thousands of litres of diesel.
Brewer Shield: Country gun hits the road in Greater Hunter’s title defence
A well travelled newcomer has helped Greater Hunter Coast launch their title defence of the NSW Women’s U18s Brewer Shield in spectacular style. Crash and bash, round one T20 wrap.