Hunter Covid: New infection linked to Costco Boolaroo site, Edgeworth aged care resident dies in hospital
Rolling coverage: The Hunter’s top doctor has called for an end to Sydney workers travelling to the region amid the Costco outbreak, while an aged care resident from Lake Macquarie has died.
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The Hunter’s top doctor has called for an end to Sydney workers travelling to the region amid a second worksite outbreak.
Two local cases have been linked to the Costco Boolaroo development after an infected worker from southeast Sydney brought the virus to the site.
It comes after an infected tradie from southwest Sydney spread the virus at a Port Stephens build, earlier in the month.
Hunter New England Local Health District confirmed a total of six people from the Costco site, including some Sydney residents, had tested positive as of Monday afternoon and that number was likely to climb.
Public health physician Dr David Durrheim said travelling workers threatened the progress the Hunter had made in containing the virus.
“This is really I think a disturbing, worrying trend where we get introductions from Sydney despite every effort that the local community, local community leaders, the public health team, the health service, police are making to keep the virus away,” Dr Durrheim said.
“We’re getting repeated introductions from Sydney, this needs to stop.
“We need to take action to make sure that no one travels up the M1 and that we use local employees for our local businesses and employment.”
Dr Durrheim said as many as 100 Sydney workers were on-site at the Costco development, with all of them now in isolation.
“This warehouse has caused us a lot of trouble over the weekend with over 700 close contacts that have had to be contacted, and now multiple cases appearing in that group,” he said.
“This is clearly a high transmission setting – a cool, indoor environment that was crowded, and unfortunately with multiple people up from Greater Sydney.”
The Costco warehouse has been labelled a close contact venue, with anyone who worked at or visited the site Monday to Friday last week ordered to isolate for 14 days.
The warehouse was scheduled to open to the public on August 26, but that has been delayed because of the stay-at-home order.
The Costco membership office and petrol station, which are already open to the public, have been named casual contact venues for the same period, with those visitors told to isolate until they received a negative test result.
Costco Australia has been contacted for comment.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the NSW Government would consider increased restrictions regarding Sydney-based workers travelling to regional towns.
“It is something we will have to consider because we’ve now got a number of construction sites in the regions ... with cases predominantly brought from Sydney,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Construction seems to be an area that is of concern now and everything is possible – we could tighten restrictions.”
In an address to regional reporters, Mr Barilaro said he had set a lockdown lifting deadline of Thursday this week for regional communities across the state but “fluctuating numbers” could spark longer restrictions.
He said active case data, sewage detection and cases in neighbouring local government areas up until Wednesday night would be used determine the fate of hundreds of regional communities summering through tight lockdowns.
“I want to give regions, including the Hunter region, the chance to get out of lockdown,” he said.
“I’ll give it to Wednesday and then we will make a decision which I will take to crisis cabinet.”
The Hunter recorded just two new Covid infections on Monday, but for a second consecutive day one was linked to the Costco project.
The Toronto case was infectious in the community while an East Branxton case was not.
A second aged care resident from Edgeworth has died in hospital after an outbreak at RFBI Hawkins Masonic Village.
The man, aged in his 80s, had other health conditions.
Statewide, 818 new Covid cases were recorded while more than 160,000 people came forward for testing.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed vaccination numbers had soared, with the state reaching 5.9 million jabs.
“Please come forward and get vaccinated, we are keen to see many more,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“I know what NSW is going through now is a very difficult time, but every state is going to have to transition to going back to normality.
“Every state is going to have to live with Delta.”
Almost 600 NSW have been hospitalised with Covid-19, with 100 admitted to intensive care units and 32 placed on ventilators.
MONDAY’S ROLLING COVERAGE
Lockdown decision deadline looms
At 2.30pm
Deputy Premier John Barilaro had set a lockdown lifting deadline of Thursday this week for regional communities across the state but “fluctuating numbers” could spark longer restrictions.
In an address to regional reporters, he said active case data, sewage detection and cases in neighbouring local government areas up until Wednesday night would be used determine the fate of hundreds of regional communities summering through tight lockdowns.
“I want to give regions, including the Hunter region, the chance to get out of lockdown,” he said.
“I’ll give it to Wednesday and then we will make a decision which I will take to crisis cabinet.”
Doctor’s call to ban Sydney workers
At 2pm
A second Hunter Covid cluster linked to Sydney workers has prompted the region’s top doctor to call for an end to workers travelling up the M1.
Two local infections have been linked to the Costco Boolaroo development after an infected worker from southeast Sydney brought the virus to the site.
Hunter New England Local Health District public health physician Dr David said travelling workers threatened the progress the Hunter had made in containing the virus.
“One of the people who came up from the southeast Sydney area brought the virus with them and this is really I think a disturbing, worrying trend where we get introductions from Sydney despite every effort that the local community, local community leaders, the public health team, the health service, police are making to keep the virus away,” Dr Durrheim said.
“We’re getting repeated introductions from Sydney, this needs to stop.
“We need to take action to make sure that no one travels up the M1 and that we use local employees for our local businesses and employment.”
Two new cases and one death
At 11am
A man in his 80s who lived at the RFBI Hawkins Masonic Village aged care facility in Edgeworth has died from Covid-19 overnight, according to NSW Health.
The man died in John Hunter Hospital, with NSW Deputy Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale revealing the man had underlying medical conditions.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said two new cases were reported in the Hunter New England Local Health District, with one case at the “Costco cluster” in Lake Macquarie.
That infection was recorded at Toronto, while the other was at East Branxton.
Both cases were linked to known infections while one was infectious in the community.
New exposure sites
At 7.30am
New close and casual contact venues have been identified by NSW Health.
People who attended the below venues are considered close contacts and must isolate for 14 days regardless of their test result, and await advice from NSW Health:
- Anyone who worked at or attended the Costco Boolaroo warehouse from Monday 16 August to Friday 20 August
People who attended the below venues are considered casual contacts and must isolate until a negative test result is received:
Costco petrol station and membership office, Boolaroo anytime from Monday 16 August to Friday 20 August
- Woolworths, Cardiff on Tuesday, 17 August from 5.06pm – 5.22pm
- Woolworths, Stockland Glendale on Thursday, 19 August from 10.07am – 10.13am
- Coles, Stockland Glendale on Wednesday, 18 August from 8.12am – 8.19am
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