Hunter Covid: Health confirm virus transmitted at Shortland house party days before Blacksmiths

Hunter New England Health has known for days that the Hunter Covid cluster started days before the Blacksmiths Beach party. But they only told the public on Wednesday evening.

Health authorities have known for days that the infected Sydneysider blamed for the Covid-19 outbreak which plunged the Hunter into lockdown had travelled to the region three days before the much-publicised Blacksmiths Beach party, but failed to tell the public.

The Newcastle News revealed on Tuesday that some of a party of three travellers from southwestern Sydney had infected people at a Shortland house party two days before they transferred the virus to others at the Blacksmiths Beach get-together, which authorities had initially reported as being the start of the outbreak.

International House at Newcastle University. Picture: Google

The Shortland party has also been linked with a cluster at the University of Newcastle’s Callaghan campus which has seen five confirmed positive cases and hundreds of people isolated amid serious concerns the Delta strain would continue to spread through the campus’ International House.

However, Hunter New England Health had failed to answer questions from The Newcastle News for more than a day before an abrupt change of heart on Wednesday afternoon following some questions being sent to the Health Ministry.

Hunter New England Health public health co-ordinator Dr David Durrheim

In a statement, Hunter New England Health’s public health co-ordinator, Dr David Durrheim, confirmed the “August outbreak” had originated from a young adult who travelled to Newcastle by train on July 27.

A friend from south-western Sydney travelled by car to the Hunter with a Newcastle-based friend before meeting up at Shortland. The second Sydneysider is also a positive case but it remains unclear whether she was infected in Sydney or when she visited the Hunter.

“This person stayed in the Hunter between 28 July and 1 August, attended multiple venues across the region, including licensed venues, shopping centres, a party in Shortland and the Blacksmith’s Beach gathering,’’ Dr Durrheim said.

“The Shortland party and Blacksmith’s Beach gathering are confirmed transmission events.

“A link to positive cases at the University of Newcastle has not been confirmed, however it is believed, based on the movements of infected people and their onset of illness, transmission occurred at a licensed venue in Newcastle.’’

Hundreds of University of Newcastle students were forced to be tested and isolate after confirmed Covid-19 cases at International House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Peter Lorimer

It is understood contact tracers had trouble garnering information from the Sydneysiders on where they had travelled.

The house party occurred on the same night the Sydneysiders visited the Shortland Hotel bottle shop for half an hour on Wednesday, July 28.

On August 8, the same pub was listed as an exposure site for July 29, this time for three hours as the Sydneysiders visited the public bar, and the Blacksmiths Beach party occurred on July 30 — two days after the house party.

The University of Newcastle revealed last Saturday (August 7) that two students living on campus had tested positive to Covid-19.

Later that day, the university said any International House resident who had been on campus from July 28 — the night of the Shortland house party and two days before Blacksmiths Beach — were deemed a close contact and needed to isolate for 14 days.

The Hunter went into lockdown on August 5 after health authorities reported the first infections had occurred at the Blacksmiths Beach party.

It is understood it took several days for contact tracers to garner information from the Sydneysiders on where they had travelled.

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However, Hunter New England Health never revealed that their timelines had changed as the Sydneysiders opened up about where they had visited.

There were 53 confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday morning, although an outbreak of 11 at an Edgeworth aged care facility and several other unconfirmed positive cases are expected to see that number rise sharply on Thursday morning.

The planned week-long lockdown is supposed to end at midnight on Thursday night, however Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Wednesday that any lifting of restrictions was unlikely.