Hunter Covid: Two Sydney women suspected of bringing Covid-19 to region have been charged

Police allege infected women where Hunter Covid cluster originated continued to party and shop after being told to return to Sydney

Two Sydney women who transferred Covid-19 in the Hunter while allegedly defying orders to return to Sydney have been charged with failing to comply with directions under the public health order.

Deputy Commissioner Mick Willing (Regional NSW Field Operations) announced the charges at a press conference on Friday, adding that police allege both women had a history of non-compliance with public health orders.

Both women were isolating in separate Sydney homes on Thursday night when they were handed court attendance notices.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mick Willing provides an update on COVID-19 in Sydney. Picture: NCA Newswire /Gaye Gerard

It can now be revealed that a 20-year-old woman had arrived in the Hunter by train on July 27, two days before her 21-year-old friend got off a Sydney-Newcastle service at Cardiff railway station and allegedly defied orders by transit police to immediately return to Sydney.

The younger woman is the person Hunter New England Health identified on Wednesday as the person whom the Hunter outbreak “originated from”.

It comes as NSW Health revealed five new cases in the Hunter New England region on Friday, bringing the total since the outbreak to 78.

Health authorities have still not revealed whether the older woman was carrying the virus when she arrived at Cardiff railway station on July 29, or was infected after meeting up with her friend.

Police will allege both women also gave false details to police when they were stopped outside a Sandgate Road, Shortland address in the early hours of July 30 before failing to follow directions by the officers to return to Sydney.

Both have given differing versions of their movements to health and law enforcement authorities, including how they both travelled to the Hunter and while they partied for days across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian pictured at a Covid-19 update press conference in St Leonards. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

They also initially refused to fully co-operate with contact tracers for several days after it was found at least one of them had brought the virus to the Hunter and passed it on to an unknown number of people between July 27 and July 31.

Those “transmissions events” occurred during parties at a Shortland residence as well as when they frequented pubs, nightclubs and major shopping centres in the days and hours leading up to the much-publicised Blacksmiths Beach party on July 30 where more people were infected.

Police will allege the women did not use QR codes when they entered the large number of businesses across shopping centres including Westfield Kotara, Charlestown Square and numerous licensed premises.

Dr David Durrheim in a Hunter New England Health prerecorded video update on Monday. Picture: Supplied.

Police had been forced to begin their own investigation into the movements of the southwestern Sydneysiders after health authorities followed protocols and didn’t pass on information, including the identities of the women, citing the need for the women to be honest and open with contact tracers who were scrambling to nail down crucial exposure sites.

They will allege the younger woman had travelled by train to the Hunter on July 27 and frequented a house on Sandgate Road, Shortland.

A house party at Shortland on July 27 was followed by similar get-togethers at the residence on the next two nights, with her older friend joining the group after she arrived in the Hunter on July 29.

Police allege the older woman told police transport command officers at Cardiff railway station about 9.45am on July 29 that she had fallen asleep as she was travelling from Strathfield to Epping, but failed to comply with their directions to return to Sydney immediately.

Newcastle's Jesmond Public School underwent a thorough deep clean after one of its students tested positive for Covid 19. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Peter Lorimer

Instead, she caught up with her friend and they partied at the Shortland residence and a nearby hotel.

By 1.45am the following morning, the pair were spoken to by police outside the Shortland residence.

It is alleged both gave false details before their identities were confirmed and they were issued with $1000 fines for breaching the public health order.

Police directed them to return to Sydney. Police allege the women left the area after telling police they would return to Sydney

But they remained in the Hunter, went to the Blacksmiths Beach party on July 30 before boarding a train back to Sydney on July 31.

Police from South Sydney and Mt Druitt police area commands issued future court attendance notices to two women for the offence of fail to comply with noticed direction in relation to section 7/8/9 – COVID-19 – individual.

The younger woman is due to attend Mt Druitt Local Court on September 29 while the older woman is due to appear at Hornsby Local Court on the same date.