COVID NSW: No local cases, Pfizer vaccine registrations begin
The state has recorded another day of zero local cases as the Premier announced people aged between 40 and 49 years will now be able to register for the Pfizer vaccination.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
NSW has recorded zero locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour reporting period, with six discovered in hotel quarantine.
It comes as the NSW Premier announced people in NSW aged between 40 and 49 years can register their interest for a Pfizer jab from Monday.
Despite the general public in that age group not currently being eligible for a vaccine under the national rollout, people who register their interest will be contacted when a booking is available.
The vaccination announcement came as Premier Gladys Berejiklian toured a mass vaccination site at Homebush which opened on Monday.
For those aged 40-49, Ms Berejiklian stressed the government “can’t tell you exactly when it will be your turn” but said “it could be within weeks”.
“We’ve worked hard to get our systems up and running, to make sure that will be used up every dose that were given,” Ms Berejiklian said.
In its first week of operation the hub will administer Pfizer to priority groups.
People over 50 can register their interest for an AstraZeneca jab which will be administered at the Homebush site from May 24.
Lines for vaccines snaked out of the building and around the corner on Monday morning, with thousands of people set to get a vaccine dose on day one.
NSW Health deputy secretary Susan Pearce said the hub had been completed in 20 working days.
“It’s wonderful to see people outside, coming to get their job, we want people to come forward and get their jab,” she said.
NSW recorded zero locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, health authorities announced on Monday morning. Six cases were discovered in hotel quarantine.
NSW Health urged people to come forward for testing, with 13,768 tests performed in the latest reporting period.
The department administered 24,830 vaccines over the last seven days, with the state’s total number of vaccinations at 786,154
Meanwhile, health officials are still racing to work out how a Sydney man caught COVID-19 amid concerns there are chains of transmission that continue to go “unrecognised” in the city.
“(The local case’s) contact with the infectious person must have been very fleeting,” chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant told reporters on Monday.
“We are concerned there are chains of transmission in the community that are unrecognised.
“We’re not out of the risk period.”
NZ TRAVEL BUBBLE REOPENS
New Zealand has reopened its borders to NSW, after a short pause brought on by the emergence of two local cases in Sydney.
The bubble was put back in place from 11:59pm on Sunday, with the first flights touching down Monday morning.
Direct flights were halted from 11.59pm on May 6, putting Mother’s Day plans in jeopardy, but New Zealand’s COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the risk to public health from the cases remained low.
“New Zealand health officials met today to conduct a further assessment of the public health risk from the recently identified COVID-19 community cases in Sydney,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
“It has been determined that the risk to public health in New Zealand remains low.
It comes as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian annoucned the lates round of COVID-19 restrictions for Greater Sydney would be extended by another week.
Dancing will remain banned, patrons will need to stay seated while drinking, and masks will still be mandatory on public transport.
It comes as The Daily Telegraph can reveal the decision to impose the current round of restrictions was made without going to the state government’s COVID crisis cabinet.
The Telegraph understands the usual process — which includes consultation with Deputy Premier John Barilaro, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, and Jobs Minister Stuart Ayres — did not occur beforehand.
The trio of economic Ministers have been crucial to industry in consulting on restrictions and explaining new rules when they have been announced.
“It was clear that the three ministers were not consulted as their offices were scrambling for details after the fact,” an industry source told the Telegraph on Sunday.
The source said there had been confusion about how certain rules applied.
Mystery surrounds the source of two new local cases which emerged last week, with NSW Health so far unable to work out how an Eastern Suburbs man was infected.
On Sunday, NSW Health announced the restrictions would be extended with Premier Gladys Berejiklian declaring they are needed to “prevent a super-spreading event” as the “missing link” hasn’t been identified.
The restrictions will stay the same, except for shoppers in retail stores who will not be required to wear a mask.
They will stay in effect until Monday, May 17.
NSW Health now believes an Eastern Suburbs man — who tested positive on Wednesday — acquired the disease through “brief contact” with someone who caught the disease from a returned traveller.
No new local cases were recorded in Sunday’s update, from 18,024 tests. Six new cases were acquired in hotel quarantine.
It came as NSW Health was forced to fix an ambiguous online portal which had allowed anyone to book an appointment at the state’s mass vaccination hub, even if they are currently ineligible for a jab.
The Homebush site will open for frontline workers to get a vaccine today.
However, anyone who accessed the portal had been able to pre-register for a vaccine appointment – sparking a warning that anyone not currently eligible could be turned away.
A spokesman for the Sydney Local Health District said anyone who presents for a vaccine “will be assessed for eligibility in person on the day of the booking”.
NSW officials administered 1127 vaccine doses on Saturday.
TRAVEL AN ‘INCENTIVE’ TO GET VACCINE: HUNT
The ability to come and go from Australia more easily and not be subjected to as many restrictions is an “incentive” to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Health Minister Greg Hunt has declared.
Mr Hunt said the federal government was developing a roadmap for reopening Australia that would be a “progressive” easing of current measures rather than suddenly lifting all border measures.
“It’s about progressive opening, and that is very important for hope and understanding in Australia,” he said.
The roadmap will be based around three principles: green lane “travel bubbles,” increasing numbers of vaccination and “progressive” opening of borders for people who have been fully vaccinated.
Mr Hunt said currently the travel bubble with New Zealand was working well and he expected the capacity would eventually be expanded to the Pacific, and “possibly Singapore or other countries”.
Mr Hunt said how much freedom Australians who get vaccinated will have will be determined by the “global medical evidence” about transmissibility of COVID-19 after vaccination.
“We know that there is near universal prevention of serious illness, hospitalisation and loss of life,” he said.
“We know there is a high prevention of infection and transmission but not universal.”
Commodore Eric Young, who has been appointed by the government to oversea vaccine logistics, has also welcomed the new mass vaccination hub in Sydney being operated by NSW Health.
“(It’s) all hands-on deck to make sure we get the maximum number of vaccination in arms,” he said.
Commodore Young said he looked forward to visiting the NSW clinic later this week, and noted the Victorian mass clinics had been used to “great effect” already.
Mr Hunt also welcomed “all of the vaccine outlet options”.
“The more options the better,” he said.
“The states are doing a great job and they are tailoring their approaches to their respective needs and circumstances.
“We are in the fortunate position with sovereign vaccine manufacturing capability (of AstraZeneca) up and ... the secure supply from Pfizer to be able to accommodate that.”
Mr Hunt also welcomed the “creative programs” to ensure vaccine doses are not left unused, such as NSW Health calling for expressions of interest of people aged 40 to 79.
“We always want ... un-utilised doses to be used,” he said.
“And we are seeing Australian creativity.”
More Coverage
Originally published as COVID NSW: No local cases, Pfizer vaccine registrations begin
Join the conversation
Ciao bella! What a day Sydney!
A sold-out crowd of more than 50,000 held its breath before erupting into cheers and groans as the richest race on turf – the $20 million TAB Everest Stakes – was claimed by Bella Nipotina.
Read more
Giddy up! Stars come out to play at The Everest
There was one place to be on Saturday: The track. CEOs, celebs, sports stars and media execs descended on Royal Randwick Racecourse for The Everest, the best racing event of the year.
Read more