Coronavirus Australia: ‘Infected backpackers’ blamed for Bondi outbreak
NSW Health is ramping up coronavirus testing in Sydney’s wealthy eastern suburbs due to an outbreak believed to be linked to Bondi backpackers.
NSW Health is ramping up coronavirus testing in Sydney’s wealthy eastern suburbs due to an outbreak believed to be linked to backpackers.
The state announced 114 new cases this morning, taking the state’s total to 2032, a lower increase than some previous days.
Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant called for “increased testing particularly in areas where there's community transmission or around clusters”, adding that despite the declining positive cases, we need to “remain cautious”.
Dr Kerry Chant confirmed there had been an outbreak of COVID-19 among backpackers in Bondi, in Sydney's east.
“We know there is a potential risk that other members of the community may have come in contact with infected backpackers,” she said.
“We have had a small number of cases in that community where there aren't obvious links, but a plausible explanation is they have come into contact with an infected backpacker before that backpacker was aware they had COVID-19.”
Dr Chant said “out of an abundance of caution we want to increase testing rates and introduce some pop-ups to increase our testing.”
“That will assure ourselves of the extent of community transmission,” she said.
“The aim of that is if we can rapidly identify cases, we can then identify the contacts of those cases, and prevent any onward transmission in the community.”
According to NSW Health, the South Eastern Sydney region – which Bondi falls under in this categorisation – has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the state at 450.
This region has conducted 14,549 tests altogether, with 46.92 cases per 100,000 residents.
Earlier this month, NSW Health confirmed “several” Bondi backpackers had tested positive for coronavirus after hundreds ignored public health warnings not to gather in large groups.
“There were two recent parties that some of the cases attended where the cases may have acquired their infections,” NSW Health said on March 22.
Those two parties were the Boogie Wonderland party at the Bucket List on March 15 and a party at Club 77 on the same date.
38yo unwittingly gives birth to couple’s baby
A single woman who got pregnant with the help of an IVF clinic was horrified when she uncovered a horror mix-up after giving birth.
Person dies from rare soil-borne disease
Residents in a flood-ravaged region have been issued a grim warning after a person died from a rare disease found in soil.
This woman will be dead by this afternoon
In just a few hours, NSW woman Kay Henderson will take her final breaths surrounded by her loved ones. This is why she is choosing to end her life.