More COVID health alerts for Sydney buses and trains as CBD cluster grows

The Sydney CBD coronavirus cluster is growing as health alerts are issued for four new bus routes, four trains and a train station.

The Sydney CBD coronavirus cluster is continuing to grow with seven cases out of Tuesday’s 13 linked to the area.

Health alerts were issued for four bus routes, four trains and a train station on Tuesday, adding to an already extensive list.

Four trains between Blacktown and Central station were listed, as was the 440 bus, the 311 bus, and two days of the 389 bus, which travelled around the inner CBD with an infected person on-board.

Community transmission of the virus has shut down St Paul’s College in Greystanes, and the entire year 10 cohort has been forced into two weeks’ isolation after three more students from the school tested positive.

The source of the infection at the school remains unknown, and the school will remain closed for on-site learning while contact tracing is under way.

All staff and children at the Reddam Early Learning Centre in Lindfield have also been asked to isolate and get tested as cases in the centre rise.

There are now 41 cases linked to the Sydney CBD cluster. Of the seven announced on Tuesday, two worked at Reddam Early Learning Centre, one visited the Tattersalls City Gym on Pitt St, two are household contacts of previous cases and two are close contacts of previous cases.

Another of Tuesday’s new cases worked at Liverpool Hospital, and just two were returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

A nurse at the Dalcross Private Hospital drive-through testing clinic in Killara in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Anyone who attended the following venues or rode on the following buses or trains is considered a casual contact and must monitor for symptoms and get tested if they develop.

• Kmart, Aldi, Coles and the food court at Warriewood Square shopping centre on August 29 between 12:30 – 2:30pm
• Newtown Train Station, Kings Street Newtown 2042 on August 28 between 5.10pm – 5.20pm
• BWS bottle shop, 123 King Street, Newtown on August 28 between 5.15pm – 5.40pm
• Off Ya Tree clothing and body piercing store, 225 King Street, Newtown on August 28 between 7.15 – 7.55pm
• Rydges Camperdown hotel, 9 Missenden Road, Camperdown 2050 on August 29 between 2.00 – 3.15pm
• Blacktown to City train: August 25 departed Blacktown 6.58am, arrived Central 7.45am
• Blacktown to City train: August 26 departed Blacktown 6.59am, arrived Central 7.41am
• City to Blacktown train: August 25 departed Town Hall 6:25pm, arrived Blacktown 7.18pm
• City to Blacktown train: August 26 departed Wynyard 6:38pm, arrived Blacktown 7:35pm
• 440 bus: August 25 departed Central Station, Eddy Ave, Stand B 7.54am, arrived Oxford St at West St 8:05am
• 311 bus: August 26 departed Central Station, Eddy Ave, Stand B 7:48am, arrived Darlinghurst Rd at Burton St 7.58am
• 389 bus: August 25 departed St Vincent’s Hospital, Burton St, 4:12pm, arrived Town Hall Station, Park, St Stand J 4:23pm
• 389 bus: August 26 departed St Vincent’s Hospital, Burton St, 4.07pm, arrived Town Hall Station, Park St, Stand J, 4.23pm

Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned on Monday while the numbers are promising, NSW is not yet out of the woods.

She urged anyone with the mildest of symptoms to keep coming forward and getting tested.

“Normally, August, September is the peak time for the flu, but because we’re hand sanitising and keeping our distances, those numbers haven’t materialised – but that means if you do have a symptom you should assume it’s COVID and not the flu,” she said.

More than 2.1 million coronavirus tests have now been taken in NSW.

‘LIFE WILL CHANGE IN A POSITIVE WAY’

Speaking in Albury on Tuesday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced restrictions along the NSW/Victoria border would ease from Friday.

“Pleasingly, having obviously heard the sustained concerns of the community, and seeing the rates of infection in Victoria decline, from this Friday, the border community, the border region, will be extended to that initial 50km on either side of the border,” she said.

The Premier said unlike when things needed to be closed to avoid further spread of the virus, the Government was able to give Service NSW and businesses some time to adjust before the new restrictions come into play.

“We wanted to make sure that, unlike previous changes, we gave as much notice as possible so that people would be able to start planning ahead,” she said.

“Of course, any movements outside the border communities comes with additional restrictions, but in terms of people being able to tend to their daily life without unnecessary stress, we hope from Friday, life will change in a positive way for people.”

The NSW/Victoria border region will be extended from Friday, allowing people who live 50km on both sides to move between the two states for work, education and compassionate reasons with an approved permit. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Simon Dallinger

Ms Berejiklian said the border would not be subject to restrictions “a day longer than it needed to be”, and health officials in NSW were anxiously watching virus numbers in Victoria as the state comes out of lockdown to determine what Christmas this year would look like.

“What is really important is to see what the case numbers do once restrictions are lifted in Victoria,” she said.

“We want to have confidence that once restrictions are eased, the virus is not spreading again. And I think that's really important.”

The new border region and “border region resident” permit will come into effect at 12.01am on Friday, September 4.

The new permit allows a resident in the border region to enter NSW to obtain necessary goods or services, for care or compassionate reasons or to attend work or obtain educational services where it is not reasonable for the person to work or attend educational services from their state of residence.

A border region resident who lives in NSW can enter Victoria only for the reason allowed in the permit and must not travel to any part of Victoria outside the border region or a COVID-19 area of concern.

A border region resident who lives in Victoria can enter and remain in NSW for only the reason allowed on their permit, must not travel further into NSW than the border region and must not enter NSW if the person has recently travelled in Victoria in a restricted area – currently listed as Greater Melbourne – or a COVID-19 area of concern in Victoria in the past 14 days.