Testing links Sydney outbreak back to Melbourne

The source of a growing Sydney coronavirus outbreak, that has spread to at least 30 people, has been discovered through testing.

A coronavirus cluster at a southwestern Sydney pub has been genomically linked back to Melbourne cases.

The Crossroads Hotel outbreak in Casula grew to at least 30 cases on Tuesday, and testing by NSW Health revealed a Blue Mountains resident who dined at the venue on July 3 is linked to the Victorian outbreak – five days before the border between the two states closed.

NSW Health confirmed 22 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, including nine additional cases in the Crossroads cluster.

More cases are emerging as a Sydney pizza restaurant customer and a Woolworths staff member in Bowral have tested positive.

Mancini’s Original Woodfired Pizza in Belfield will close for three days after the man visited for dinner on July 10, the restaurant wrote on Facebook.

“NSW Health has advised us that we are low risk as the customer was in the restaurant for an hour and stayed within his group,” it said.

Thousands of Sydneysiders are getting tested. Picture: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

“We have given NSW Health our contacts for the night and they have all been notified and told to watch for symptoms including our staff.

“We are choosing to close the doors for 3 days from tomorrow and have the restaurant professionally deep cleaned.”

In a statement provided to news.com.au, a Woolworths spokesman said: “We have been notified that a team member at our Bowral store has tested positive for the coronavirus.

“We’re making contact with our Bowral team members and will provide our full support to those required to self-isolate in line with advice from the health authorities.

“As a food retailer, we already have very high standards of cleaning and hygiene in place. As an extra precautionary measure, the store has been closed overnight for an additional deep clean.”

It comes as Woolworths confirmed a staff member from the Bowral store in the NSW Southern Highlands, 110km southwest of Sydney, tested positive for the virus.

One case has been traced back to a Sydney pizza restaurant. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

Posts on social media suggest staff were alerted at approximately 7.30pm on Tuesday night and an announcement was made within the store for all customers to leave.

Staff have been notified and Woolworths is offering full support to those required to self isolate.

“While the risk of transmission to customers and team members is low, the safety and wellbeing of the local community is our priority,” the spokesman said.

“Customers and team members should be assured they can continue to safely shop and work at our Bowral supermarket.

“Any customers who shopped in our Bowral store on 12 July and feel unwell in the next two weeks should make contact with NSW Health.”

However, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Tuesday night she was not intending to implement another citywide lockdown.

“Every time we have another outbreak, we can’t afford to lock down, reopen, lock down, reopen,” she told the ABC. “That’s no way to live or to be able to instil confidence to businesses to keep employing people.”