Live breaking news: NSW Health adds more Sydney venues to virus exposure list

NSW has added several new venues to Sydney coronavirus exposure sites and put new suburbs in alert because of sewage fragments.

More NSW venues have been added to Sydney's growing list and suburbs have been put on high alert.

 

NSW announced the new venues this evening and reveal coronavirus fragments had been detected in sewage in Marrickville.

Queenslanders are being told they must quarantine if they've been to a venue connected to the Sydney coronavirus case.

Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young also put out a statement this evening stressing people must home quarantine and get tested tomorrow morning.

A man in his 50s is from Sydney’s east had been “very active in the community” while infected.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the new case was a "wake-up call" after she'd seen people in the state become complacent.

The man visited a number of venues across Sydney while potentially infectious, in Bondi Junction, Rushcutters Bay, Silverwater, Annandale, Casula, Mascot, Double Bay, Brookvale and Moore Park.

This live blog has now ended. Read on for earlier updates or visit the news.com.au homepage for the latest news.

Updates

10:27 pm May 5, 2021

WA issues guidance after NSW case

WA Health has issued advice for people who have recently returned to the state from New South Wales after a COVID-19 case was detected in Sydney.

WA’s Chief Health Officer Dr Andrew Robertson said any individuals in WA who had visited the New South Wales venues of concern at the relevant times between April 30 and May 4 should get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from their date of exposure.

Recent NSW travellers were asked to continue to monitor the NSW Health website "as new locations are likely to be added".

Media statement: WA Health advice following confirmed New South Wales COVID-19 case https://t.co/ZBH6jsrmdu

— WA Health (@WAHealth) May 5, 2021

Dr Robertson said NSW Health was in the process of contact tracing the case and would notify WA if any close or casual contacts were found to be in Western Australia.

“We believe any risk to WA remains very low, but the situation highlights the importance of remaining vigilant to prevent the chance of any spread of the virus or community transmission in this State," he said.

“We will continue to monitor the situation in New South Wales very closely and issue updated health advice if required."

He said that recent arrivals into WA from NSW should "remain vigilant and to get tested and isolate immediately if even mild symptoms developed".

9:14 pm May 5, 2021 Highlight

Sewage detection in NSW

NSW Health has also announced that fragments of coronavirus have been detected in the Marrickville Sewage Network.

This catchment includes about 42,000 people and takes sewage from Dulwich Hill, Marrickville, Summer Hill, Lewisham, Ashfield, Haberfield, Petersham, Lilyfield and Leichhardt.

NSW Health is asking everyone in these areas to be especially vigilant in monitoring for symptoms, and if they appear get tested and isolate immediately until a negative result is received.

NSW Health is providing a new COVID-19 pop-up testing clinic and extended hours at existing clinics, including drive-throughs, to support increased testing in Sydney’s east and inner city.

The authority urges everyone in NSW with even the mildest symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat or runny nose, to come forward immediately for testing, then isolate until they receive a negative result.

9:11 pm May 5, 2021 Highlight

New NSW venues revealed

NSW Health has released new venues of concern as part of ongoing investigations into a COVID-19 case reported earlier today.

A man in his 50s from the eastern suburbs returned a positive result for coronavirus today and urgent investigations and contact tracing continue.

Anyone who attended any of the following venues at the times specified is asked to immediately get tested and isolate until NSW Health provides further advice.

This applies to everyone, including those who have been partially or fully vaccinated.

Monday, May 3:

• The Stadium Club, Entertainment Quarter, 122 Lang Rd, Moore Park, Monday May 3, 11.30am to 12.30pm
• Azure Café, Entertainment Quarter, Shop 5a Building 205, 122 Lang Rd, Moore Park,12.30pm to 1pm
• The Royal Sydney Golf Club, Kent Rd, Rose Bay, 5.30pm to 9pm

Tuesday, May 4:

• Rug Cleaning Repairs Hand Rug Wash Sydney, 8/52-54 Sydenham Rd, Brookvale, 12.30pm to 1pm
• Alfresco Emporium, 1021 Pittwater Rd, Collaroy, 1pm to 1.30pm
• SMITH MADE, 14/28 Roseberry Street, Balgowlah, 2.30pm to 2.45pm
• Chemist Warehouse, 459-463 New South Head Rd, Double Bay, 3.45pm to 4pm
• Woolworths, Kiaora Lane and Kiaora Rd, Double Bay, 4.05pm to 4.15pm

7:22 pm May 5, 2021 Highlight

Key detail about virus case’s movements

The man who tested positive to coronavirus had visited a store that is located below a Sydney quarantine hotel, it has been revealed.

The man in his 50s, from the city’s eastern suburbs, returned a positive result on Wednesday sparking several venue alerts.

Among those was an optometrist located below the Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney’s CBD, which is being used as a quarantine hotel.

The man visited the HineSight Optometrist on April 30 between noon and 1pm.

7:08 pm May 5, 2021 Highlight

Queenslanders warned over Sydney venues

While Queensland hasn't made a move to shut its border to Sydneysiders, it has warned people about its quarantine rule.

Anyone in Queensland who's been to the exposure sites listed by NSW Health during the risk period is being asked to quarantine at their home or accommodation, call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) and get a COVID-19 test as soon as possible tomorrow morning.

Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said it was important anyone who had been to the sites went into home quarantine.

"NSW Health has already made it clear that anyone who has been to any of those venues, should be quarantining, and not getting on flights," Dr Young said.

"We’re working closely with NSW to get a better understanding of the risk associated with this case, so as an interim measure, we’re mirroring NSW Health’s advice.

"We’ll continue to assess the situation as more information comes to hand over the next 24 hours."

4:40 pm May 5, 2021 Highlight

New venues released by NSW Health

NSW Health has added new venues to a list of areas of concern, after a man in his 50s tested positive to coronavirus today.

The man from Sydney's east visited a number of Sydney venues while potentially infectious in suburbs including Bondi Junction, Rushcutters Bay, Silverwater, Annandale, Casula and Mascot.

NSW Health said this afternoon three more venues had been added to the list.

The venues are:

District Brasserie, Sydney, on Friday April 30

11.00am to 11.45am

HineSight Optometrist; Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, on April 30

12.00pm to 1.00pm

Barbetta, Paddington, on April 30

1.30pm to 2.30pm

Anyone who attended any of the following newly identified venues at the times specified is asked to immediately get tested and isolate until NSW Health provides further advice. This applies to everyone, including those who have been partially or fully vaccinated.

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) May 5, 2021

This is in addition to the other locations announced earlier today:

Screening of The Courier at Event Cinemas, Westfield Bondi Junction, April 30
6.00pm to 8.00pm

Figo Restaurant, Rushcutters Bay, April 30
8.45pm to 11.00pm

Joe’s Barbeques and Heating, Silverwater, May 1
1.00pm to 1.45pm

Tucker Barbeques, Silverwater, May 1
1.00pm to 1.45pm

Barbecues Galore, Annandale, May 1
2.00pm to 3.00pm

Barbecues Galore, Casula, May 1
4.00pm to 5.00pm

BP, Mascot, May 1

4.30pm to 5.00pm

The Meat Store, Bondi Junction, May 2
3.00pm to 4.00pm

4:28 pm May 5, 2021 Highlight

Stuart MacGill 'betrayed by someone he knew'

Australian Test cricket great Stuart MacGill did not inform police for a week after he was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint for ransom because he felt “threatened and scared”.

A NSW Police press conference about MacGill’s ordeal has heard the legendary spin bowler was “quite scared about going to police at all” after allegedly being abducted and beaten.

Police allege MacGill was forced into a vehicle at Cremorne, on Sydney’s Lower North Shore on April 14 and taken to a property where he was assaulted and threatened with a firearm.

He was then driven to Belmore in Sydney’s southwest and released after an hour.

MacGill did not report the incident until April 20 because he felt threatened.

Police allege the motive was financial, but no money was exchanged.

In a press conference today, Detective Acting Superintendent Anthony Holton was asked if it was random or MacGill knew the man who allegedly confronted him on the street.

“I would be saying it was a personal relationship,” he replied.

4:24 pm May 5, 2021 Highlight

Worst thing about India's horror show

“It is absolute carnage and more of a world war-like situation where you see dead bodies everywhere.”

Those are the words of Tahir Ibn Manzoor, a journalist working in New Delhi, the epicentre of the worst COVID-19 outbreak the world has ever seen.

Speaking with news.com.au, Tahir said he had never seen anything like the scenes unfolding around him.

Picture: Tauseef Mustafa / AFP

“It is a warlike situation where you see bodies piled up. Some are rotting with their relatives and family members waiting for hours in the crematorium grounds which are usually cramped for space with furnaces burning round the clock.”

He said makeshift crematoriums are popping up everywhere as the city tries to keep pace with the number of corpses arriving for cremation every day.

The bodies, he says, are “on the roadside, pavements, in cars, ambulances and under the sweltering sun”.

4:10 pm May 5, 2021 Highlight

Victoria responds to new case in NSW

The Victorian Department of Health has provided an update after a community case of coronavirus was detected in Sydney.

The man in his 50s visited a number of venues in Sydney while possibly infectious, and anyone who went to those venues is urged to get tested and isolate.

"Victorian health officials will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates as soon as more information is available," the Department said in a tweet.

NSW Health is advising people who have been to the following exposure sites to immediately test and isolate until more information can be provided. This advice also applies to people currently in Victoria who were at these locations during the specified times: pic.twitter.com/FwIcqoSXJ6

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) May 5, 2021

2:45 pm May 5, 2021 Highlight

Hunt says government tripling capacity of Howard Springs facility

The federal health minister Greg Hunt has been asked about the government’s decision to ban flights from India.

A reporter referenced comments from the Prime Minister, saying the decision was made after the number of cases in hotel quarantine was too high.

The reporter asked: Presumably when we start taking travellers from India again there will be another surge in cases in quarantine. What exactly is being done now to make may more manageable after May 15? Why weren't we prepared before?

Mr Hunt said the decision was made around “caseload”.

“That's the important point to understand. What we have seen is, of course, more than one in eight passengers on the most recent flights were testing positive.

Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

“That's the level beyond anything that we had seen before.”

He said the government’s job was to protect Australia and its health system against a third wave, and to balance the caseload.

“We're aware, obviously of the potential for cases, which is precisely why we took the difficult temporary measures, difficult, but temporary measures.”

He said the positivity rate of returned travellers had since dropped from 13 per cent to 0.3 per cent.

Mr Hunt said the government was using the period to May 15 to triple the capacity at the Howard Springs quarantine facility.

He also said there would be better testing at the point of departure in foreign countries.