And that concludes news.com.au's live coverage for Tuesday, July 27.
Victorians and South Australians, enjoy your newfound freedom from tonight.
Think of us Sydney-siders crying into our pillows.
See ya.
Live Breaking News: NSW reportedly considering four-week lockdown extension
NSW's crisis cabinet is reportedly considering a four-week extension of lockdown, which would take the stay-at-home orders into late August.
NSW's crisis cabinet is reportedly considering a four-week extension of lockdown, which would take the stay-at-home orders into late August.
A significant extension of the lockdown is set to be announced by Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday, and a four-week extension is one of the options being considered, according to several media reports on Tuesday evening.
It comes after NSW recorded 172 new cases today, the highest so far during the current outbreak.
Read on for all the latest Covid-19 updates.
Updates
See ya
Multiple cops sent into iso
Anthony Piovesan, NCA Newswire
A number of NSW police officers have been forced into isolation after they were potentially exposed to a person infected with Covid-19.
NSW Police confirmed on Tuesday night that “a number of staff” from the South West Metropolitan Region had been identified as potential contacts with a Covid-19 positive case.
“All affected police employees have been directed to get tested and undertake 14-days isolation in compliance with the Public Health Order,” a spokesperson said.
The exposed officers were undertaking work duties at a “venue of concern” in southwest Sydney.
7News reported 60 police officers were in isolation as a result of the exposure to Covid-19, but NSW Police would not confirm the figure.
Read more here.
New Sydney Covid alerts
Catie McLeod, NCA Newswire
Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the inner west and Bondi are all back on high alert after NSW Health issued a warning for an additional 32 venues deemed Covid-19 exposure sites.
A Coles at Warringah Mall, a Woolworths at Bondi Beach and a handful of supermarkets in Leichhardt are among the sites visited by a confirmed coronavirus case who was potentially infectious at the time.
A Bunnings Warehouse in Bellambi, in the Illawarra region, has also been named as a venue of concern.
For the full list, go here.
More details on lockdown extension
With Sydney’s lockdown looming for another month, changes to current restrictions are on the horizon for education and construction sectors.
Construction work will begin again on Saturday, according to The Australian, but with more safeguards and capacity limits in place.
However, tradesmen from Sydney’s south-west and west – the areas have hit hardest by the virus – still won’t be able to work.
With the lockdown set to continue past Year 12’s trial exams, The Daily Telegraph says that final-year students might also be able to get rapid Covid testing.
Essential workers may also receive rapid testing, which can return a result in as quickly as 10 minutes.
7NEWS claims that more financial support for affected workers is also under consideration.
Green light for singles bubble
In the same cabinet meeting where the lockdown extension was announced, NSW leaders also made another big call on restrictions.
Despite today marking the highest number of locally acquired cases in NSW’s current outbreak, it’s good news for anyone living alone.
NSW’s crisis cabinet this evening gave the go ahead for a singles bubble, according to The Daily Telegraph.
In recent days, NSW’s intimate partner rule has been slammed because it meant only people in a relationship could visit each other's homes.
Victoria introduced the single bubbles rule during the state’s 112-day lockdown last year, which allowed single people to nominate one family member or friend to visit for companionship.
It’s believed NSW's rule will be similar.
Before now, only couples in Sydney could visit each other at home.
Two people from different households could meet up for exercise in open areas but both had to live within 10 kilometres of each other.
The decision was ultimately made in the NSW cabinet meeting over mental health concerns for those living alone, the publication reported.
Reports of four-week lockdown extension
There are reports that Sydney’s lockdown could be extended by four weeks from Friday, dragging lockdown all the way until August 27.
The four-week extension is one of the options being considered at the NSW Cabinet meeting, according to 7NEWS.
It is expected to be announced tomorrow morning.
NSW Govt officials confirming there will be a four-week lockdown extension announced tomorrow. Not sure why @GladysB hoards these critical details for a press event at 11am. She has a media team of almost 10 ppl, any one of whom can draft a press release with the key decisions.
— Yoni Bashan (@yoni_bashan) July 27, 2021
At today's press conference, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there would be more news tomorrow about "what life beyond July 31 looks like".
"I know it’s really difficult not to speculate, but please wait to make those announcements I’m hoping to make those announcements as early as tomorrow, to give people plenty of notice," she said.
‘Lying’: Pollies fight on live TV
A Labor and Liberal MP have had a stoush on live TV while they squabbled over what should be done about NSW’s Covid-19 situation.
Liberal MP Tim Wilson accused Labor MP and Shadow Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones of “lying” during an ABC interview on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Jones called for “harsher” measures in NSW because he said Victoria’s 112-day lockdown had clearly “worked”.
“I think it (NSW's lockdown) does require those harsher measures in play – the same sort of measures that Tim (Wilson) was writing to the Human Rights Commissioner last year asking the Human Rights Commissioner to overturn,” he said.
“That is actually a lie,” a furious Mr Wilson interjected. “I asked them to provide the evidence base for the decisions.”
“I listened to you in silence. You will do the same, mate,” Mr Jones fired back.
Later on, Mr Wilson said feistily: “What I wrote to the Human Rights Commission last year was to write to the basis of the Victorian curfew …so Mr Jones is lying to your viewers."
Teacher suspended for anti-lockdown views
A private school teacher has been suspended after attending Sydney’s anti-lockdown rally on Saturday which has been slammed as a “selfish” super-spreading event.
The King’s School in Parramatta found out a teacher had been to the protest after he posted about it online, visible to some of his students.
“This is me standing up for what I believe in rather than being a keyboard warrior, a pacifist, or worse, a coward in my own mind,” the teacher wrote in the now-deleted post.
In a letter to parents, the school’s principal Tony George said the teacher had been reported to police and suspended, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
“While I appreciate that people are free to hold their own views and beliefs, this does not extend to their behaviour and conduct,” Mr George said in the letter.
News.com.au has reached out to the school for comment.
QLD fines Sydney escapee $10k
A Sydney man who escaped lockdown by sneaking into Queensland has been slugged with more than $10,000 in fines.
His female accomplice was fined more than $4,000.
Unaware he was infected with the Delta strain of Covid-19, Queensland police allege the 26-year-old Sydney man flew to Ballina in far north NSW where a Brisbane woman, aged 35, picked him up and drove him across the border.
During his NSW flight, he infected the air hostess, causing six regional flights to be ordered into isolation.
Police say he attended three stores in the Brisbane suburb of Chermside, where he used “untrue information” to check-in to shops on July 15.
After being picked up by cops, he was placed into quarantine but verbally abused staff and kept opening the door to his room without wearing a mask.
The 26-year-old was issued with three infringement notices: failing to comply with Queensland’s COVID-19 Border Direction ($4,135), failing to comply with COVID-19 direction by providing untrue information ($4,135) and failing to comply with COVID-19 Direction of an Emergency Officer ($1,378).
Health workers in iso after lift bungle
Two Western Australian healthcare workers have been forced into self-isolation for a fortnight after a lift bungle left them exposed to Covid-19.
Health staff yesterday transported three “critically ill” crew members off the Darya Krishna cargo ship which docked in the WA port of Fremantle earlier that day.
However, a “mechanical fault” in a lift during the transfer is believed to have exposed two healthcare workers at the Fiona Stanley Hospital to the disease.
Fully-vaccinated staff decked out in full PPE gear transported the first sick crew member, which involved taking them into a lift to reach the right level in the hospital.
The lift was meant to be locked and left to ventilate on the hospital’s helipad level but instead it kept working, where two other healthcare workers stepped inside at a lower level.
“Given the short duration of time between the patient leaving the lift and the staff members entering, they are being considered as a close contact,” WA Health said in a statement this afternoon.
The incident is being investigated.
Midfielder leaving Lions’ den
Desperate for more games in the AFL, a fringe midfielder has left the Brisbane Lions to join the Melbourne Demons.
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Peak hour chaos for train commuters
Commuters are being warned of delays after an incident at a major train station affected peak hour services, with police still in attendance.
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New Aussie era begins with six fresh faces
A new halves pairing and a new captain will roll out for the Kangaroos on Friday night against a Tongan outfit fearing no team.
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