Baby, mum, dad, among four new cases in NSW

Four family members in regional New South Wales, including a baby, have been diagnosed with coronavirus after visiting Melbourne.

A baby is among four new coronavirus cases in Wagga Wagga, in regional NSW, with the child and its family believed to have contracted the virus in Melbourne.

The family, a 52-year-old woman, her son and daughter-in-law, who are both in their 20s, and their baby, have been self-isolating since returning from Victoria and are not believed to have infected anybody else with the virus.

These cases are in addition to 13 more from across NSW announced on Monday morning, as Premier Gladys Berejiklian called for residents to be on “extra high alert”.

One new case announced on Monday cannot be linked to any known case, while eight were linked to other local cases.

Three others are overseas travellers in hotel quarantine and one had returned from Victoria.

Worryingly, NSW Health officials revealed there are seven cases of coronavirus diagnosed over the past week that still have no known source.

These cases have been in people from South Western Sydney, Western Sydney, South Eastern Sydney and Sydney Local Health District.

Speaking on Monday, Ms Berejiklian said everyone should be taking every precaution possible to ensure NSW did not experience a similar outbreak to Victoria.

“All of us need to be on extra high alert,” she said. “The next few weeks are critical for New South Wales.”

13 new cases of #COVID19 have been diagnosed in NSW between 8pm on 1 August and 8pm on 2 August.

For the latest list of COVID-19 locations, visit: https://t.co/pqkRdfh3cR pic.twitter.com/8XSFcvz8BW

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 3, 2020

The Premier said the state’s geographic proximity to Victoria posed an additional danger that could not be fought by simply closing the state off to its southern neighbour.

“No border is impenetrable, and we‘ve seen numerous examples of that across the nation,” she said.

“No matter how tough we are, so long as the virus is in and around us in Australia, there is a risk in New South Wales. Our geographic proximity to Victoria makes us the first line of having the virus, so that‘s why we need to be extra careful and extra cautious, which we are.”

Health advice in NSW was upgraded on Sunday to “strongly encourage” mask wearing in shopping centres, places of worship, on public transport and at other indoor gatherings.

Ms Berejiklian said this measure would help keep the outbreak under control, noting one case visiting the Crossroads Hotel resulted in contact tracers having to call 600 people.

Health advice in NSW was upgraded on Sunday to ‘strongly encourage’ mask wearing in shopping centres, places of worship, on public transport and at other indoor gatherings. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

There are now 101 cases linked to the Thai Rock restaurant at Wetherill Park, 58 cases associated with the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, 35 cases linked with funeral events in Bankstown and surrounds, including 11 linked to the Mounties in Mount Pritchard.

Another 26 cases are linked to the Potts Point cluster, with 20 of those linked to The Apollo restaurant and six with the Thai Rock in Potts Point.

Monday’s new cases include a person who went to Fitness First at Rockdale on July 27 from 11.25am to 12.30pm and a person who was attended a yoga studio in Bondi on July 23 from 12.15 to 1.15pm. Close and casual contacts of the infected people have been identified.

There are 95 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health. Eight people were in intensive care and five were ventilated as of 8pm last night. Eighty-six per cent of cases are in non-acute, out‑of‑hospital care.