Bayside, Strathfield and Burwood new ‘suburbs of concern’ as NSW Covid-19 worsens

Three new local government areas will be under tighter Covid-19 restrictions from Thursday night.

Three new Sydney local government areas have been declared “areas of concern”, after the Covid-19 outbreak grew by 345 cases overnight.

From 5pm on Thursday, Bayside, Strathfield and Burwood local government areas will be added to the list of LGAs under tighter restrictions.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the suburbs of “particular concern” were Bexley, Banksia and Rockdale, where additional cases have been identified overnight.

Those three suburbs are all within the Bayside LGA.

A total of 12 local government areas are now under tough Covid-19 restrictions after a spike in cases. Picture: NCA Newswire /Gaye Gerard

Sydney, with darker colours showing a higher frequency of Covid-19 cases. Picture: NSW Health

“In Strathfield and Burwood, which are geographically smaller areas, we are noticing relative to the population an increasing number of cases and as a precaution, those additional council areas have been brought into those areas of concern,” she said.

The three LGAs listed on Thursday, as well as Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta and some parts of Penrith are under tighter restrictions than other parts of New South Wales.

NSW recorded 345 new cases on Thursday. Picture: NCA Newswire /Gaye Gerard

Residents can only move within 5km of their home, and can only go to work if absolutely essential, on the condition they receive a Covid-19 test every three days.

People in these LGAs are still able to form a singles bubble with one other person, provided they live within 5km in one of the affected LGAs.

Ms Berejiklian said Fairfield and Canterbury-Bankstown remain areas which are generating the most cases, but there was some “stabilisation” starting to take place in those LGAs.

“However, the front has moved into Cumberland, and we are in particular concerned about Merrylands, Auburn and Granville,” she said.

NEWLY AFFECTED SUBURBS:

Bayside: Botany, Brighton le-Sands, Bexley, Banksia, Kogarah, Mascot, Rockdale and Sans Souci

Strathfield: Belfield, Flemington, Greenacre, Homebush, Homebush West, Stratfield, Strathfield South

Burwood: Burwood, Burwood Heights, Enfield and Enfield South.

Of the 345 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night, 120 are from South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD), 85 are from Western Sydney LHD, 61 are from Sydney LHD, 25 are from Hunter New England LHD, 24 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, 19 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD, seven are from Northern Sydney LHD, two are from Western NSW LHD and two have unknown addresses.