Coronavirus NSW: Suspected cases could be walking around, Premier says
If your suburb isn’t on the NSW coronavirus “heat map” it doesn’t mean people suspected of having COVID-19 aren’t still wandering around, the Premier warns.
If your suburb wasn’t identified this week among the coronavirus clusters in New South Wales, that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear, Premier Gladys Berejiklian says.
“Just because your community is not on the heat map we are putting up in terms of the number of cases, please don’t assume that you might not have people walking around in your community who are suspected of having it or should be in isolation,” she told reporters in Sydney this morning.
RELATED: Follow the latest coronavirus updates
RELATED: Australian confirmed virus cases and deaths
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant today said there are 1219 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in NSW after 190 were added overnight.
Police Minister David Elliott yesterday announced officers will be able to issue individuals a $1000 fine for not self-isolating, with corporations facing a fine of up to $5000 if they remain open after the second stage of social distancing measures was enforced.
People could also be jailed for up to six months.
Cafes and restaurants can only provide takeaway or home delivery, auctions were cancelled, cinemas have closed and attendance limits have been made for personal training sessions, weddings and funerals, among other restrictions.
On Wednesday, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard made a Public Health Order “to deal with the public health risk of COVID-19 and its possible consequences” beginning today, March 26.
“A person diagnosed with COVID-19 must immediately travel to a residence or place that has been determined to be suitable for the person to reside in or to a hospital for assessment,” the order states.
“On leaving or being discharged from the hospital, the diagnosed person must travel directly to a residence or place of that kind.
“The diagnosed person must, except in specified circumstances, remain at the residence or place and not permit any other person to enter the residence or place until medically cleared.”
It further states COVID-19 is “potentially fatal” and “highly contagious”.
According to data released by NSW Health on Wednesday, there are “clusters” of cases in Wollongong, Cessnock in the Hunter region, and the Sydney suburbs of Waverley, Ryde, Hornsby and Camperdown. The date of first onset ranges from February 24 to March 17 and all are identified as having “local transmission”.
The “heat map” figures, as of 8pm on March 24, also show 292 cases recorded in southeastern Sydney, 209 in northern Sydney and 100 in Hunter New England.
A total of 35 different Local Government Areas had been identified as having at least one “locally acquired” case of coronavirus with the point of contact “not identified”.
The Sutherland Shire, Parramatta, Campbelltown, Newcastle, Orange, Port Macquarie-Hastings and the Central Coast were among those listed.
Ms Berejiklian said police are not only “ramping up their presence around all of our ports”, after the Ruby Princess cruise ship fiasco in Sydney, but are also targeting regions outside of the city centres.
“In particular to follow up those cases of known people who should be in isolation to make sure we don’t spread this further anywhere, let alone in those rural and regional communities,” she said today.
The Premier thanked the community for largely “stepping up” and following the social distancing directions that have been decided federally and at a state level.
“But I do also want to say to the community that if we don’t see things shifting in the numbers because of those actions, NSW will have to go further,” she said.
“And I think everybody appreciates that but I say no need to panic.
“Supermarkets and essential things will always be available for people to obtain. But if things have not shifted because of the actions we took earlier in the week and actions which I am very pleased we took at that time, we will have to go further.
“I just want everyone to be prepared for that, not to be overly concerned or panicked but just to know that the NSW Government will go further if we have to because it is in the interests of public safety.”
‘GO STRAIGHT HOME’
Cases have also been identified elsewhere as resulting from community transmission, in people who “aren’t clearly contacts”, rather than in returned travellers or contacts of confirmed cases.
Australian Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy said these have appeared in “small pockets”, particularly in NSW and Sydney, and “tiny pockets” in other states.
“Some people are being told they are a positive case and going into the chemist or the supermarket on the way home,” he said on Tuesday night.
“If you are isolating because you are a positive case or you’re isolating because you’re a contact, you go home and you isolate and you obey those rules.”
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt on Tuesday stared down the barrel of a camera and issued the same message.
“Go straight home,” he said.
“There are many means to ensure that you are provided with both medical care, critical supplies and medical supplies through the pharmacy at home, home delivery program, which we have stood up and which has now been operating for over a week.”
Woman charged for allegedly harassing mosque
An 82-year-old woman will face court next month after she allegedly made harassing phone calls to a Sydney mosque.
Mum’s tears for son shot by cops
The young father who was shot by police officers after he allegedly drove at them in a stolen car has been identified.
‘Hatred’: Major call a year after Hamas attack
One year on from the bloody October 7 attack by Hamas, the leader of Australia’s largest Jewish community organisation has revealed a frightening rise in antisemitic attacks.