NSW’s Central West to go into lockdown

NSW health authorities have been forced to lock down parts of the state’s central west, more than 250km from Sydney, after a serious virus leak.

Parts of regional NSW will be forced into lockdown at midnight after the highly infectious Delta strain escaped from Sydney and into the central-west of the state.

The decision was made after a pet food delivery driver from Sydney infected an Orange local resident, who then visited five shops and venues in the regional city.

This driver travelled to the region over several days visitng the Nestle Purina factory at Blayney, with health officials confirming on Tuesday morning he had infected a factory worker there.

The facility was closed on Sunday and all staff ordered to isolate following the discovery.

The delivery driver also visited a BP truck stop at Raglan and a depot at Parkes every day from July 13 to July 16, leaving the region on high alert.

It will be the first regional area in NSW to be plunged into a tight lockdown, due to concerns of the virus leaking out of Sydney.

Nestle's pet food factory in Blayney, near Orange in the NSW Central West. Picture: Google

Orange, Blayney, and the Cabonne Shire local government areas in central-west NSW will go into lockdown from midnight on Tuesday for seven days.

It will now be separated from other regional areas, which currently have restrictions around physical distancing, dancing and drinking in pubs, in dance classes and gyms and in entertainment venues.

It’s understood the construction industry will continue to operate in the central-west, but the wider lockdown will follow similar rules to greater Sydney for other industries.

Government officials made the decision during crisis talks on Tuesday.

Residents now have only six reasons to leave home:

• Shopping for food or other essential goods and services
• Medical care or compassionate needs
• Exercise outdoors in groups of 2 or fewer (unless members of the same household)
• Work, or education, where you cannot work or study from home.
• To attend a wedding or a funeral (but only during the grace period, which ends at 12:01am on Friday 23 July 2021). After this date, funerals will be limited to ten people.
• Masks must be worn indoors (not including the home) and in outdoor settings where you cannot socially distance from others (e.g. while queuing for takeaway).

NSW recorded 78 new locally transmitted coronavirus cases overnight. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

The state reported 78 new local cases on Tuesday, with 21 of those known to be infectious while out in the community.

Sydney has been in lockdown for three weeks month, with no answer about how long restrictions will last.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said while the case numbers on Tuesday were a positive sign, the state would need to record zero cases before lockdown would be lifted.

“The vast majority of the community is doing an outstanding job,” she said.

“I want to thank everybody, whether you are an employee or an employer, someone with children, no matter the circumstances everyone is stepping up.”

The state will need to record zero cases before lockdown is lifted. Picture: NCA Newswire /Gaye Gerard

More than 200 people in Blayney were tested on Monday, in addition to 500 tests across the Western NSW district over the weekend.

COVID-19 testing clinics are open at Bathurst, Orange, Parkes, Blayney and Molong until this Friday, July 23.

In response, the Western NSW health district has put the hospitals and Multi-Purpose Services in Bathurst, Orange, Blayney and Molong on red alert, meaning visits to the facilities are restricted.

A number of exposure sites have been listed by NSW Health, who has urged anyone who visited the below venues to get tested and isolate for 14 days.

• Caltex, North Orange on Saturday 17 July from 5:45pm to 6pm
• Officeworks Orange, 179/181 Byng Street on Saturday 17 July from 4:35pm to 5:05pm
• Woolworths, North Orange Shopping Centre on Friday 16 July from 3pm to 3:30pm and Saturday 17 July from 1:20pm to 1:50pm
• Pizza Hut, Orange on Saturday 17 July from 4:55pm to 5:05pm
• CTC Orange, North Orange Shopping Centre on Saturday 17 July from 1:50pm to 2pm
• Goulburn Coles Express on Friday 16 July from 11:50am to 12pm

[e-mail]