Sydney store on alert as city’s COVID cluster grows

NSW is on high alert after more locally acquired cases of covid were recorded overnight, prompting further state restrictions and fresh alerts.

NSW Health officials have issued an urgent alert for anyone who visited a store in Sydney’s inner west as the city’s Covid-19 count grew again with three new local cases.

The state recorded two new local cases to 8pm on Saturday, with two more community cases recorded after 8pm that will be officially recorded in Monday’s numbers.

Sydney’s Covid-19 cluster has now risen to nine since a limousine driver who transported international flight crew sparked the outbreak. There were 24,500 tests done in the latest reporting period.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the coming days “will be critical” for the city to determine whether stronger restrictions will be necessary.

“My strongest message to the community is the next few days are critical. Now we’ve held off on being more heavy handed than what we are in relation to what we’re asking people to do but that will depend on what the cases, if any, emerge in the next few days.

“We just ask every body not to be complacent.”

NSW Health said on Sunday evening that anyone who visited the North Face store at the Birkenhead Point Shopping Centre at Drummoyne from 11.35am to 11.50am on Tuesday June 15 was considered a close contact of a positive case.

They have been asked urgently contact a NSW Health hotline on 1800 943 553, as well as getting tested and self isolating for 14 days.

NSW Health earlier in the day issued the same alert for anyone who visited the following venues at the Birkenhead Point Shopping Centre at the following times;

* Country Road - June 15, 12.30pm-1pm

* Seed - June 15, 12.30pm-1pm

* Nike - June 15, 12.50pm-1.15pm

NSW Health also issued an alert for several other venues in Drummoyne, Merrylands, Hurstville, Parramatta, Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills and the Sydney CBD.

The latest venues of concern can be found here.

Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre is the subject of a NSW Health alert.

Of the two new cases revealed in Sunday’s numbers, one case was already announced on Saturday.

It was a man in his 30s who attended Westfield Bondi Junction, which was visited by patient zero.

The other case was household contact of that man and she also attended Westfield Bondi Junction.

Covid-19 testing at Bondi Beach as the eastern suburbs cluster grows. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

“The case is a man in his 30s who lives in the Sydney CBD but had attended Westfield Bondi Junction (and) he has spent time in the Wollongong area,” NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said.

One more case was recorded after 8pm on Saturday before a further case was diagnosed on Sunday morning.

“After 8pm, we have had a one woman in her 50s from the Sutherland Shire and she is a close contact of a previously reported case, a family contact of that case,” Dr Chant said.

“(The woman) has been in isolation but there may be additional venues of concern.

“(On Sunday morning) we were notified of an additional case, a man also from the Sutherland Shire in his 50s, a close contact (of a previous case).”

Ms Berejiklian also announced the state was extending some of the restrictions because it was “important for all of us to be on high alert,” she said.

Masks will now be mandatory in all indoor settings, while masks on public transport will be extended to Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

NSW Health is conducting urgent investigations and is asking those who visited Westfield Bondi Junction, including the car park, to get a Covid-19 test, even if they do not have any symptoms.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the highly contagious Delta variant was posing a real threat to Sydney residents.

Mr Hazzard said CCTV footage of how one person contracted the virus had highlighted the highly contagious nature of the latest strain of Covid-19.