NSW records 10 new Covid-19 cases as restrictions set to be extended

NSW has recorded an alarming spike in locally acquired Covid-19 cases, with authorities announcing 10 new infections.

NSW has recorded a worrying rise in Covid-19 cases, with officials confirming 10 new infections since yesterday.

NSW Health revealed five locally acquired cases had been recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, with two of those announced yesterday morning.

There were also seven other infections recorded after the official reporting period and will therefore be included in Wednesday’s numbers. There are now 21 infections linked to the Bondi outbreak.

NSW recorded five locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, two of which were announced yesterday morning.

NSW Health has also been notified of seven new locally acquired cases overnight. These cases will be included in tomorrow's numbers. pic.twitter.com/Oa4Wx7MIQw

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 22, 2021

The two cases announced yesterday include a woman in her 50s from Sydney’s northern suburbs and a man in his 30s from the eastern suburbs. They are both close contacts of previously reported cases and have been in isolation.

The other three cases reported to 8pm last night include a woman in her 60s from the Illawarra and a woman in her 40s from the northern suburbs who are both close contacts of known cases and have been in isolation. The third case is a woman in her 20s from the eastern suburbs who is linked to the Bondi cluster.

Of the seven cases confirmed after the reporting period, six of those are household contacts of previous cases who have been in isolation and one case is a child who attends St Charles Catholic Primary School at Waverley.

RELATED: Americans shocked by Aussie covid trend

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian at a Covid-19 press conference. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

This case is currently not linked to the Bondi cluster, with investigations underway into how the child acquired the virus.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there was an “increased level of concern” due to the spike in cases, but said it was expected there would be a high number of household contacts contracting the virus due to the highly-contagious nature of the Delta strain.

It comes as Queensland confirmed one new locally acquired Covid-19 case on Monday, while Victoria recorded zero new infections.

Covid-19 restrictions extended for Greater Sydney

Ms Berejiklian announced the restrictions around masks for Sydney will be extended for another week, after previously being set to end at midnight on Wednesday.

The indoor mask restrictions will be extended to all of Greater Sydney, including the LGAs of Wollongong and Shellharbour. Masks are also required to be worn on public transport.

People have also been asked to avoid non-essential visits to aged care and disability facilities where visitors have been limited to just two per day.

“There will be a requirement to adhere to that compulsory mask wearing indoors for hospitality workers, when we are going grocery shopping, going to events inside. It is only when you are eating or drinking indoors at a venue that you can’t or shouldn’t wear a mask,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“In every other circumstance, if you live or are in Sydney, you must wear a mask for another week beyond Wednesday midnight.”

RELATED: ‘Sense of emergency’: NSW in covid race

Ms Berejiklian said workplaces are excluded from the mask mandate but said they are required to have a covid safety plan in place.

She said the extended restrictions were in place to prevent a “superspreading event” that could see case numbers explode.

“The challenge for us at this stage is to prevent any superspreading event because we know that if you are in a group of people and if one person has the virus the level of contagion is so high that we are concerned that everybody might get the virus,” Ms Berejiklian said.

The Premier said at the moment authorities were confident the current restrictions match the risk-level posed by the outbreak, but said more restrictions could be considered if there was an increase in unlinked cases.

“If we suddenly have a number of unlinked cases and if we suddenly have them outside the geographic region they are concentrated in that will obviously adjust the health advice and we will respond to that,” she said.

Officials concerned about ‘scarily fleeting’ transmission

The danger posed by the highly-infectious Delta strain of Covid-19 has been made abundantly clear to authorities, with CCTV footage inside Bondi Junction Westfield demonstrating how quickly this strain can spread if nothing is done.

Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said the footage showed the virus transmitting between two people during a “momentary crossover” in the shopping centre.

RELATED: Big question in Bondi outbreak

CCTV footage of ‘scarily fleeting’ transmission at Westfield Bondi Junction has alarmed authorities. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“We know that there’s been three people that have been exposed on both June 12 and June 13,” she said on Monday.

“In one, we actually have CCTV footage of the encounter and it is basically a crossover of individuals. They are clearly facing each other but it is literally someone moving across from each other for a moment, close, but momentary.

“In two other cases, we haven’t been able to, with CCTV footage, look at the exact same crossover point, but we know they were 20 metres [apart], signing in at different venues at the same time or in that area so we suspect they did cross over.”

Premier Gladys Berejiklian described the encounter as “scarily fleeting”, saying the pair didn’t even physically touch each other, with the virus instead being transferred as they came into “the same airspace”.

“That’s how contagious it is,” she said.

The Delta strain, which is believed to be up to 50 per cent more infectious than other variants, first emerged in India and has since spread to dozens of other countries.

It was discovered in the Australian community for the first time earlier this month in Melbourne, when the city was dealing with its own Covid-19 outbreak. Genomic sequencing has shown the variant on the loose in Sydney matched “perfectly” with a sequence from the US.

NSW exposure sites list grows

The list of venues visited by known Covid-19 cases is growing rapidly and now includes suburbs in the west as well as in the Illawarra region.

Health authorities are now asking anyone who visited Bondi Junction Westfield at any time between June 12 and 18 to get tested for Covid-19, with many of the Sydney cases linked back to the shopping centre.

Anyone who visited the following venues at the times listed below is considered a close contact of a covid case and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days from your visit, even if a negative result is received.

Bondi Junction to North Sydney: 200 bus, June 14 from 4.25pm-5pm travelling from Bondi Junction Interchange to Blue St, North Sydney

Baulkham Hills to Sydney: 614X bus, June 15 from 8.40am-9.23am travelling from Gooden Drive to Stand J, Wynyard Station on York Street.

Sydney to Baulkham Hills: 614X bus, June 15 from 5.44pm-6.29pm travelling from Clarence Street to Gooden Drive.

Barangaroo: David Jones on June 12 from 10.55am-11.15am

Bondi Junction: California Nails, Tower Two, International Towers Sydney, on June 16 from 4.45pm-5.30pm; Harry’s Coffee Kitchen on June 15 from 3.10pm-3.55pm, Meyer Bondi on June 12 from 11.15am-11.50am; Tea Gardens Hotel on June 13 from 5pm-5.15pm; Sourdough Bakery on June 11 from 12.35pm-12-50pm; David Jones on June 15 from 3.55pm-4.15pm; Event Cinemas on June 13 from 1.30pm-4pm, Fresh Nails June 18 from 9.30am – 7pm

Drummoyne, Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet: Country Road on June 15 from 12.30pm-1pm; Seed on June 15 from 12.30pm-1pm; Nike on June 15 from 12.50pm-1.15pm; North Face on June 15 from 11.35am-11.50am

Fairy Meadow: The Broken Drum Cafe on June 18 from 9.55am-10.05am

Newtown: Adora Handmake Chocolates on June 13 from 2pm-3pm

North Ryde: Cemetary Cafe Macquarie Park on June 15 from 1pm-1.20pm

Northmead: Northmead Bowling Club on June 13 from 3.30pm-10.15pm

Redfern: The Twisted Olive on June 13 from 12.50pm-1.20pm; Wax Car Wash Cafe on June 14 from 12.25pm-1.10pm

Shellharbour: Baby Bunting on June 18 from 4.30pm-5.15pm

Sydney: Fitness First Pitt St Platinum on June 16 from 12.15pm-1.30pm; Fitness First Bond St Platinum on June 17 from 3.10pm-4.30pm

Tempe: Salvos Stores on June 16 from 9am-10.30am and 2.15pm-2.45pm

Vaucluse: Rocco’s on June 14 from 10.55am-11.30am; Belle Cafe on June 11 from 9.15am-9.50am, June 12 from 10.20am-10.45am and 1.20pm-1.50pm, June 13 from 11.30am-12pm, June 15 from 9.50am-10.25am; Washoku Vaucluse on June 12 from 12pm-1.30pm

There are also multiple casual contact venues list on the NSW Health website, with the full list found here.