Two Covid-19 cases discovered Sydney’s eastern suburbs

Sydney has recorded another Covid-19 case, bringing the total number of new infections to two after an eastern suburbs man was diagnosed.

Health authorities have discovered another new Covid-19 case in Sydney, just hours after an eastern suburbs man tested positive to the virus.

Just before 10pm on Wednesday night, NSW Health revealed a household contact of a case reported earlier in the day had tested positive to Covid-19.

The first case, a man in his 60s, has not been overseas in recent times but does work as a driver, which includes transporting international flight crew.

The man had a Covid-19 saliva test on Tuesday, June 15, with the positive result confirmed today in a PCR test.

The new case will be included in Tuesday’s numbers.

“Urgent investigations into the source of the infection and contact tracing are underway, as is genome sequencing,” NSW Health said in a statement.

“Close contacts are being urgently contacted, and asked to get tested and isolate.”

Both cases visited a number of venues while potentially infectious, prompting NSW Health to issue urgent alerts to the public.

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A nurse is seen on duty at the Bondi Beach covid testing clinic. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

Anyone who attended the following venue at the time listed below is considered a close contact and must immediately call NSW Health on 1800 943 553, get tested and self-isolate for 14 days from the date they were at the venue, regardless of the result:

• Event Cinemas, Bondi Junction: Screening of the Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, Cinema 1 on June 13 from 1.30pm-4pm for the 1.45pm screening.

Anyone who visited any of the following venues of concern must immediately call NSW Health on 1800 943 553, get tested and self-isolate until you receive further information:

• Belle Cafe, Vaucluse: June 11 from 9.15am-9.50am

• Sourdough Bakery, Bondi Junction: June 11 from 12.40pm-1.10pm

• Belle Cafe, Vaucluse: June 12 from 10.20am-10.45am

• David Jones, Bondi Junction: June 12 from 11am-11.40am

• Myer Bondi, Bondi Junction: June 12 from 11.40am-12.15pm

• Washoku Vaucluse, Vaucluse: June 12 from 12pm-1.30pm

• Belle Cafe, Vaucluse: June 12 from 1.20pm-1.50pm

• Belle Cafe, Vaucluse: June 13 from 11.30am-12pm

• Event Cinemas, Bondi Junction: All screenings other than the Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard on June 13 from 1.30pm-4pm

• Rocco’s, Vaucluse: June 14 from 10.55am-11.30am

• Belle Cafe, Vaucluse: June 15 from 9.50am-10.25am

• Celeste Catering Macquarie Park Cemetery Cafe, North Ryde: Macquarie Park Cemetery, Corner of Delhi and Plassey roads on June 15 from 1pm-1.20pm

• Harry’s Coffee and Kitchen, Bondi Junction: June 15 from 3pm-3.40pm

• NAB in Westfield, Bondi Junction: June 15 from 2.45pm-3.10pm

• David Jones in Westfield, Bondi Junction: June 15 from 3.30pm-4.15pm

• Field to Fork, Vaucluse: June 11 from 12pm-4pm

People are seen at Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Steven Saphore

Anyone on the following public transport service is a close contact and must immediately call NSW Health on 1800 943 553, get tested and self-isolate for 14 days from the date they were on the bus, regardless of the result:

• Bondi Junction to North Sydney, 200 Bus: From Bondi Junction interchange to Blue St, North Sydney (near North Sydney Station) on June 15, departing at approximately 4.25pm and arriving at approximately 5pm.

Anyone who attended the following venue is a casual contact and must immediately get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received:

• Fruitologist, Bondi: June 15 from 1pm-2pm

This follows a late night alert from NSW Health on Tuesday, sparking fears of a breach in one of Sydney’s quarantine hotels after it was discovered the virus had jumped between three returned travellers.

Hotel quarantine investigated

Authorities are investigating the source of a Covid-19 case diagnosed in hotel quarantine which has an identical viral sequence to two cases who were staying in an adjacent room.

“It is currently unclear how and where transmission occurred from a couple to another returned traveller who were all staying on the fourth floor of the Radisson Blu quarantine hotel,” NSW Health said.

All three cases have identical viral sequences of the Alpha Covid-19 strain, formerly referred to as the “UK variant”.

The couple were asymptomatic and tested positive to the virus on June 3 during the second day of their hotel quarantine stay.

The other traveller returned a negative Day 2 test on June 3 before subsequently developing symptoms and testing positive for Covid-19 following on June 5.

All three cases arrived into Sydney on the same flight from Doha on June 1 and stayed in adjacent rooms in the quarantine hotel.

“At this stage we still don’t know if it happened on the plane, transporting from the plane to the accommodation, at the accommodation or whether it was just a coincidence,” NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

The Radisson Blue quarantine hotel in the Sydney’s CBD. Picture: Damian Shaw

They were all transferred to the Special Health Accommodation following their positive test results, where they remain.

Health authorities are now scrambling to figure out exactly how transmission between these two parties occurred.

“Early possibilities as to where transmission may have occurred from the couple to the secondary case include on the flight, on transport from the airport to the hotel, in the lobby of the hotel, or while in quarantine,” NSW Health said.

“Currently, there is no evidence of further transmission.”

All returned travellers who were on the same floor of the hotel between June 1 and 5 and have since been discharged are being contacted and asked to get tested and isolate at home until receiving further advice from NSW Health.

Staff who worked on the fourth floor of the hotel between June 1 and June 5 have also been asked to get tested and isolate pending further advice.

All staff working in NSW quarantine hotels undertake regular rapid saliva testing as part of Covid-19 surveillance testing.

Melbourne restrictions to ease despite growing cases

Restrictions across Melbourne are set to ease from tomorrow night, despite the city’s outbreak growing overnight.

The state recorded five new infections overnight. Two of those were discovered yesterday and are linked to the townhouse complex, with the other three linked to current outbreaks.

From 11.59pm on Thursday the 25km travel limit for Melbourne residents will be scrapped.

Public gatherings in Melbourne will also be allowed with up to 20 people and up to two visitors are permitted in people’s homes.

Reported yesterday: 5 new local cases and 3 new cases acquired overseas (currently in HQ).
- 14,870 vaccine doses were administered
- 17,538 test results were received

More later: https://t.co/0xmnS54Kvl#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicData [1/2] pic.twitter.com/LJ0xQNo2sW

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) June 15, 2021

Businesses are also allowed to reopen including gyms and indoor entertainment venues.

Hospitality venues can host up to 25 people before applying a density quota.

Masks are no longer required outdoors however they are still required indoors, on public transport and in workplaces. Community sport will also be allowed to resume.

Melburnians are still encouraged to work from home but office workers will be able to return up to 50 per cent capacity.

Restrictions will also be eased further in regional Victoria.

Public gatherings will increase to 50 people, restaurants and cafes can have up to 300 people for seated service, religious ceremonies are capped at 300, funerals capped at 100 people and weddings can have 50 guests.

The AFL game in Geelong on Friday will also be allowed to have a crowd of 7000 people.