NSW records 44 COVID cases as restrictions tightened, lockdown extension foreshadowed

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she cannot see Greater Sydney’s lockdown ending by the end of next week unless there is a dramatic drop in local COVID-19 case numbers.

The Premier foreshadowed the possible extension and announced new restrictions as the state recorded 44 new local COVID-19 cases on Friday.

Gladys Berejiklian on Friday.Credit: Wolter Peeters

Of the new locally acquired cases, 35 are linked to a known case or cluster – 25 are household contacts and 10 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 9 cases remains under investigation.

Nineteen cases were infectious in the community and seven cases remain under investigation.

“This is the opposite of where we need or want the numbers to trend,” Premier Berejiklian said.

More than 42,000 people came forward for testing in the last 24 hours “but ... we need those numbers to go higher”, Ms Berejiklian said.

Ms Berejiklian announced further tightened restrictions for the areas already in lockdown, saying with current vaccination levels “we will see thousands and thousands of hospitalisations and death” if the virus is allowed to circulate.

The new restrictions include:

• Outdoor exercise: 2 people at a time, down from 10
• You can only exercise within your local government area, or within 10 kilometres of where you live
• No carpooling outside household
• Browsing in shops is not allowed, essential shopping only
• From Sunday, funerals back down to 10 attendees

Ms Berejiklian said she appreciated the message delivered on Friday was shocking, but that she needed “everybody to be shocked”.

“NSW is facing the biggest challenge we have faced since the pandemic started, and I don’t say that lightly,” she said.

“Unless there’s a dramatic turnaround in the numbers, I can’t see how we’ll be in a position to ease restrictions by next Friday.

“Do not leave your home. Do not leave your home unless you absolutely have to. That is what a lockdown is,” she said.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said 43 people were currently in hospital due to COVID, with 10 people in intensive care units (ICUs), four of whom are being ventilated.

“Of the 10 people in ICU, one is in their 20s, one is in their 30s one is in their 50s, five are in their 60s and two are in their 70s,” she said.

“This trend has to be turned around and the only way we can do so is by seeing a decline in numbers.”

Dr Chant said people in suburbs like Kareela, Sylvania, Hurstville and Maroubra needed to stay particularly vigilant and come forward for testing.

South-west Sydney remains of heightened concern, including suburbs like Bossley Park, Smithfield, Fairfield, West Hoxton, Bass Hill, Greenacre, St John’s Park, Bonnyrigg, Bankstown, Canley Vale, Chester Hill and Edensor Park.

One new case overnight was a non-clinical staff member at Waratah Private Hospital in Hurstville who worked for two days while infectious, on July 5 and 6.

All affected patients have tested negative to date and are isolating at the hospital in single rooms.

Another new case was a worker at IKEA in Tempe for the period 10am-9pm on July 6. Anyone who attended the store in that time is a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday announced 300,000 extra vaccine doses would be fast-tracked to NSW to boost inoculations in south-west Sydney, targeting the “most vulnerable in the community.”

The doses will comprise equal components of both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.

A number of new western Sydney locations were added to NSW Health’s list of COVID-19 exposure sites on Wednesday night, among them retail stores, cafes and supermarkets.

Eleven of those are close contact sites, meaning anyone who attended at the relevant times must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days no matter the result.

The venues include Aldi and Kmart in Merrylands, both on Monday, July 5, between 1.30 and 3.30pm and Australia Post in Merrylands on July 5, from 2-3pm.

Other venues include Kathmandu Burwood on July 4, from 12.35-1pm, Beds r Us Wetherill Park on July 5, between 2.30 and 3.15pm, as well as food outlets in Auburn and Smithfield.

Sydney’s hospitals are standing by to mobilise COVID-19 surge plans in preparation for the possible influx of people needing urgent care, with more than 10 per cent of the state’s cases now in hospital.

Ms Berejiklian said at the start of the pandemic NSW quadrupled its capacity to hospitalise people with COVID, including in ICU, but that she hoped the state would not have to call on that extra capacity.

She said current arrangements around childcare centres would remain in place, but said she was unable to say if schools would be affected by the escalation of case numbers.

“I can’t really comment on what school might look like until we get more information and more data on where the numbers are heading.”

Stay across the most crucial developments related to the pandemic with the Coronavirus Update. Sign up to receive the weekly newsletter.