NSW asked to reconsider weekend plans as COVID cases rise

There is no “safe zone” from coronavirus in NSW, the Premier has said as she asks residents to consider staying home this weekend amid 16 new cases.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is warning residents to reconsider their weekend plans as another 16 cases of coronavirus are announced across the state.

Of those cases, only one is from hotel quarantine, with the others from known clusters or existing known contacts.

Speaking on Wednesday, the Premier said the state would continue to be on “high alert” and noted health advice had flagged indoor venues, such as homes and hospitality venues, as high-risk activities.

“Please, whether or not you live in a community which has had cases or not, we want everybody to think seriously about what they are doing over the weekend to make sure you avoid crowds, make sure you avoid putting yourself in a situation that will compromise your health or those of others,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“Think about the number of people you are having into your home. We know from the health advice, we know from what has happened elsewhere, the highest risk activities are those inside your on home or those inside a confined space such as a hospitality venue.”

The Premier also noted anyone who had been directly exposed to the virus must self-isolate for 14 days regardless of their test results.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has praised high testing rates as the state reaches ‘critical point’ in its fight against coronavirus. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Bianca De Marchi

“This is not new advice, but it is important advice,” she said.

“We know the virus has an incubation period of 14 days. So even if you have tested negative initially, but you have been exposed, you have been in a venue where someone with the virus has been (you must stay home).

“If you have been directly exposed and the health advice is for you to stay home for 14 days, please stay home for 14 days.

“You test people early on, they may not have the virus, you test them on day 110 and they have the virus. It is so important, that 14 days at home.”

Of the 16 cases announced on Wednesday, three were associated with the Crossroads Hotel in Casula – close contacts of confirmed cases – and 11 associated with the Thai Rock cluster in Wetherill Park, including a man in his 60s from the Hunter New England region who is a close contact of a case.

Another person, from Western Sydney, is a close contact of a previously reported case, but these are not linked to any known cluster.

The final case was a person in hotel quarantine.

Investigators are still looking for the “patient zero” of the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club cluster, though Ms Berejiklian said she was heartened to see there were no additional cases from the area overnight.

More to come