Australia’s outbreak grows by 41 cases as Qld prepares to leave lockdown

There have been 41 new cases of Covid-19 recorded so far on Saturday, as one state prepares to exit lockdown.

Australia has recorded 40 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, with millions across the country in snap lockdowns.

NSW recorded a whopping 35 local cases, while Queensland tallied another five.

Victoria has recorded its third day of no cases in a row, and Western Australia also recorded zero cases.

The Northern Territory, which was hit by an outbreak at a gold mine in the Tanami desert, recorded zero new cases for the second day in a row.

The nation is yet to hear from South Australia, which diagnosed five cases linked to the mine cluster earlier in the week.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Sydneysiders have been urged to avoid supermarkets and retail stores as NSW recorded 35 new coronavirus cases overnight.

There are fears the state could be plunged into a further lockdown with 31 new cases recorded on Friday and health officials scrambling to contain the outbreak of the potentially deadly virus.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian was noncommittal when asked whether the lockdown would come to an end next week and urged residents to only leave their home for essential reasons – and even then, to try and stay outside.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian asked residents in lockdown to limit their visits to supermarkets and retail venues as cases ballooned by 35 on Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

QUEENSLAND

Queensland recorded five new cases overnight as the state continues to fight off outbreaks of both the Delta and Alpha strain.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the extended three-day lockdown for the Brisbane City and Moreton Bay regions would lift at 6pm tonight but the state was “not out of the woods yet”.

Masks will still be mandatory for residents and Ms Palaszczuk said businesses should not let people enter unless they had checked in.

VICTORIA

Victoria recorded its third consecutive day of zero cases, out of more than 24,000 tests.

The news comes after the state extended its state of emergency until the end of July.

Victoria’s COVID-19 Commander, Jeroen Weirmar, said the extension would provide the state with “a framework to respond quickly” should the currently stable situation change.

Another worker at Prince Charles Hospital was included in five new cases announced in Queensland on Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

South Australia recorded one new case on Saturday however officials are investigating whether it was a false positive result.

SA Health said the man in his 20s had recently completed a hotel quarantine period after returning from overseas.

He tested negative during quarantine however returned a “weak-positive” during a routine day 17 test.

SA Health said the result was likely a false positive and further tests were being carried out.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Premier Mark McGowan announced zero new cases on the first day of interim restrictions for the Perth and Peel regions.

The state is still awaiting the results of 15 close contacts to an earlier outbreak in the northern suburbs.

Under the new restrictions, anyone who has been in Perth or Peel since Tuesday 29 June must wear masks and not visit hospitality, entertainment, or recreational venues or other public gatherings. Hospital venues are open, and retail outlets can be visited to pick up takeaway.

New advice given late on Friday night has banned indoor fitness classes until Tuesday, with socially-distanced outdoor classes able to continue.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

The Northern Territory recorded zero new cases on Saturday.

In a Facebook post, Chief Minister Michael Gunner said it was “brilliant” to see Territorians out and about after lockdowns in the Darwin region and Alice Springs ended.

A concerning cluster related to a worker at the Tanami gold mine appeared to be “trapped”, he said.

”For the second day in a row, there have been zero new positive COVID-19 cases in the Territory, and we remain confident we have this virus trapped,” he said.

”We’ve got more than 2500 test results back in the past 24 hours and all of them were negative.”