Covid-19: Urgent late-night alert issued for regional NSW as virus spreads from Sydney

Health authorities have issued a warning for new Covid-19 exposure sites, including more regional venues.

NSW Health has issued evening alerts for additional Covid-19 exposure sites, including one in regional NSW.

Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.

Hamilton:

• Corset Bar and Supper Club, 104 Beaumont Street, Wednesday, July 28 from 7.30pm to 10pm

St Marys:

• Easy Script Compounding Pharmacy, 38 Queen street, Monday August, 2 – all day

Forest Lodge:

• Fish and Co Tramsheds, 1 Dagal Way, Saturday, July 24 from 1.20pm to 2pm

Fairfield:

• Bondeno Cafe, 77 Ware Street, Saturday, July 24 from 8am to 3pm; Monday, July 26 from 8am to 3pm; Tuesday, July 27 from 8am to 3pm

Penrith:

• Priceline Shop 5, Southlands Shopping Centre, 2 Birmingham Road, Monday, August 2 from 9.45am to 7.15pm; Tuesday, August 3 from 8.45am to 5.15pm

It comes after other venues in regional NSW were put on an urgent alert after they were identified as exposure sites earlier on Friday.

Health authorities on Friday afternoon issued a warning for three new locations of concern, including two venues in the Hunter Region and one of the terminals at Sydney airport.

It comes on a horror day for NSW after the state recorded its highest number of new cases, with 291 infections and one death, the 22nd person to die from the virus in the current outbreak.

The Hunter and Upper Hunter regions are in their first day of a week-long snap lockdown after five new cases were reported in Newcastle and another eight found in the Central Coast region on Thursday.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant on Friday confirmed another two cases had been recorded in Newcastle.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says at least 50 of the state’s new cases were infectious in the community, warning the public to expect more high numbers over the ‘next few days’. Picture: Mick Tsikas-Pool/Getty Images

Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.

Jesmond:

• HealthSure Medical Centre, Stockland Jesmond Shopping Centre, Blue Gum Rd, Monday, August 2 from 3.20pm to 3.55pm

Thornton:

• Jump N Swim Academy, 6 Sandringham Ave, Wednesday, August 4 from 5pm to 5.30pm

Anyone who attended the Domestic Terminal 2 at Sydney airport at the times listed is a casual contact who must get tested immediately and isolate until a negative result is received.

People should get tested even if they have had a test in recent days. If your exposure at this venue was in the past four days, you must get another test on day five from the date of exposure.

Mascot:

• Sydney Airport Domestic Terminal 2, Keith Smith Ave, Monday, August 2 from 6am to 7am; Wednesday, August 4 from 9.45am to 10.45am

NSW recorded 291 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday, its darkest day since the pandemic began. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said at least 50 of the state’s new cases were infectious in the community and warned the public to expect more high numbers over the “next few days”.

“I’d like everybody to prepare themselves for higher case numbers in the next few days just based on the trend in the last few days,” she said.

“Where things are going, I am expecting higher case numbers in the next few days and I just wanted everyone to be prepared for that.”

There have been 4610 locally acquired cases reported since the outbreak began on June 16.