Case at TV chef Rick Stein’s restaurant raises fears of rural outbreaks
British TV chef Rick Stein’s coastal NSW restaurant was forced to close briefly because of a coronavirus case, sparking concerns about the virus reaching rural areas.
British TV chef Rick Stein’s coastal NSW restaurant was forced to close briefly at the weekend because of a coronavirus case, sparking concerns about the virus reaching rural areas.
The threat of the virus is ever present after the state recorded it’s 54th death ay the weekend — a man in his 80s.
NSW south coast resident Antonia Becerra, 31, lives in Milton, which neighbours Mollymook where Rick Stein at Bannisters is located. “Last summer, we were absolutely consumed by a natural disaster and this summer we’re facing the possibility of an economic disaster if we can’t welcome tourists back to the area,” she said.
“My concern is if we keep having little outbreaks on the south coast, we will delay our return to normality. Our economy can’t survive that.”
Shoalhaven City councillor Andrew Guile said he shared locals’ concerns about the virus being brought into the region but would not support a ban on intrastate travel. “It is a matter of balancing priorities, though, because a lot of people who live and work on the south coast of NSW, particularly in Shoalhaven, owe their livelihoods to visitors, particularly from Sydney and Canberra,” he said. “But I’m not sure banning interstate travel would work at this point.”
On Saturday, NSW Health reported that a COVID case had dined at Rick Stein at Bannisters in Mollymook on Saturday, August 1. The health authority urged anyone who had been at the restaurant between 8pm and 10.30pm for at least one hour to get a COVID-19 test. A spokeswoman for the Mollymook restaurant and resort said it was “working with NSW Health to take the necessary precautions as they undergo contact tracing”.
All staff who were a close contact of the guest were required to self-isolate until midnight on Saturday and be tested.
Another Shoalhaven restaurant, Wildginger, also closed after a visitor who dined there on Saturday, August 8, tested positive.
On Sunday, a man in his 80s became the state’s 54th coronavirus fatality. The five new cases of coronavirus reported overnight included three linked to Tangara School for Girls. The cluster associated with the northwest Sydney school has risen to 25. The three infections linked to the cluster are all close contacts of previous cases.
One case reported on Sunday is a Western Sydney man in his 40s, with the source unknown. The fifth case is a close contact of this man.
The new cases bring the state‘s total COVID-19 case tally to 3761. Of those, y 119 people are being treated by NSW Health.
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