Coronavirus Australia live news: Mother of removalists who travelled from Sydney dies; Victoria lockdown extended, 98 cases in NSW
The twin brothers were charged after leaving Sydney while Covid positive; NSW has 98 new cases, Victorian lockdowns extended.
- NSW records 5th death from latest outbreak
- Victoria’s lockdown to be extended
- 98 new cases in NSW
- Vic records 13 new cases
- Sydney set for indefinite lockdown
Welcome to rolling coverage of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The mother of two removalists charged after leaving Sydney while infected with Covid has become the 5th NSW death in the latest outbreak.
NSW has recorded 98 new locally acquired cases, of which 20 were infectious in the community for more than one day.
Victoria has recorded 13 new local cases. The state’s fifth lockdown will not end at midnight on Tuesday night, Premier Daniel Andrews says.
Yoni Bashan 10.16pm:Gladys, rule breakers cop blame
The NSW government has been blamed for not moving swiftly enough to curb the ongoing Covid-19 crisis gripping Greater Sydney, with voters marking down Premier Gladys Berejiklian for moving too late on her citywide lockdown and not imposing strict enough measures to limit the movement of people.
A Newspoll survey conducted exclusively for The Australian shows that while voters also blamed reckless individuals for ignoring the rules, or for not taking the lockdown seriously enough, a sizeable proportion felt the government equally bore responsibility for the predicament.
According to the polling, 22 per cent of voters believed the government was “more to blame”, compared with 29 per cent who saw individual actions as the primary cause of the city’s spiral into an extended period of lockdown.
A further 46 per cent nominated both the NSW government and individual behaviour as the source of the problem, the figures show.
Coalition voters tended to blame individual rule-breakers in far greater numbers than Labor and Greens supporters, who largely blamed the Berejiklian government for the crisis; elderly voters saw individual rule-breakers as a bigger problem than the government, while younger voters judged the matter as an even split.
Ms Berejiklian declined to comment on the polling, but Liberal MPs say the prolonged lockdown and consequent decision-making over restrictions had been damaging to the government’s brand.
Several have reported receiving large numbers of irate phone calls and an influx of correspondence to their electoral offices, with some callers in tears over the loss of their business or livelihood.
Rhiannon Down9.30pm:Muslims prepare for at-home celebration
Sydney’s Muslim community has been urged to celebrate Eid al-Adha within their own households, as health authorities flagged the sacred holiday had the potential to become a superspreader event.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian acknowledged that thousands of Sydneysiders, including many in the hard-hit southwest suburbs who would normally be partaking in “special celebrations” with family and friends this week, would be struggling, but warned against any illegal gatherings.
“We need families to stay in their family home and not move from household to household,” she said, on Monday. “Unfortunately, too many people are getting sick from that.”
Max Maddison8.45pm:No business for snow business
The renewed lockdown of Greater Sydney and interstate border closures have hammered operators in the Kosciuszko National Park ski fields just as they were looking to bounce back, but revellers say the empty mountains are an unprecedented paradise.
This skiing season wasn’t supposed to go like this for the managers of the Perisher Manor Hotel, Damian and Jane Breitfuss.
At the foot of the mountain, the hotel is one of the few accommodation options in Perisher Valley. The pub next door is just a stone’s throw from the bottom of the front valley slope.
After the pandemic forced them to pare back operations last year, the couple were looking forward to a bumper season to recoup some of their losses. And it started brightly. With stripped-back social distancing restrictions, Perisher’s opening weekend was packed; business was booming.
They had a full house when the grim news came through that Greater Sydney was being plunged back into lockdown on June 26. About 90 per cent of their guests come from Sydney.
Still paying off last year’s rent, the couple’s emotion is palpable as they grapple with the prospects of another ruined season.
Stephen Rice8pm:Tick, tock … It’s time you trusted us, Premier
What’s the big secret, Gladys?
At 11am every day, the NSW Premier tells us how we are all in this together — then deigns to let us in on the crucial Covid numbers the state government has been sitting on for 15 hours.
The public is tiring of that game.
The government knows by 8pm the previous day how many new Covid cases have been reported and how many have been infectious while out and about in the community.
It’s important stuff.
It’s called public health information for a reason.
But for reasons no one can explain, we can’t be told until the government sees fit.
No one would deny the Premier the chance for her own North Face moment in front of the cameras; Dan can’t have all the fun.
But then along comes TikTok guy and steals the show.
AFP 7.15pm: Hajj restricted to fully vaccinated pilgrims
Hajj pilgrims streamed out of the holy city of Mecca towards Mina on the second day of a massively scaled-down version of Islam’s greatest pilgrimage, which is being held in the shadow of the coronavirus for the second year running.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia are allowing only 60,000 fully vaccinated citizens and residents to take part, far from the vast crowds of 2.5 million pilgrims who descend on Mecca in normal times.
Health authorities confirmed at a briefing late on Sunday that not a single Covid-19 case had been reported among the pilgrims.
tarting on Saturday, groups of the faithful performed the “tawaf” at Mecca’s Grand Mosque, circling the Kaaba, a large cube draped in golden-embroidered black cloth towards which Muslims around the world pray.
After that, they made their way to Mina, where they were to spend the night. An official confirmed on Sunday that all the pilgrims were now in Mina.
Mina sits in a narrow valley surrounded by rocky mountains, 5km from the Grand Mosque, and is transformed each year into a vast encampment for pilgrims.
Joseph Lam6.28pm:Arts community paints a picture of vaccine importance
“It’s normal to get nervous before giving the performance of a lifetime.”
That’s the message in the Victorian arts community’s new campaign calling for Australians to go and get vaccinated.
The two-minute video, written by Emma Muir-Smith and published on YouTube, has compiled a number of well-known artists to help get a message across to Australians that the only way out of the pandemic is to get vaccinated.
“So if you’re feeling unsure about getting vaccinated, chat to your GP and they can help you get the facts,” it continues before telling viewers “some of the stuff you read online has some pretty massive plot holes”.
Among those to appear in the campaign are Tim Minchin and Virginia Gay as well as others from Short Black Opera, The Australian Ballet and Melbourne Theatre Company.
It ends with one simple request: “Let’s give Covid it’s final curtain call.”
Angie Raphael6.15pm:Eight cargo ship crew confirmed sick with virus
Eight crew on-board a cargo ship docked in Perth have tested positive for Covid-19, sparking fears for the other six people on the vessel.
Health officials and police were at Fremantle Port about 9am on Monday to assist the crew members suffering coronavirus symptoms to disembark the BBC California for testing. They then returned to the vessel.
Later that afternoon, the Health Department confirmed they had all been diagnosed with Covid-19 following rapid PCR testing.
Eli Greenblat 5.57pm:Toilet paper restrictions brought in for South Australia
South Australia has followed New South Wales and Victoria to face restrictions on the sale of toilet paper in supermarkets, with Coles moving on Monday night to apply a limit of two packs per customer as the state surfers a Covid-19 outbreak and shuts down non-essential retail.
Coles has announced that following the South Australian government’s announcement of increased Covid restrictions to apply from midnight on July 19 it can can confirm that all Coles supermarkets, liquor and Coles Express stores in the state will remain open.
However, to limit the outbreak of panic shopping witnessed across the country last year when Covid-19 first emerged and shoppers stripped the shelves of staple groceries from toilet paper to pasta, it has imposed buying limits.
“To ensure customers have access to toilet paper, Coles has introduced a temporary two pack per person limit in South Australia.
“We have plenty of stock in our supply chain, and purchase limits are a temporary measure to help us manage demand so that we can return our stores to a fully-stocked position as quickly as possible.
“We ask that customers stay calm, shop normally and be respectful to our hard-working team members.”
Joseph Lam5.53pm:South Australia returns to stage four restrictions
South Australia will return to stage four restrictions from Midnight on Tuesday after the state recorded a second case of Covid-19.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall on Monday conceded “we only have one chance to get this right”.
“My strong message to the people of South Australia is that we need to just respect these restrictions that have been put in place,” he said.
“No need to panic whatsoever in South Australia. There is no need for a run to the shop urgently.”
The restrictions will effectively ban all large events and restrict private gatherings to no more than 10 people.
Non-essential retail, including gyms and personal care, will be closed and food consumption will be limited to outdoor venues at a capacity of one person per four square metres.
Joseph Lam5pm:Family member confirmed as mother of removalists
The mother of twin Sydney removalists Roni and Ramsin Shawka, 27, who travelled to regional NSW despite testing positive for Covid-19, has died after contracting the virus.
NSW Police have confirmed officers from Liverpool were called to the house in Thursday Place in Green Valley, some 39km west of the CBD, after reports a woman in her 50s died.
The mother was in isolation with the boys who were apprehended by Police on Speedy Street, in Molong, on Saturday and escorted back to Sydney.
The Shawkas are among one other removalist, Maryo Shanki, 21, who will face Orange Local Court on August 30. They have been charged for failing to comply with notice direction section 7/8/9 – COVID-19.
A fourth man, aged 49, involved in the job tested negative for Covid-19.
The business owner who had hired the young men for the job told The Daily Telegraph that a language barrier was responsible for the miscommunication.
Roni Shawka told The Daily Telegraph on Sunday that he was not to blame for the breach of public health orders.
“Of course I feel very bad, I feel very bad for what I [have] done, but it’s not my fault …” Mr Shawka said.
“I was driving and he call[ed] me from the health [department], he told me to stop working and go home, I was already in Orange.
“I gave them the number of my boss, I told them my language is not very good.
“I [did] not kill someone … I was [doing] my work, I swear to god I didn’t know [I was positive].”
Joseph Lam4pm:NSW records 5th death of latest outbreak
A woman in her 50s, who is believed to be a relative of two removalists charged after travelling outside of Sydney despite testing positive for Covid-19, has become the fifth person in NSW to die of the virus in the latest outbreak.
NSW Police have confirmed officers from Liverpool are attending a household in Green Valley, some 39km west of the CBD, where the woman’s body has been found.
The woman is reportedly a relative of two twin brothers, aged 27, who were part of a removalist crew who travelled from West Hoxton to Figtree and later Molong, stopping in South Bowenfels and Orange along the way, on Saturday after testing positive for Covid-19. The other two group members were aged 21 and 49.
The men were apprehended by Police on Speedy Street, Molong, and escorted back to Sydney on the same day, where they have remained in isolation.
The younger three men have been issued Court Attendance Notices for failing to comply with notice direction section 7/8/9 – COVID-19.
On Saturday, Police Minister David Elliott described the behaviour as troubling.
“We know that the delta variant is highly transmissible, and it is unfathomable to think that, with all the public information and health warnings, people could so blatantly ignore the health orders,” he said. “This thoughtless act has now placed our regional communities in NSW at the greatest risk so far with this pandemic.”
The four men were among 18 charged in that 24-hour period which also saw police attend more than 1000 pandemic-related incidents and issue 162 penalty infringement notices.
Rachel Baxendale3.30pm:Victoria issues new list of exposure sites
The Victorian Health Department has listed a string of new exposure sites on Monday in the inner Melbourne suburbs of Richmond, Collingwood, Fitzroy and Hawthorn, as well as in Ringwood North, Nunawading and Hurstbridge in the outer east and northeast, and Calder Park in the outer northwest.
A number of public transport routes and the Bourke Street offices of Chubb Insurance have also been listed.
As of 3pm on Monday there were 297 exposure sites in Victoria ranging from Phillip Island, 140km southwest of Melbourne, to Mildura, 540km northwest, and all over the city.
More information on Victoria’s exposure sites is available on the Victorian Health Department website.
Rachel Baxendale3.15pm:Victorian businesses face 17-hour wait for help
“Your estimated wait time is about 17 hours and five minutes. All of our operators are attending to other calls at the moment. Your call is important to us.”
That’s the message desperate Victorian small business owners have been receiving when they phone the Andrews government’s Business Victoria hotline.
Tens of thousands of business owners are still waiting for payments from last month’s lockdown, with their eligibility for support during the current lockdown dependent on qualifying for support for the previous one.
To qualify for Victoria’s payment, businesses must also be eligible to collect GST, meaning those with turnover of less than $75,000 do not qualify for support - a rule that does not apply in NSW.
Victorian Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien said the 17 hour wait time was “disgraceful”.
“It’s lucky they say that the call is important to them. How much longer would it be if they didn’t care about the call?” Mr O’Brien said.
“To make small business people who are desperate, for them, for their staff, to make them wait over 17 hours online, on a call, just to get an answer about government support, is a disgrace.
“If this government gave a damn about small business, they’d fix up this hotline straight away.
“Treating small business with this sort of disrespect is what you get from a government, a Labor government, that has never missed a pay cheque themselves this entire pandemic, but don’t care about the biggest single employing sector in our state.
“If these small businesses can’t survive the lockdown, thousands and thousands of Victorians will be out of work.”
Mr O’Brien said he’d been contacted by numerous businesses who had been told they didn’t qualify for support, but had not been told why.
“Last Thursday or last Friday there were thousands of businesses received an email, this is in relation to the fourth lockdown payments, and it said, ‘Oh, we don’t think you’re eligible. It could be one of eight reasons’,” he said.
“They don’t actually tell you which one of the eight reasons they’re relying on, but then if you want to basically argue the toss over this, call the hotline. And guess what happens when you call the hotline? You’re waiting for 17 hours on hold.”
In April Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass found the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions had unreasonably refused some businesses’ applications for support during last year’s 112 day lockdown, refusing to reassess them even after the Ombudsman highlighted the harshness of some decisions.
Staff Reporters3.05pm:Eight crew on ship in WA are sick
WA Premier Mark McGowan says eight of 14 crew members on the BBC California, a ship berthed in Fremantle, have reported feeling unwell.
The bulk carrier made its way into Fremantle on Monday morning, local time.
The BBC California left Egypt on June 8 and has visited three ports in Indonesia, where it is believed a worker contracted the Delta variant of Covid-19.
Mr McGowan said the eight crew members had been taken off the ship, were tested and put in quarantine.
He said the pilot who brought the ship in to port had been wearing full PPE.
If any of the eight crew tests positive for Covid-19, the remaining six crew on board will also be tested.
Staff Reporters2.55pm:Hundreds of thousands in NSW seek payments
Government Services Minister Linda Reynolds has revealed that more than 331,000 claims for Covid-19 disaster payments have been granted in NSW.
Victorians will be able to apply from Friday, if its lockdowns are extended until then. It’s been announced today that Victorian lockdowns will be extended until at least Wednesday.
MacKenzie Scott2.45pm:Industry condemns snap construction halt
The construction industry has slammed NSW’s decision to halt worksites across Sydney to clamp down on the spread of Covid-19. Read more here
Nicholas Jensen2.20pm:NSW adds to list of exposure sites
A butcher and grocery store in Sydney’s south west, and an inner-west cafe, have been named as the latest Covid-hit venues in NSW, as well as a string of new contact venues across Metropolitan Sydney.
âš ï¸PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT – VENUES OF CONCERNâš ï¸
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 19, 2021
NSW Health has been notified of a number of new venues of concern associated with
confirmed cases of COVID‑19. pic.twitter.com/1imjpq3Ufm
They are among a string of new locations that have been added to the state’s expanding list of exposure sites, including Paradise Grocery and Al Sultan Butchery in Lakemba, and Cafe Juliet in Summer Hill.
NSW Health also listed more than a dozen new casual contact sites across Metropolitan Sydney, spanning the south western suburbs to the city’s inner east.
The new sites come after more than two-thirds of Monday’s local cases were detected in south-western Sydney.
Anton Nilsson1.45pm:Covid cash relief website crashes
A website set up by the NSW government to handle applications for a lockdown grant for businesses went down on Monday because the server couldn’t handle the “unprecedented demand”.
Other grant websites were affected as well, including one set up to help regional communities fight the mouse plague.
A notice on the Service NSW website for the 2021 Covid-19 business grant read: “Temporarily unavailable”.
“We‘re receiving unprecedented demand for the 2021 COVID-19 business grant,” the notice continued.
“We’re working through the demand and ask that you kindly come back to complete your transaction this afternoon. We assure you that you will not miss out on this grant by returning later. Apologies for the inconvenience.”
A spokeswoman for Service NSW, which is responsible for the grant website, said the department was investigating why the site went down.
The grant is available to businesses affected by coronavirus restrictions in NSW.
Eligible businesses must have been operating in NSW before June 1, have paid less than $10m in wages as at July 1 last year, and have an annual turnover between $75,000 and $50m for the previous financial year.
The business must also have had no other government support for business costs, and to have retained all its employees since July 13.
Grants are available in three sizes:
$7500 for a decline of 30% or more
$10,500 for a decline of 50% or more
$15,000 for a decline of 70% or more
The grant was introduced to soothe some of the financial pains felt by businesses because of the lockdown in Sydney and restrictions in other parts of the state.
NSW has recorded over 1300 local coronavirus cases in little more than a month.
— NCA NewsWire
Angelica Snowden1.20pm:Sutton, Chant discussed lockdown measures
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant spoke with her counterpart in Victoria for advice before toughening the state’s lockdown, Brett Sutton says.
Professor Sutton said they discussed his reflections on the management of the state’s catastrophic second wave last year which left more than 800 people dead and sent Victorians into a four month lockdown.
“We were put in touch over a phone call,” he said. “It was a conversation about any particular … reflections I might have had about how Victoria could help or lessons we might have had historically.
“NSW has helped us through tough times last year, we are here to do whatever we can in return.”
Nicholas Jensen1.10pm:Coffs Harbour added to NSW exposure list
Coffs Harbour has been put on alert after a resident tested positive for Covid-19 and reportedly visited a number of venues across the city while infectious.
On Monday, Coffs Harbour’s Nationals MP Gurmesh Singh released a statement on his Facebook page listing exposure sites in the area.
Thursday, July 15
Hoey Moey, 90 Ocean Parade, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 - 15:50-16:15
Tuesday, July 13
BIG W Park Beach, Cnr. Pacific Hwy & Park Rd, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 - 17:00-17:20
Woolworths Supermarkets Park Beach Plaza Coffs Harbour, 253 Pacific Hwy, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 - 17:20 - 17:50
Monday, 12 July
Woolworths Supermarkets Park Beach Plaza Coffs Harbour, 253 Pacific Hwy, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 - 17:30-18:00
Visitors to Hoey Moey after 4pm received a text message to get tested and self-isolate immediately.
Angelica Snowden1pm:Regional Vic Covid testing clinic overwhelmed
A regional Covid-19 testing drive through in Victoria’s far north west has been overwhelmed and closed after two positive cases were identified.
Sunraysia Community Health have told anyone who planned to get a test at the testing clinic in Mildura should not attend and urged them to stay home.
It came as a total of two positive cases were identified in the community after a man in his 30s contracted the virus when he attended the Carlton-Geelong AFL match in the MCC reserve on July 10.
“There is currently excessive traffic and disruption in the testing clinic precinct and surrounds,” a statement posted to the Sunraysia Community Health Facebook page said.
“We ask that ALL people needing or wanting to get tested remain at home in isolation until further notice. This includes PRIORITY TIER 1 & 2.”
Angelica Snowden12.45pm:Andrews defends strict lockdown approach
Victoria’s state government is not taking an overly risk averse approach to managing Covid-19, the state’s premier says.
Daniel Andrews said he made lockdown decisions based on data, not politics after his government sent the state into a fifth shutdown last Thursday.
Mr Andrews also said priority groups in line for the Covid-19 vaccine are not likely to change until supply drastically increases.
It came after at least three schools had to be closed after teachers or students contracted the virus, prompting calls for teachers to be vaccinated immediately.
“The limiting factor is not to prioritise (group) A over B, it’s how much supply we have got,” he said. “Current priorities will remain in place.”
Emily Cosenza12.35pm:SA records new locally acquired case
South Australia has recorded a new locally acquired Covid-19 case hours after a school was closed over exposure fears. Read more here
Angelica Snowden 12.15pm: Andrews ‘can’t rule out’ harder border with NSW
Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews says he is prepared to go harder on border restrictions with NSW if the Covid-19 outbreak is not brought under control.
Mr Andrews said he did not want to criticise NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s management of the delta variant spread, but said the state was a “long way off” easing restrictions.
“As soon as they get it under control that takes a lot of pressure off us,” he said.
“We are actively looking at more we can do. It’s a pretty hard border now.
“I can’t rule out further changes… and limiting further movement from NSW to Victoria.”
Angelica Snowden12.10pm: Pub case transmitted virus 30 hours later
A person who contracted the virus at a pub in Melbourne’s CBD transmitted the virus 30 hours afterwards, Victoria’s chief health officer says.
Brett Sutton said authorities did not expect the virus to spread at the Crafty Squire Pub, which hosted soccer fans for the European league grand final, and initially acted conservatively by declaring it a high risk venue.
“The fact it has occurred some 30 hours after being exposed is absolutely a feature of the Delta variant,” he said. “This is not the only circumstance where we have seen that rapid transmission from exposure to onward transmission.” Professor Sutton said.
All patrons who attend the event on July 12 have now been directed to quarantine for 14 days.
There are now 15,800 primary close contacts in quarantine as a result of the latest outbreak.
Of those, 3000 are linked to MCG, 1800 are linked with AAMI park, 2300 are linked with schools Trinity Grammar and 2700 with Bacchus Marsh Grammar.
Angelica Snowden 12.05pm: Delta to circulate in NSW for months: Sutton
Modelling seen by Victorian public health authorities indicates Covid-19 may be circulating in New South Wales for months to come, chief health officer Brett Sutton says.
“We have seen modelling ... from NSW and Victoria. That means it might be an ongoing risk north of Victoria for weeks or months to come,” Professor Sutton said.
“We don’t want to be in that position, there is no absolute guarantee we can win against the delta variant,” he said.
“We have to give ourselves the absolute best chance.”
Nicholas Jensen 11.55am:Hazzard defends Berejiklian over maskless coffee
Asked to clarify mask wearing and social distancing in public, Health Minister Brad Hazzard criticised the media for intruding on Ms Berejiklian’s private life, after images were taken of the premier waiting for a takeaway coffee without a mask.
“Taking an opportunity to have a go at the premier’s private life by getting a photo when she was more than double (the distance of) where we are from you (reporters) now,” he said.
“We know that the health orders are given as a guide to help the community get through what is a very difficult time. Some of them are precise and some of them are not as precise as perhaps you would like, but common sense must prevail.”
Mr Hazzard also discussed the controversial British media personality, Katie Hopkins, who is due to be deported after boasting she broke hotel quarantine measures in Sydney.
“To think that she could think that the measures we are taking to keep our community safe can be treated with search juvenile, imbecilic behaviour is mind boggling,” he said.
Mr Hazzard also warned employees they will incur a $10,000 fine if they do not allow people to work from home, encouraging workplaces to shift to a work from home model.
“What we are saying is we have doubled the fine for employers who may think it is acceptable to tell staff to come in.”
“Some employers - a handful - have been reported as saying to staff they want them in the office … They need to think twice about that,” said Mr Hazzard.
Nicholas Jensen11.50am:Delta will force ‘rethink’ of children’s vaccination
Back in NSW, Dr Chant told reporters the spread of the Delta variant will prompt health authorities to “rethink” the vaccination of children, as the strain continues to move through younger residents.
“We are seeing more infections from children spreading, which is not the characteristic we had observed with previous strands … It means we need to rethink and think about our role of vaccinating children. It is pleasing to see in some countries overseas that we have vaccines that are licensed for use in children, and I know the regulator, the TGA, as often considering the vaccine.
However, as vaccines remain in short supply, Dr Chant said it was important that NSW residents continue to access the AstraZeneca vaccine when advised.
“I think we also need to get the community used to the fact that we will be doing booster doses, so while we need to firstly get everyone vaccinated, shortly after in 2022 we will probably be giving more specific vaccines against the new variants of concern.”
Angelica Snowden 11.42am:Victoria’s fifth lockdown to be extended
Victoria’s fifth lockdown will not end at midnight on Tuesday night, the state’s Premier Daniel Andrews says.
Mr Andrews said restrictions from Wednesday will depend on interviews with primary close contacts of identified Covid-19 cases which will be carried out on Monday.
“We will not be ready to lift this lockdown at midnight tomorrow night,” Mr Andrews said.
“We have made great progress. We have avoided thousands of cases,” he said.
“This is by no means over. Think about it like a fire, we have a containment line. If it’s smouldering it will… take off again.”
There were 13 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 in the state overnight.
All are linked to the current outbreak.
Reported yesterday: 13 new local cases and 1 new case acquired overseas (currently in HQ).
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) July 18, 2021
- 14,758 vaccine doses were administered
- 54,839 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/j2r9Pz8Ynd
A decision on how long the lockdown will be extended for has not been handed down, Mr Andrews said.
“As soon as I can confirm for all Victorians how much longer, and in what circumstances I will do that,” he said.
“I hope that will be around this time (on Tuesday) or certainly as early as possible tomorrow.”
Nicholas Jensen11.34am:NSW Premier defends halting construction until July 30
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has defended her government’s decision to halt construction work until July 30, saying the risk of workplace transmission was contributing to the spread of the Delta variant throughout Metropolitan Sydney.
“Having the risk of thousands of people being mobile at one time, many of them coming from communities that have had cases, was too big a risk.”
“The Treasurer and key senior public servants are meeting with the construction sector daily to make sure that when they go back to work there are safe places ... We can’t have people, who may not have symptoms, visiting multiple worksites, visiting sites with hundreds of workers and spreading the disease.”
Regarding the delivery of vaccines, Ms Berejiklian has stood by her vaccine target, saying “no one was prepared to set a target, but we decided to in NSW”.
“80 per cent is where we could live freely. I want to make that point ... 80 per cent of the adult population and ten million jabs only gets about two per cent of the population vaccinated.”
Nicholas Jensen 11.26am:Seven Covid-19 cases on ventilation in NSW
Of the patients currently in ICU, NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said seven require ventilation, with only one patient having had a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
NSW Health says the areas of concern for increased testing are Lakemba, Punchbowl, Fairfield, Bankstown, Liverpool, Cumberland, Guildford, Wollongong, Blaney, Parks, Coffs Harbour, Crows Nest and St Leonards.
NSW recorded 98 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/XjBvjJzvKg
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 19, 2021
On Sunday, NSW Police handed out 201 infringement notices, as authorities seek to ramp-up the operations along coastal Sydney to enforce social distancing rules. 121 of those notices were recorded in regional NSW.
Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys has stressed that authorities are not pursuing “a ring of steel” approach in southwest Sydney.
“We are not operating on a ring of steel around Greater Sydney, not around any LGA, not around the south west ... NSW Police force has 17,700 employees, (our) police officers are competent, well resourced and every single day are providing tasking across the state.”
Nicholas Jensen 11.03am:NSW records 98 new cases
NSW has recorded 98 new locally acquired cases, of which 20 were infectious in the community for more than one day.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said two thirds of the cases were in southwest Sydney.
Ms Berejiklian said Monday’s cases show “we need to get ahead of that number in order to reduce the cases in the community and the closer we get that number to zero, the sooner we can end the lockdown”.
Lydia Lynch10.55am:Qld police crack down on truck border breaches
Queensland police have begun a crackdown on the freight industry after dozens of truck drivers were caught entering the without appropriate border passes at the weekend.
A police operation at the weekend found 83 trucks with fake or incorrect border passes, 29 of which has arrived from hotspot areas.
Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said freight drivers were meant to be swabbed for COVID-19 every seven days.
“It’s vital that freight continues, they ensure we have access to all our precious goods, including vaccines,” she said.
“But we need it to happen safely.”
The police operation was ordered after three Sydney removalists unlocking my spread COVID-19 into Victoria and triggered its latest lockdown.
Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski, said police had moved from an educational to enforcement approach.
“Those that blatantly do the wrong thing can expect enforcement action to be taken.”
He said testing compliance was “pretty low” as well.
Lydia Lynch10.50am:Qld skiers kept from NSW mountain slopes
Queenslanders hoping to travel to NSW for this year’s ski season have had their hopes dashed as cases continue to climb in Sydney.
While Queensland’s border remains open to most of regional NSW, chief health officer Jeannette Young said holiday-makers should cancel their plans.
“No one should be travelling to anywhere in NSW or Victoria unless they really and truly have no other alternative.
“People should definitely not be going into NSW for a holiday.
“(That advice) will continue until there is no local transmission in NSW.”
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said there were no plans to toughen border restrictions for NSW at this stage.
“So far, there has been no transmission outside of the local government areas that we have declared a hotspot.
“There have been some positive cases that have travelled outside of those LGAs but they have not transmitted to anyone else in those communities.”
There are more than 1242 cases now linked to Sydney’s outbreak and four deaths.
Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid warned Sydney could be locked down “indefinitely” until cases eased or a large proportion of the state was vaccinated.
Nicholas Jensen 10.45am: Gladys Berejiklian to provide update at 11.00am
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will provide an update on the situation in her state at 11am. You can watch it alive above.
Robert Gottliebsen10.25am:How to repair the damage from Covid mistakes
It must have been agonising for NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to concede that her “Claytons” lockdown had failed against the Delta variant of Covid-19.
And to make it worse, that meant that Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and the other states were right and therefore NSW was wrong.
Worse still, Prime Minister Scott Morrison foolishly supported the flawed Berejiklian strategy and that, combined with the Commonwealth government’s vaccine failures, means he is receiving a well-deserved drubbing in the opinion polls.
However as I set out below, it is not all bad news and indeed Australia now has a very good chance of a much better 2022.
Sadly the only way to counter this version of the virus was a hard lockdown.
Accordingly Berejiklian has introduced a NSW version of the Victorian hard lockdown which attempts to take into account the more isolated community situation in NSW. If that fails then she must simply duplicate the Victorian strategies. Either way rectifying the past mistake will not be quick and the suffering will be severe.
It must have been agonising for NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to concede that her “Claytons” lockdown had failed against the Delta variant of Covid-19.
And to make it worse, that meant that Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and the other states were right and therefore NSW was wrong.
Worse still, Prime Minister Scott Morrison foolishly supported the flawed Berejiklian strategy and that, combined with the Commonwealth government’s vaccine failures, means he is receiving a well-deserved drubbing in the opinion polls.
However as I set out below, it is not all bad news and indeed Australia now has a very good chance of a much better 2022.
Sadly the only way to counter this version of the virus was a hard lockdown.
Accordingly Berejiklian has introduced a NSW version of the Victorian hard lockdown which attempts to take into account the more isolated community situation in NSW. If that fails then she must simply duplicate the Victorian strategies. Either way rectifying the past mistake will not be quick and the suffering will be severe.
READ: Robert Gottliebsen’s full column
Lydia Lynch10.15am:Truck drivers’ border compliance ‘lapsed’
Despite no new local cases being recorded in Queensland, Acting Premier Steven Miles said truck drivers’ border compliance had “lapsed”.
Mr Miles said a number of drivers pulled over by police did not have appropriate border passes and were not being regularly swabbed.
Nicholas Jensen10.00am: Gauff pulls out of Olympics with positive test
US tennis star Coco Gauff will no longer compete in the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for Covid-19 on Monday.
Ms Gauff, 17, who was set to become the youngest Olympic tennis player to participate in the Olympics since 2000, will now join a host of other players who have already pulled out of the Games.
In a video posted to Twitter, the world number 25 said: “I’m disappointed to share the news that I have tested positive for COVID and won’t be able to play in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.”
“It has always been a dream of mine to represent the USA at the Olympics, and I hope there will be many more chances for me to make this come true in the future.”
With the Games set to open on Friday, some of tennis’ high-profile players, including Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal have already pulled out of the event.
READ MORE:Whopping number of mystery cases
Nicholas Jensen 9.45am: Palaszczuk lands in Tokyo for Olympics
Annastacia Palaszczuk has landed in Japan this morning as she makes her final pitch for Brisbane to host the 2032 Olympic Games.
While the Queensland premier has come under heavy scrutiny for deciding to attend the event - as Australians face continued Covid-19 restrictions - Ms Palaszczuk has argued it is vital the state is represented to prove Australia’s commitment to the 2032 bid.
On Monday morning, Ms Palaszczuk continued to draw heavy criticism for her decision to depart for Tokyo, with Minister for Home Affair Karen Andrews calling the premier a hypocrite after she advocated a cut to international arrivals last month.
“The Games are very important, and the economic benefit to Queensland, particularly south-east Queensland, but all of Australia, is considered to be significant.”
Ms Andrews added: “There was a lot of concern about the hypocrisy of the Queensland premier while she was, on one hand, arguing that hotel quarantine caps should be reduced, that she is taking herself off overseas and will be bringing herself back in over the quarantine caps and going into hotel quarantine.”
READ MORE:Virus loose in village
James Hall9.30am:Queensland records no new local Covid cases
Queensland has recorded zero new locally acquired Covid-19 cases for the third day in a row, quashing fears the Sydney Delta outbreak had jumped the border.
Monday 19 July – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) July 18, 2021
No new locally acquired cases recorded in Queensland overnight.
2 new overseas acquired cases, detected in hotel quarantine.#covid19pic.twitter.com/kuV0xwJHiH
The state was thrown into panic after a 12-year-old boy, his parents and a worker at the Brisbane International Airport all tested positive with the Delta strain of the virus.
But the state has not recorded a new local case since Friday morning.
Two cases were acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine, bringing the active cases in Queensland to 36, with 7393 tests conducted in the 24 hours to Monday morning.
READ MORE:NRL forced to act with families left home as Queensland government demanded a plan
Jack Paynter9.15am:Popular Victorian market on Covid alert, again
Victoria’s Covid-19 exposure sites have ballooned to almost 300 as the state faces a critical 24 hours in the fight to stop the latest outbreak.
Victorians have been plunged into a fifth lockdown after the virus jumped the border from Sydney, which is now looking likely to be extended beyond the planned five-day snap closure.
Dozens of new venues have been listed as exposures sites overnight, including several bars and restaurants in Melbourne’s inner north, South Melbourne Market stores and a CBD McDonalds.
Several train services have also been added, along with a number of venues in Mildura, which recorded its first positive Covid case in 15 months on Sunday.
“Mildura has recorded its first positive case in 15 months, and I have no doubt that will be of great concern to the community,” chief health officer Brett Sutton said.
I ask that everyone pay attention to health alerts when they come and follow the advice.
“The strongest responses to outbreaks are led by the community, and we’re proud to working in partnership with the Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit.”
The number of exposure sites in Victoria has risen to 278 on Monday morning, up from about 220 on Sunday.
The following venues have been listed as tier 1 exposure sites, meaning contacts need to get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days regardless of the result:
Abbotsford: V Wine Salon, 323 Victoria St, Abbotsford, July 15 from 8.57pm to 11.45pm;
Richmond: Fitness First, Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre, 620 Victoria St, Richmond, July 15 from 5.39am to 7.15am;
South Melbourne: Spin South Melbourne, South Melbourne Market, 322-326 Coventry St, July 11 from 9.30am to midday;
South Melbourne: Create tBt Toys and Games, South Melbourne Market, 322-326 Coventry St, July 11 from 9.30am to midday;
Docklands: The Butcher Club, 88 Waterfront Way, Docklands, July 15 from 12.26pm to 1.06pm;
South Melbourne: The SuperCool, South Melbourne Market, 322-326 Coventry St, from July 11 to 9.30am to midday.
The following venues have been listed as tier 2 exposure sites, meaning contacts need to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result:
Fitzroy: Amarillo Restaurant, 149 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, July 15 from 6.15pm to 7.02pm;
Melbourne: McDonald’s Spencer St, Shop G2/620 Collins St, Melbourne, July 15 from 7.31am to 8.06am;
Docklands: Ichimaki, 1b/700 Bourke St, Docklands, July 14 from 1.10pm to 1.25pm;
Docklands: Story Coffee and Foodstore, 700 Bourke St, Docklands, July 14 from 7.50am to 8.30am;
Doncaster East: Shell Petrol Station Doncaster East, 484-490 Blackburn Rd, corner Reynolds Rd, Doncaster East, July 16 from 9.04am to 9.38am;
Heidelberg: Bean There Espresso Bar, 89 Mount St, Heidelberg, July 14 from 7am to 7.35am;
Victorians have been urged to check the health department website for the full list of exposure sites across the state.
READ MORE:‘Good riddance’: Hopkins deportation ‘imminent’
Nicholas Jensen 8.55am:Lake Macquarie mass vax hub opens
NSW’s second mass vaccination centre in Belmont has opened today in Lake Macquarie, with ambitions of administering up to 20,000 vaccines each week.
Health officials say local residents can now book into the new mass vaccination hub - a former Bunning Warehouse converted by NSW Health - where they can receive both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines.
The Berejiklian government says a mass vaccination centre at Macquarie Fields in Sydney’s south west will open by the end of July, with the capacity to administer up to 20,000 vaccines each week.
A mass vaccination centre in Wollongong is also due to open in August, with the capacity to administer up to 15,000 doses each week.
READ MORE: Social media gurus put con in conspiracy
Nicholas Jensen8.45am:Boris forced to iso hours before Freedom Day
Just hours before Britons hit the streets to celebrate Freedom Day to mark the lifting of all pandemic restrictions in England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been forced into self-isolation after contact with Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who has tested positive for Covid-19.
The decision to self-isolate came after Downing Street initially said the Prime Minister and Chancellor would not have to isolate because they were part of a pilot scheme that involves daily testing.
But the call provoked uproar amongst opposition parties across the United Kingdom, with opponents saying the decision showed there was “one rule for them and another for the rest of us”.
Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak subsequently backflipped on their decision, saying it was only fair they stick to the same rules as all Britons.
Leader of the opposition, Sir Keir Starmer said it showed that “Conservatives fixed the rules to benefit themselves and only backtracked when they were found out”.
Speaking in a video on Twitter, Mr Johnson said: “We did look briefly at the idea of us taking part in the pilot scheme, which allows people to test daily, but I think it’s far more important that everybody sticks to the same rules and that’s why I’m going to be self-isolating until Monday 26 July.”
Mr Johnson will now conduct government meetings remotely from Chequers, where he was when Mr Javid received his positive test result.
READ MORE:Restrictions must be lifted as soon as safe
Rachel Baxendale8.25am:Vic records 13 new local cases
Victoria has recorded 13 new community-acquired cases of coronavirus in the 24 hours to Monday.
The new cases include one case in a man in his 30s from Mildura which was made public on Sunday.
The new locally-acquired cases are all linked to the current outbreaks.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) July 18, 2021
Monday’s 13 cases follow 16 on Sunday and 19 on Saturday, and bring the total number of community acquired cases since two incursions from NSW emerged this time last week to 72.
Victoria’s Health Department has confirmed all of Monday’s cases are linked to the current outbreaks.
There was also one overseas acquired case detected in hotel quarantine in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of active cases in Victoria to 81, including 11 acquired overseas.
The latest cases come after 54,839 tests were processed on Sunday, up from 53,283 on Saturday. This compares with Victoria’s June 2 record of 57,519 tests processed.
Nicholas Jensen8.15am:New alerts 140km away from Sydney
A Coles, medical centre and petrol station in Lithgow, 140km away from Sydney have been named as the latest COVID-hit venues in New South Wales.
They are among a string of new locations that have been added to Sydney’s expanding list of exposure sites overnight, including supermarkets, pharmacies and a retail store in Fairfield.
“NSW Health has been notified of a number of new venues of concern, including one near Lithgow, as well as public transport routes associated with confirmed cases of COVID‑19,” health authorities wrote.
NSW Health said anyone who visited Rugs 4 Style in Fairfield’s Forum Shopping Centre on July 13 is now considered a close contact and must get tested and self-isolate for 14 days.
âš ï¸PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT – VENUES OF CONCERN AND TRANSPORT ROUTESâš ï¸
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 18, 2021
NSW Health has been notified of a number of new venues of concern, including one near Lithgow, as well as public transport routes associated with confirmed cases of COVID‑19. pic.twitter.com/6VBBspZf7G
Fairfield’s Forum Pharmacy and Sinbad Market have also been added to the close contact list, as well as Shell Coles Express Lithgow, Pendle Hill Medical Centre and the Afghan Sufra restaurant in Lakemba.
Sydney’s south western suburbs, particularly the three LGAs of Liverpool, Fairfield and Canterbury-Bankstown, remain the focus of health officials as Sydneysiders reach 22 days in lockdown.
The state’s list of exposure sites has now reached more than 630 venues, as contact tracers struggle to keep up with the spread of the Delta variant.
READ MORE:Whopping number of mystery cases
Nicholas Jensen 8.00am:1m Pfizer doses arrive to boost rollout
One million Pfizer doses have arrived in Australia overnight to help boost the country’s lagging vaccine rollout.
On Monday morning, Lieutenant General John Frewen said the shipment will be distributed across the country on a per capita basis, telling the ABC their arrival marks a significant milestone in Australia’s response to the pandemic.
“There’s been two big milestones in the last few days: over the weekend, we hit the ten million doses administered to Australians, and now we’ve got the arrival of a million doses.”
Lieutenant General Frewen said Australians can expect to see one million doses arrive each week until the end of August.
“What’s exciting about the million doses is that we’re also increasing the ways that the vaccines can be administered: we’ll be bringing on additional GPs by the end of the month and we’ll have 1300 GPs that can administer Pfizer.”
“We’re on the verge of starting to bring in more pharmacists who can also administer AstraZeneca, but then we will prepare them to be able to administer mRNA vaccines as well,” said Lieutenant General Frewen.
“The combination of the additional supply and the additional distribution nodes means that we’re hoping that we can really start to accelerate the rollout.”
Lieutenant General Frewen said the rollout of new vaccines will prioritise the most vulnerable, including the over 70s cohort, people in aged care and frontline healthcare workers.
READ MORE:Social media gurus put ‘con’ into conspiracy
Benjamin Graham 7.40am:Demonised removalists: It’s not our fault
Three Covid-19 positive removalists who travelled to western NSW say they are not to blame for potentially spreading the virus across the state, despite being attacked by the government.
Iraqi immigrants Roni and Ramsin Shawka, 27, and Maryo Shanki, 21, were in the middle of a delivery at Orange, in the state’s west, on Friday morning, when NSW Health called to say one had tested positive.
However, police allege the trio and a colleague continued into Molong – 30 minutes away – to finish the delivery.
NSW Police have charged the Shawka twins and Shanki with failing to comply with the public health orders, while the fourth member of their team has tested negative to the virus.
The trio will face court on August 30, but Roni Shawka told the Daily Telegraph it was not his “fault” – while the business owner who hired them blamed the language barrier for the miscommunication.
Shawka said he gave NSW Health the number for his boss because his English wasn’t very good.
“Of course I feel very bad, I feel very bad for what I [have] done, but it’s not my fault …” Shawka said.
Nicholas Jensen7.30am: Unlikely Vic lockdown will lift Tues: expert
Epidemiologist Catherine Bennett says it’s unlikely the Victorian government will move to lift its snap lockdown tomorrow because of the state’s expanding list of exposure sites and the time it takes to process Covid-19 test results.
“There’s a lot of high risk exposure sites just in the lead-up to lockdown that are still being processed, so I think they will be reluctant to open up if we’re still waiting on test results on people who were exposed before we went into lockdown.”
Professor Bennett said it is important Melbourne learns from the Sydney outbreak and acts quickly to quash community transmission as soon as possible.
“We have to really push hard now to find everyone exposed who could be a case while we still have a good grasp on where those exposure sites are,” said Professor Bennett.
“The only way to beat the speed of the virus is to be really comprehensive in the early days in the way that we identify people who are at risk, even without knowing it.”
READ MORE: Boris leads the way; are we game to follow?
Nicholas Jensen 7.15am:NSW grants scheme starts today
Eligible NSW businesses, including sole traders and not-for-profit organisations, will now be able to apply for economic assistance today, as the NSW government opens its business support grants program.
From Monday businesses will be able to apply for up to $15,000 in support from Revenue NSW, after NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said more than $4 billion had been directed into the grants program.
The 2021 COVID-19 Business Support Grant will be available to businesses that have a turnover of more than $75,000 and up to $50m, and have a total annual wages bill of below $10m.
According to Revenue NSW, businesses can expect to start receiving funds from the Business Support Grant from the end of July.
“From the outset of the pandemic we’ve always said we would do whatever was necessary to protect people and jobs and this suite of measures will do exactly that,” said Mr Perrottet.
The assistance comes after the NSW government tightened restrictions on retail over the weekend and put a pause on all construction work until July 30.
READ MORE:Oil output to lift as demand roars back
Nicholas Jensen 7.00am: Maskless Gladys Berejiklian sparks rule confusion
Gladys Berejiklian has been embroiled in controversy over ambiguous mask rules taking effect in NSW after being photographed outside a Sydney cafe with her partner Arthur Moses on Sunday.
The Daily Telegraph said Ms Berejiklian was standing approximately 7.9m from the cafe and 9m from the cafe’s coffee machine and not wearing a mask. Ms Berejiklian applied her mask soon after she spotted a photographer. Mr Moses was already wearing a mask when waiting to collect the coffee.
Under a raft of tougher Covid-19 regulations imposed in Sydney, residents are asked to wear a mask “near’’ cafes.
A spokesman for Ms Berejiklian told The Daily Telegraph the Premier had not breached any health orders, as the photographs gave a false impression of where she was standing in relation to the cafe.
The Daily Telegraph said it was “not claiming the Premier broke the order but that its demand that masks are mandated ‘near’ cafes is confusing and unclear.’’
READ the full story
Nicholas Jensen 6.45am:Southwest Sydney wakes to hardest lockdown
As NSW and Victorian health authorities moved to tighten restrictions over the weekend, the rest of the country remains on high alert as the Delta variant continues to spread across the country’s two most populous states.
On Sunday, NSW Health announced 105 new cases of local transmission, with 27 of them out in the community while infectious. The state also recorded its fourth death since the beginning of the current outbreak — a woman in her 90s who lived in south-eastern Sydney.
NSW recorded 105 new locally acquired cases of #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/TreDZgTcVE
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 18, 2021
Sixty six of Sunday’s cases were linked to known clusters, with 39 were under investigation.
More than half a million residents across Sydney’s embattled Southwest have also woken up to another week of new lockdown restrictions, with a ring of steel descending around the three Local Government Areas of Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool and Fairfield.
Residents of the three LGAs will not be allowed to leave those regions for work, unless they are emergency services and health workers.
On Saturday Premier Gladys Berejiklian said authorities would trust residents across the three LGAs “to do the right thing”, insisting the government is not “going to have what is called the ring of steel”.
From today work on all construction sites is forbidden until midnight July 30.
A string of new locations was also added to the state’s expanding list of exposure sites by health authorities on Sunday afternoon, including a truck stop in Raglan near Bathurst, suggesting the virus may be spreading into regional NSW.
âš ï¸PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT – VENUES OF CONCERN AND TRANSPORT ROUTESâš ï¸
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 18, 2021
NSW Health has been notified of a number of new venues of concern, including one near Lithgow, as well as public transport routes associated with confirmed cases of COVID‑19. pic.twitter.com/6VBBspZf7G
NSW Police says it will also launch an operation targeting metropolitan Sydney beaches and coastal areas during the week, as the state authorities continue to focus on limiting the spread of the Covid-19 Delta strain.
Meanwhile, Victoria is due to lift its lockdown restrictions on Tuesday, but Premier Daniel Andrews said health authorities will continue to monitor the situation, after the state recorded 16 cases on Sunday.
Across the weekend dozens of venues were added to the state’s exposure site list, including a Dan Murphy’s, gyms and cafes in Melbourne. More than half a dozen spots were listed as far afield as Mildura, where one man tested positive after attending the Geelong v Carlton match.
Elsewhere, state authorities across the country tightened border restrictions to Victorian residents, with South Australia barring almost all Victorian from entering the state.
In Queensland, residents are on alert after infections were recorded in the town of Chinderah, on the Queensland-New South Wales border.
In Western Australian, Premier Mark McGowan confirmed a cargo ship carrying seven crew members with Covid-19 symptoms will dock in Fremantle on Monday.
Rachel Baxendale6.00am:AFL, rugby infection fears to extend lockdown
Victoria’s five-day lockdown is almost certain to be extended beyond Tuesday, as increasing numbers of Covid-19 transmissions are traced back to large gatherings including AFL and rugby matches.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews refused to rule in or out an end to his state’s lockdown. Government and public health officials, however, told The Australian there was “almost no chance” it would finish after five days.
There were 17 new community-acquired Covid-19 cases confirmed in Victoria on Sunday while NSW recorded 105 infections, the vast majority in Sydneys’ southwestern suburbs now in a tighter lockdown than the rest of the city. Of the new Sydney cases recorded on Sunday, 34 were infectious in the community, officials said.
The NSW government will cut public transport services from Monday to further limit movement, switching trains, buses, ferries and light rail to a Sunday timetable.
All major government projects including the Sydney Metro and WestConnex will also be halted as the construction industry shuts down for at least the next fortnight, a move expected to cost the state’s economy up to $1bn a week.
READ the full story
Rhiannon Down 5.45am: AMA: Sydney faces ‘indefinite’ lockdown
Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid has expressed concern that Sydney’s case numbers have not decreased, adding that the city could be facing lockdown “indefinitely” until there is a dip in cases.
Dr Khorshid said Sydney was looking at living with restrictions for the “foreseeable future until everyone is vaccinated”, urging Sydneysiders to obey health orders.
“Of course, we don’t have enough vaccines to vaccinate the whole of Sydney communities so the only option is to get on top of this virus right now,” he said.
“Vaccines are doing their job, we know they are doing their job and we are seeing a number of young people in hospital in ICU, rather than the huge numbers of older people we saw in Victoria.
“That is a sign that the vaccines are working. Vaccines are our way out of this in the longer term but for right now, for today in Sydney, the only way to stop this virus spreading is to stop people talking to each other, people coming close to each other, people breathing on each other, coughing on each other.
“We know this from the lessons we have learned throughout the lockdown, throughout the pandemic and our only option is to do what needs to be done right now here in Sydney.”
READ MORE: Premier tightens grip on ‘difficult day’
Rhiannon Down5.30am: NSW regions on alert as list balloons
NSW’s central west is on high alert after a confirmed case of Covid-19 visited the region while infectious, sparking a major ramp up in testing in the region.
The case visited Molong, about 290km west of Sydney, on July 16, according to the Western NSW Local Health District.
“No venues of concern are currently identified and contacts of the cases are being tested while in isolation,” the Western NSW Local Health District said.
“Urgent investigations are underway and contact tracing is continuing.
“As a precautionary measure, a drive-through clinic will be established in Molong and capacity in Orange and Bathurst will be increased.”
âš ï¸PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT – VENUES OF CONCERN AND
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 18, 2021
TRANSPORT ROUTESâš ï¸
NSW Health has been notified of a number of new venues of concern, one of which is near Bathurst, and public transport routes associated with confirmed cases of COVID‑19. pic.twitter.com/SU2Ah0I9NM
Meanwhile Supermarkets, retail and food outlets across Sydney’s western suburbs continue to be added to the list of exposure sites, as the list balloons to include more than 400 locations.
Woolworths Lennox Shopping Centre in Emu Plains, Al Sultan Butchery in Lakemba, Liverpool’s Service NSW centre, Hurstville Coles and Marsden Park IKEA have been added as close contact exposure sites, with anyone who visited during the exposure time asked to get tested and isolate for 14 days.
Several venues in the eastern suburbs have also been added, including: Woolworths Metro and Maloney’s Grocer in Coogee and Chemist Warehouse and Coles in Bondi Junction.
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