Covid-19: Virus alert for eight Sydney city buses, ‘Bondi cluster’ reaches 11

Bus routes and an office building have been added to a growing list of feared virus exposure sites after an outbreak in NSW grew by two.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Several Sydney bus routes and an office building have been added to a growing list of feared coronavirus exposure sites after an outbreak in NSW grew by two on Monday.

People who rode the 614X bus from Baulkham Hills to the city at the same time as an infected person will be considered close contacts and have been told to get tested, self-isolate for a fortnight regardless of result, and to contact NSW Health.

Several other bus routes were flagged as well, with people riding at specific times in the past two weeks told to get tested and isolated until receiving confirmation they’re not infected with coronavirus.

Those who travelled on the following two buses will be considered close contacts:

• 614X from Baulkham Hills to Sydney, from Gooden Drive to Stand J at Wynyard Station, June 15 departing 8.40am and arriving at 9.23am
• 614X from Sydney to Baulkham Hills, from Clarence Street to Gooden Drive, June 15 departing 5.44pm and arriving at 6.29pm

Those who travelled on the following buses will be considered casual contacts:

• 600 from Northmead to Parramatta, from Windsor Road to Smith Street, June 9 departing at 8.49am and arriving at 9.05am
• 600 from Northmead to Parramatta, from Windsor Road to Smith Street, June 10 departing at 8.46am and arriving at 9.02am
• 600 from Parramatta to Winston Hills, from Smith Street to Windsor Road, June 10 departing at 2.14pm and arriving at 2.28pm
• 600 from Northmead to Parramatta, from Windsor Road to Smith Street, June 11 departing at 8.44am and arriving at 9am
• 428 from Haymarket to Newtown, from Pitt Street to King Street, June 15 departing at 1.20pm and arriving at 1.34pm
• 426 from Newtown to Haymarket, from King Street to Pitt Street, June 15 departing at 2.27pm and arriving at 2.38pm

Anyone who was in the following building at the relevant time should monitor for symptoms, and self-isolate and get tested if they appear:

• Ashfield, office building at 2-4 Holden Street, all floors, June 18 between 6pm and 7.30pm

Bondi cluster reaches 11 cases

Earlier, NSW recorded two new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 overnight, both of which were announced yesterday morning.

Health authorities have also announced two further cases that will be included in tomorrow’s numbers.

This brings the total number of cases in the so-called Bondi cluster up to 11.

Of the two new cases, one is a woman in her 50s who is a previously reported case. She lives in Sydney’s northern suburbs and has been in isolation while infectious.

The second case is a man in his 30s from Sydney’s eastern suburbs, who is a close contact of a previously reported case and has also been in isolation.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says restrictions in place will not be tightened, but has foreshadowed they are likely to be extended past their previous deadline of Wednesday night.

The NSW Premier said she did not want to have to impose unnecessary restrictions on the state’s residents.

“I can foreshadow that it’s likely to have to continue with the existing settings in place past Wednesday night,” she said.

“We don’t want to see further restrictions imposed than we already have.”

Ms Berejiklian also flagged that testing rates must rise for the NSW government to have confidence that the currency restrictions were enough.

“It was a cold weekend yesterday, and we saw 25,000 for testing,” she said.

“But the higher the testing rate the more confidence we have knowing the policy settings are adequate.”

Chief health officer Kerry Chant said it was a positive sign that both of today’s cases were already in isolation while infectious.

“It shows the robustness of isolation, and that’s an optimistic sign,” she said.

NSW residents are still being discouraged from attending large gatherings, and to remain vigilant given how contagious the Delta variant has proven to be.

“You have to assume that you have the virus,” Ms Berejiklian said. “We know from this cluster, in some instances the exchanges have been fleeting. Literally people coming into the same airspace, that’s how contagious it is.”

Warning sites listed

NSW Health says there were 25,252 tests recorded yesterday.

Authorities are urging anyone who has been to any of the exposure sites of concern to get tested and follow the relevant instructions.

“This broader surveillance testing will help NSW Health to determine the extent of potential transmission,” the statement said.

People are also being advised to work from home where possible.

Fragments detected in Sydney waste

NSW Health has updated two new exposure venues to its lists of sites, including a Salvos store and a service station in Sydney’s west.

Anyone who attended the following venue of concern is a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.

Salvos Stores, Tempe, 7 Bellevue Street on Thursday June 17 9am to 5pm and Saturday June 19 from 9am to 5pm.

Anyone who attended the following new venue of concern at the times listed is a casual contact and must immediately get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received.

BP Service Station, Baulkham Hills, 134 Seven Hills Road, Sunday June 13 from 11.55am to 12.05pm.

Health authorities are now advising they have detected fragments of the virus at the Brooklyn sewage treatment plant, which serves about 1000 people and covers suburbs including Dangar Island, Cowan, Brooklyn, Mooney Mooney and Cheerio Point.

People living in the catchment of Camellia North and Camellia South are also being asked to be on high alert after fragments were detected in Sydney’s western suburbs.

The Camellia North and South catchments serve about 109,600 people and covers suburbs including Camellia, Harris Park, Granville, South Granville, Mays Hill, Merrylands, Merrylands West, North Parramatta, Parramatta, South Wentworthville, Westmead, Guildford West, Sydney Olympic Park, Newington, Holroyd, Clyde, Auburn, Old Guildford, Guildford, Silverwater, Rosehill, Rydalmere.

New exposure sites listed

A gym, supermarkets and a popular shopping centre are among a growing list of new venues exposed to Covid-19.

This comes as a Wollongong Private Hospital is also on high alert this morning after it was revealed on Sunday that a patient who visited the hospital has tested positive.

Several new venues have been added in Birkenhead Point Shopping Outlet, raising concern the virus has spread outside central Sydney and the eastern suburbs.

Masks are now required indoors across seven local government areas, and also required for everyone on public transport in greater Sydney, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

Gladys Berejiklian said on Sunday she has not ruled out implementing further restrictions, and that the next few days were critical in deciding if more restrictions would be necessary.

Anyone who attended the following venue is a close contact and must immediately call NSW Health and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.

North Face Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby St – Tuesday June 15 11.35am to 11,50am.

Anyone who attended the following venue at the time listed is a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.

Saturday June 12

Castle Hill Fitness and Aquatic Centre, Castle Hill, 77 Castle Street – 8.30 to 9.40am

Monday June 14

Big W – Stockland Merrylands, Merrylands, 191-201 Pitt Street – 1.50pm to 2.45

Oporto – Food Court – Stockland Merrylands, Merrylands, 191-201 Pitt Street – 2.40 to 3pm

Tuesday June 15

Estro – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street – 10.15 to 10.40am

Christensen Copenhagen – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street – 10.30 to 11am

Maje – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street – 10.45 to 11am

ASICS – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street – 11.20 to 11.40am

Hero Sushi, Sydney, 52 Goulburn Street – 2.30pm to 2.40pm.

Top Juice – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street – 11.15am to 11.20am

Bed Bath n Table – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street – 11.30 to 11.40am.

Icebreaker – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street – 11.40 to 11.45am

Adairs – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street – 11.45am to 11.55am

Aldi – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street – 12.35pm to 12.45pm

Priceline – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street – 12.40pm to 12.50pm

Saturday June 19

Coles, Westfield Hurstville, Hurstville, Corner of Cross Street and Park Road – 6.10pm to 6.30pm.

Exposure sites updated

Anyone who attended the following stores at the times listed should monitor for symptoms and if they appear, isolate and get tested until a negative result is received.

Sydney Hills Gymnastics, Castle Hill, 3/4 Gladstone Road, Friday June 11 – 4pm to 4.15pm

IGA, Baulkham Hills, 30-32 Arthur Street, Saturday June 12 – 10am to 10.15am

Piccolo Me, Parramatta, 93 George Street, Thursday June 10 – 9.15am to 9.20am

De Salt Café, Parramatta, 36/70-74 Phillip Street

Wednesday June 9, 9.15am to 9.20am

Friday June 11, 9.15am to 9.20am

Wednesday June 16, 10am to 10,05am

Oriental Tucker Box, Parramatta, 4/95-101 George Street

Friday June 11, 1pm to 1.30pm

Wednesday June 16, 1pm to 1.35pm

Tuesday 15 June

The Gardens Café, Sydney, World Square, 644 George Street, 9.30am to 9.35am

Adventure Megastore – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street, 10.40am to 12.30pm

Kathmandu – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street, 10.40am to 12.30

MacPac – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street, 10.40am to 12.30pm

Papaya – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, Drummoyne, 19 Roseby Street, 12.30pm to 12.45pm

Kingswood Coffee, Sydney, Shop 10, Level 1, World Square, 644 George Street, 4.30pm to 4.45pm.