Coronavirus: Stem NSW outbreak or ‘cases could triple’

NSW could face a ‘doubling or tripling’ of COVID-19 cases by next month if officials are unable to ‘clamp down’ on the current outbreak.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian in Sydney on Monday. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

NSW could face a “doubling or tripling” of COVID-19 cases by next month if health officials are unable to “clamp down” on the current outbreak, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has conceded.

The warning comes after NSW recorded another spike in the number of locally acquired infections, with 20 new cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday.

Sutherland, Mount Druitt and Harris Park joined the rapidly ­expanding list of Sydney suburbs affected by COVID-19, while a cluster in Batemans Bay emerged as the first confirmed outbreak in regional NSW.

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant also revealed on Monday that a person aged in their 30s was in intensive care on a ventilator.

In addition to the 20 new cases — all linked to existing clusters — two parishioners of the Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Harris Park tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday evening. The last time NSW recorded 20 cases of COVID-19 was on April 19.

“We know our state continues to be at a critical point,” Ms Berejiklian said. “I don’t want us to go down a track where we see suddenly a doubling or tripling of cases. I can’t say enough how stressed and worried I am about the next few weeks. We have the opportunity to isolate the cases that we have, to clamp down and make sure we reduce the incidents of the virus spreading.”

The Batemans Bay Soldiers Club cluster increased to eight on Sunday after health officials confirmed a further six people who ­attended the venue last week had tested positive.

The cluster consists of four members of the same family who visited the club, a staff member, two people who ate at the club, and one person who is a close contact of previously reported cases.

Dr Chant said the source of the Batemans Bay outbreak was not known.

Of the cases recorded on Sunday, three have been linked to the Crossroads Hotel, eight to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park, four to the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, four overseas travellers and one infected while in Victoria.

NSW Health is asking anyone who attended the evening services at Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral on July 15, 16 and 17 to immediately self-isolate for two weeks even if they have no symptoms. People who attended a funeral at 1pm on July 17 are also being told to self-isolate. The church cases have been linked to a case at the Thai Rock restaurant.

As thousands of students prepare to return school on Tuesday, Dr Chant said face masks were “an important adjunct” to other COVID-safe behaviours, but warned they were “not a silver ­bullet”.

A worrying new hotspot was potentially identified on Monday when four junior rugby league teams in Sydney were told to urgently self-isolate after a trainer of a team tested positive.

De La Salle JRLFC in Caringbah issued a warning to anyone associated with its under-14 gold team after a trainer from the ­Sutherland-Loftus team tested positive.

“NSWRL was notified on ­Sunday afternoon when the man ­received confirmation. The teams affected are Sutherland U13 and U14, Gymea U13 and De La Salle U14 (Gold),” NSWRL chief executive David Trodden said.

Sutherland Courthouse will also be closed on Tuesday for further cleaning after a person who attended the court last Wednesday tested positive.