Mystery COVID cases but NSW authorities on ‘high alert’

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned she will toughen up COVID restrictions as school outbreaks continue.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

Rising numbers of mystery COVID-19 infections across Sydney, with 18 new cases recorded on Wednesday including growing clusters connected to schools, has left NSW Health ­officials on high alert and concerned about a major outbreak.

Four new coronavirus cases were linked to schools, with the cluster focused on Tangara School for Girls in Sydney’s northwest growing to 19.

Another confirmed case was linked with Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta and the school has been shut down for two weeks. Parramatta Public School was also closed on Wednesday after a student contracted the coronavirus.

Gladys Berejiklian has pushed further on the use of masks, which is not mandated but strongly encouraged,

“Whilst compliance is increasing and we’re pleased with the take-up that has been there, we need it to go further,” the NSW Premier said. “Our concern is the accumulation of ­unknown sources.

“I also want to stress — can we please ask communities in western Sydney and southwestern Sydney where there has been the higher level of community transmission to please come forward and get tested.”

The outbreak at Tangara School, a non-government Catholic school, has been linked to a religious camp known as ­Eremeran. NSW Health would not confirm that was the source of the infection, but the study centre has closed until further notice because students who had attended the facility had tested positive to COVID-19.

At least two teachers at Tangara are connected to Eremeran.

In regional NSW, Batemans Bay parents said they were concerned two “sports fun days” went ahead at the Batemans Bay Public School last week.

Two students — one from ­Batemans Bay Public School and another from Batemans Bay High School — previously contracted COVID-19 and prompted both schools to close for one day on Tuesday.

A NSW Education spokesman said the student did not attend or participate in the sport days. “On Tuesday, 4 August, and Thursday, 6 August, 2020, Batemans Bay Public School held athletic competitions that only involved students from the school,” he said. “On the Thursday, the school also held a touch football game that only involved Batemans Bay Public School students and staff,” he said.

Mary-Louise McLaws, an epidemiologist at the University of NSW, said about 5 per cent of COVID-19 cases were found in children up to age nine.

Thirteen COVID infections reported in NSW on Wednesday were locally acquired and linked to known cases while two were locally acquired without a known source.

One cases was a returned overseas traveller and two were acquired in Victoria. Two staff members from Hornsby Hospital also contracted the virus.