Premier Gladys Berejiklian has urged the public to stay vigilant after NSW recorded 35 new cases overnight, with positive signs the lockdown was starting to take an effect. Watch live
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NSW recorded 35 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, of which 29 are linked to previously confirmed cases.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 23 of the 35 cases were in isolation throughout their infectious periods and just nine were infectious in the community.
Three cases were in isolation for part of their infectious periods.
“While as predicted the number of cases is going up, we are seeing a greater proportion of those cases in isolation, which is exactly what we want to see,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Ms Berejiklian said while a huge surge of cases had so far been avoided and contract tracers were catching chains of community transmission. But the next few days were critical.
“It was exactly a week ago that we as a government of the difficult decision to ask many residents in NSW to stay-at-home.
“Again today we do that. Please let us not give up now when we are doing well. The green shoots are there, demonstrating the lockdown is having the desired effect.”
She said how the lockdown played out depends on whether the number of people exposed in the community with the virus continues to decline.
“We have a chance to get out of this lockdown as soon as we can, so long as we don’t let our guard down and suddenly let the virus spread today and tomorrow because of the good weather.
“I just appeal to everyone to do the right thing. The lockdown is so far having the desired effect. But we need that to continue.”
MINISTER SLAMS ‘WHACKO’ VIEWS
Health Minister Brad Hazzard has slammed the ‘whacko views’ threatening Sydney’s reopening.
Mr Hazzard said health authorities were “deep in a war” with the virus and they couldn’t win it unless the community was on their side.
“Most of the community understand the weapons we have in this war; QR codes, getting tested if you’ve been at a venue of concern or if you have symptoms … (and) wearing masks,” he said.
“When you’re in a war, you don‘t win it with whacko views.
“Unfortunately, we’re seeing that with some people, who think it’s OK not to wear masks.”
Mr Hazzard’s blistering attack comes as police crack down on people flouting health restrictions and not complying with mask mandates.
“We will only win this war against the virus if people wear masks and follow all the other instructions that we understand will keep us safe,” he said.
“We owe this to ourselves, we owe this to the community more broadly, we owe this to our families.”
‘DO NOT DELAY TESTING’
There were 56,331 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s 73,602.
There have been 261 locally acquired cases reported since June 16 when the outbreak began.
Dr Chant said the speed of the Delta variant’s transmission meant people should not delay testing for even minimal symptoms.
“We are seeing the impact on the flattening, but have had bumps because we have had some super spreading events,” Dr Chant said.
“When someone has been infectious in the community, by the time we get to them, if they have had symptoms for a few days, the rest of their household has already been infected, and that is too late. The message is do not delay.”
CROWDS FLOCK TO OUTDOOR SPACES
Sydneysiders have been urged to keep their distance when they’re in parks and playgrounds as fine weather and school holidays sees residents surge outdoors.
Large numbers of people have been seen at Bondi, Coogee, Centennial Park and Sydney Park as residents seek reprieve from the lockdown.
Both Dr Chant and the Premier urged residents to only go outside for essential reasons.
“I just urge people to minimise their exposure in places like retail and supermarkets over this weekend. Instead, go for a walk in your household group around the block,” Dr Chant said.
“If you are cooped up and you have children, take them to a park, stay a distance from anyone else. Let them run around.
“That is a low risk exposure, rather than being tempted to allow people into your home or think about other more risky activities of going to retail.
”I don’t want to see a surge of people outdoors but we do need people to understand that you can walk the dog around the street.”
HEALTHCARE CASES GROW TO EIGHT
Dr Chant said testing of close contacts of the infected student nurse announced on Wednesday had now identified an additional eight cases across three linked households.
Of those, five worked in aged care and healthcare and two had worked in Baulkham Hills while infectious.
“One had worked at Royal North Shore, Royal Ryde and Fairfield Hospital while infectious and the others had not worked well infectious,” Dr Chant said.
She said follow-up investigations at the healthcare facilities had identified two more cases at Royal North Shore Hospital, including one of today’s cases, who was a close contact of the student nurse.
“This case did not work while infectious and was fully vaccinated. There are therefore two
cases who acquired their infection through healthcare exposure, but both had not worked well infectious.”
COVID POLICE REPORTS RISE
In the last 24 hours, police have issued 78 personal infringement notices issued
to people for going outside the public health order.
Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said reports to Crimestoppers were increasing.
“The last 24 hours, nearly 350 reports to Crimestoppers, people that are witnessing behaviour that contravenes the public health orders and reporting that to police,” HE SAID.
“One particular item of interest is a cafe down at Jindabyne. Remembering we are in the middle of snow season and the holidays, police tried to work with this cafe. There were infringement notices issued and more recently one of the owners of the cafe was arrested and placed on bail conditions for working that cafe outside of the public health orders.”
BUNNINGS ALERT IN SOUTHWEST SYDNEY
A spate of new venue alerts revealed late on Friday have put a new area of Sydney on alert for the first time since the Bondi outbreak began.
Two Bunnings stores in the Sutherland Shire were added to an extensive list of exposure sites across the city, causing concern about a potential rise in coronavirus cases.
The stores, in Kirrawee and Caringbah, are the first venues from the region, more than 25km south of Bondi, to be listed since the first case on June 16.
NSW Health has been releasing new exposure sites multiple times a day since the first case was discovered.
Dozens of venues across the Greater Sydney area are now included in the ever-growing list.
NSW Health also revealed its sewage surveillance program has detected fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 in a number of suburbs, including Hornsby Heights, Dulwich Hill, Canterbury, Homebush, Cronulla and West Camden.
“NSW Health is aware of recently diagnosed cases of Covid in all of these areas except Hornsby Heights,” it said in a statement.
“Hornsby Heights sewage treatment plant serves about 25,600 people in suburbs including Hornsby, Asquith, Mount Kuring-Gai, Mount Colah, Hornsby Heights, Berowra Heights, Cowan and Berowra.”
“Anyone who lives or works in any of these areas is asked to be particularly vigilant for the onset of even the mildest of cold-like symptoms, and if they appear, to immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.”