NSW records 19 local COVID-19 cases as exposure site locations balloon - Sydney Morning Herald

NSW recorded 19 locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Tuesday as exposure site locations ballooned to more than 250 across Greater Sydney and as a financial package was announced in light of ongoing restrictions across NSW.

Of the 19 new cases, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 17 had already been linked, while two were under investigation, bringing the total number of cases recorded since June 16 to 149.

A financial support package, including grants of between $5000 and $10,000 for small businesses (with an annual turnover of more than $75,000 but below the payroll tax threshold of $1.2 million) and tourism businesses (with turnover between $75,000 and $10 million), as well as payroll tax deferrals was announced.

In addition, there will also be an extension of the Dine & Discover voucher program to the end of August, and vouchers will be able to be used for takeaway dining. The NSW government will also invest $10.3 million in providing support and temporary accommodation for the homeless.

Asked if it was possible Greater Sydney’s lockdown could end before the scheduled two weeks, Ms Berejiklian said she will follow Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant’s advice.

“Her advice to us is consistent and the advice is to make sure that you kill this strain of the virus in the community at the moment,” Ms Berejiklian said. “Two weeks is about what is required.”

The number of linked cases being announced this week meant NSW was in a position to assess whether the state is able reopen at the end of the two weeks, the Premier said.

Meanwhile, Ms Berejiklian encouraged NSW residents to receive a vaccine if they are able to after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced people aged under 60 could receive the AstraZeneca shot at a GP, but said supply of the vaccine was out of her government’s control and Dr Chant encouraged people to discuss their decision with a GP.

“The expert advice ... is that you need between 75 to 80 per cent of the population to be vaccinated before you can start having conversations about what COVID normal looks like,” the Premier said.

The Premier thanked the 67,000 people who were tested until on Monday until 8pm, as well as positive COVID-19 cases for the “hours” they had spent being interviewed.

While the numbers were stable, Ms Berejiklian said the government expected the daily number of cases would “bounce around” and more cases would be announced in the coming days.

Of the two new cases under investigation, Dr Chant said one resides in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and another, a man from the city’s south-west, works in the east.

“What I want to see in progressive days is we start seeing all of the cases effectively isolation,” Dr Chant said, noting the Greater Sydney lockdown should help with this.

The new cases include a Rose Bay Secondary College student, reported in the media on Monday, as well as three new cases linked to the Great Ocean Foods seafood wholesaler in Marrickville, bringing the total number of cases linked to the wholesaler – including contacts of workers – to 19.

A further three cases have also been linked to a West Hoxton birthday party, for a total of 34 cases linked to the event including 27 attendees.

Although it was initially reported that 30 people attended the birthday party, which was described as a superspreader event, NSW Health said on Tuesday morning the number was actually more than 40.

The six people who were fully vaccinated and one person who was partially vaccinated at the party have continued to test negative, the health ministry said.

It came as the department announced a number of new exposure sites on Tuesday morning, at locations mainly in the city’s eastern suburbs.

Anyone at the following venues at these times should immediately get tested and self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result:

• Bondi Junction Specsavers on Saturday from 3.50pm to 5pm;
• Bondi Beach McDonalds on Friday from 11.30am to 12pm;
• A Man and his Monkey cafe at Randwick on Sunday from 1pm to 2.30pm; and
• The third floor of the Macquarie Bank building on Shelley Street in Sydney CBD on June 21 from 8.30am to 6.30pm

People who were at the following venues should get tested and self-isolate until they receive a negative result:

• Mascot Meriton Suites Hotel on June 19 or June 21;
• The Good Filo Express Double Bay on June 21 from 7.30am to 8am;
• Elsewhere in the Macquarie Bank building on Shelley Street in Sydney CBD on June 21 from 8.30am to 6.30pm;
• Domino’s Pizza Rose Bay on Friday from 1.25pm to 1.40pm; and
• Blaxland Supa IGA on Sunday from 6am to 4pm.

Thousands of children in Sydney’s eastern suburbs have been asked to self-isolate during their school holidays, following cases at South Coogee Public School, Rose Bay Secondary College and Emanuel School at Randwick as the Bondi cluster grows.

Data from NSW Health’s COVID-19 weekly surveillance report, released on Monday, showed just one of the first eight cases in the Bondi cluster had received a single dose of vaccine, and the remaining seven were not vaccinated at all, despite at least three being eligible based on their age.

Of the first 130 local cases in Sydney’s outbreak recorded as of Monday, the majority – 81 – were under the age of 40, meaning they were ineligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in NSW on the basis of age alone.

Interstate, Victoria recorded no new local cases on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Western Australia’s Perth and the Peel region entered a four-day lockdown after the state’s COVID-19 outbreak grew to three cases.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said south-east Queensland, Townsville and Palm Island and Magnetic Island would go into lockdown from 6pm on Tuesday to 6pm Friday.

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NSW records 19 local COVID-19 cases as exposure site locations balloon - Sydney Morning Herald
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