Premier of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian announces there are 30 new cases of Covid-19 to report today. Photo / Getty Images
Premier of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian announces there are 30 new cases of Covid-19 to report today. Photo / Getty Images
NSW has recorded 30 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 - all linked to the Bondi cluster.
Officials have just released details from the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
Two new overseas-acquired cases were recorded in the same period, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5567, officials tweeted.
"Of the 30 new locally acquired cases recorded to 8pm last night, 11 were in isolation throughout their infectious periods. A further three cases were in isolation for part of their infectious periods," they said.
"Ten new cases are linked to the Great Ocean Foods seafood wholesaler in Marrickville. This brings the total number of cases acquired through Great Ocean Foods to 11, not including the original source case who worked there during their infectious period.
"NSW Health issued a public health alert last night regarding five flights between east-coast cities on which a Sydney-based cabin crew member worked who was yesterday diagnosed with Covid-19.
"NSW Health is working with its counterparts in Victoria and Queensland and Virgin Australia to reach all passengers on affected flights on Friday and Saturday.
"Of the 112 locally acquired cases recorded since 16 June 2021, when the index case for the Bondi cluster, a driver who transported international flight crew, was reported, 110 are linked to this cluster and two remain under investigation."
One person is reportedly in intensive care but is not on a ventilator.
NSW Health has also been notified of detections at sewage networks throughout Greater Sydney.
"There was a detection in the Port Kembla sewage network, which serves about 49,000 people living in suburbs including Windang, Lake Heights, Cringila, Warrawong, Koonawarra, Brownsville, Dapto, Berkeley, Kanahooka, Horsley, Avondale, Cleveland, Unanderra, Kembla Grange, Primbee, and Port Kembla.
"Other sewage detections were in areas with known cases in residence, including the Bellambi sewage network and Rouse Hill sewage treatment plant.
"After a positive sample from the Bourke sewage treatment plant was returned on 22 June, samples collected on two occasions on Friday detected no fragments of the virus."
Millions of people across NSW today entered their first morning of lockdown, as residents anxiously waited for today's numbers.
Speaking to media yesterday, Dr Kerry Chant said contact tracers linked a large number of cases to "an unrecognised strand of infection".
"We now know that there have been a lot of people infectious in the community," she said.
Experts have also blasted the state government's response to the outbreak, some saying Premier Gladys Berejiklian should have imposed a lockdown sooner.
University of NSW epidemiologist and World Health Organisation adviser Professor Mary-Louise McLaws said the tougher restrictions had come "a little too late," which means residents are now facing a longer period in lockdown.
"At least it's happened, but because it's late people are going to really feel it because it's going to have to be for at least 14 days," she told A Current Affair on Saturday night.
Until 11.59pm on July 9 residents in the lockdown areas can only leave their homes for four reasons, including shopping for essentials, work or education that can't be completed at home, medical care or compassionate needs, and outdoor exercise in groups of up to 10.
Meanwhile, a Queensland woman has tested positive for Covid, and contact tracers are racing to confirm the line of transmission.
According to the Courier-Mail, the case is likely to be connected to a cluster linked to a DFO shopping centre, near Brisbane Airport.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state had recorded a further three cases in the past day.
One was linked to hotel quarantine, while the other two cases have been detected in the community. She also confirmed the strain was not linked to the Delta variant believed to be more contagious.
"My understanding is that one of these people did not have any symptoms at the time that they were out and about in the community," she said. "So we're going to urge people if you have any symptoms, to go and get tested."
While the state was set to ease restriction from Friday, Palaszczuk said QLD would be implementing further restrictions from tomorrow morning in light of the NSW outbreak.
"We'll go back to that one-per-two-square-metre homes and no more than 10 people in your homes," she said.
"I know we had lifted that to 100 [but] we need to follow that advice just for that two-week period."
Expanding on the restrictions, Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said the rules would come in at 6am Monday morning. Venues will go back to the one per two square metre density requirement, with a maximum of 100 people.
Young said the rules could change depending on how the situation "evolves over the next few days".
Young has given more details on the new cases. One of the infections was a woman who worked at the DFO outlet (a reported venue) and her partner who was a household contact. The woman is believed to have contracted Covid from a case linked to the Portuguese restaurant cluster.
Young also said her partner had been to "a lot of venues and sites" and travelled to the Sunshine Coast for work, and contact tracers were racing to alert potential close and casual contacts.
NSW Police have issued a total of seven $1000 Penalty Infringement Notices and eight $200 infringements for failing to wear a fitted face covering, as NSW adapt to new restrictions. Photo / NCA
She said any travellers from the 35 LGAs from Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong or Shellharbour would need to follow the stay-at-home directives released by NSW.
Travellers will need to remain in isolation for a period of 14 days from when they left the affected LGA. This means they are only allowed to leave the home to buy essential goods or services, for essential work or to receive care.
She also urged anyone with symptoms to get tested and self-isolate.
"If you're sick, stay home, get tested, and isolate till you get that result," she said.
