Medical staff prepare to enter locked-down public housing flats in Melbourne on July 5, 2020. Photo / Getty Images
Medical staff prepare to enter locked-down public housing flats in Melbourne on July 5, 2020. Photo / Getty Images
New South Wales has reported 262 new locally transmitted cases of Covid-19.
Another Covid-related death - an unvaccinated Sydney woman in her 80s - was also reported. This brings to 28 the number of Covid-related deaths during the current outbreak.
Forty-six cases of today's local cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 104 remains under investigation.
It comes after NSW recorded 319 locally transmitted cases of Covid yesterday - the highest daily infection tally so far. Five Covid-related deaths were also reported.
NSW recorded 262 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
Eighty-six cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 26 were in isolation for part of their infectious period. pic.twitter.com/WuhiBCW1zz
There are currently 362 Covid-19 patients in Sydney hospitals, including 58 people in intensive care, 24 of whom require ventilation.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian also flagged Penrith was now under the eye of health officials.
"Due to a notable increase in community transmission in recent days, 12 suburbs in the City of Penrith Local Government Area (LGA) will now be part of areas of concern, along with the eight previously identified LGAs, and have additional restrictions from 5pm today [Sunday]," a statement read.
Nine Newspapers reported this morning that the NSW Government is under pressure from the Federal Government and their state counterparts to implement stronger lockdown restrictions.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard was not going to immediately increase restrictions.
"We are satisfied that the orders in place are appropriate," he told Nine Newspapers.
"The real problem remains: it doesn't matter what orders you put in place if people ignore them. It's about time that part of the community that is not taking responsibility for their own actions started doing it."
Queensland
South-east Queensland's lockdown will end at 4pm today (local time) after only nine Covid-19 cases were recorded during the latest reporting period.
Some restrictions will remain in place, including border bans for travellers from NSW and Victoria.
However, the Far North Queensland city of Cairns and Yaribah have been put into lockdown after an unexpected case has thrown contact tracers.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she "was very concerned" after a taxi driver was infectious in the community for 10 days.
The lockdown will begin from 4pm today and last for three days.
Seven of today's nine local cases are linked to the Brisbane Indooroopilly cluster, but one case is under investigation on the Gold Coast, and the other is the Cairns taxi driver case.
Palaszczuk confirmed there would still be some rules in place for all those living in the sunshine state.
"The lockdown will end in those 11 LGAs [local government areas], but some restrictions must stay in place for the next two weeks," she said.
"So, it will end at 4pm, but we are not out of the woods. I just want everyone to have a really good understanding that we are dealing with the Delta strain."
It comes after 13 cases were recorded yesterday, all linked to known clusters.
None of those cases were infectious in the community.
Victoria
Victoria has recorded 11 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 as the state battles another wave of Delta infections.
All of today's local cases are linked to previously confirmed cases, but none were in quarantine during their infectious period.
