A pedestrian makes their way along Sydney Harbour boardwalk in the CBD during the city's latest Covid-19 outbreak. Photo / Getty Images
A pedestrian makes their way along Sydney Harbour boardwalk in the CBD during the city's latest Covid-19 outbreak. Photo / Getty Images
NSW has recorded 19 new community cases of Covid-19.
Of the new cases, 17 have been linked to known infection, with the source of two cases still under investigation. Today's cases take Sydney's outbreak to 149. Of these, 141 cases have been linked to the Bondi cluster.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian once again said that the daily case numbers were likely to "bounce around" in coming days, particularly as more household contacts are tested.
"This strain of the virus we haven't seen before, the contagious nature of it, the way it is transmitting... is why we're grateful that everybody is respecting, appreciating and following the advice of the lockdown," Berejiklian said.
NSW Health now believe around 40 people attended a "superspreader" party in West Hoxton, rather than 30 as previously indicated.
Six of the partygoers who were fully vaccinated and one who was partially vaccinated have all so far returned negative test results.
One of today's cases was a student at Rose Bay Secondary School. The school will be closed today for cleaning and all staff and students have been asked to isolate until the receive further advice from NSW Health.
A number of new "venues of concern" have been added to NSW's ever-growing exposure site list. Anyone who attended the venues at the times listed is a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.
A pedestrian makes their way along Sydney Harbour boardwalk in the CBD during the city's latest Covid-19 outbreak. Photo / Getty Images
Lockdowns across Australia
Australia's growing Covid-19 crisis has plunged miltuple cities into lockdown, with fears the country may still be at risk of a larger outbreak.
NSW's Greater Sydney area, the Northern Territory's Greater Darwin region and Western Australia's Perth and Peel regions, and the south-eastern parts of Queensland are now all in lockdown due to multiple coronavirus outbreaks.
A raft of restrictions are also in place across South Australia.
Sydney's growing outbreak has placed residents in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour under strict stay-at-home orders, with just a handful of reasons to leave home in place until at least 11.59pm on July 9.
In the Northern Territory, an outbreak linked to a Fly-in fly-out worker at the Newmont Tanami gold mine rose to seven cases on Monday after one new case was recorded. The situation prompted NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner to extend the Greater Darwin lockdown for a further 72 hours until 1pm on July 2. The NT confirmed two new cases today, bringing its outbreak to nine.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has stood by her decision to delay the imposition of lockdown restrictions in Sydney. Photo / Getty Images
The Perth and Peel regions of Western Australia were also plunged into lockdown overnight after two new Covid-19 cases were discovered, bringing the total number of infections there to three. The lockdown will be in place until at least 12.01am on July 3. WA recorded no new community cases today.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today announced a snap three-day lockdown for the south-eastern part of her state after two new community acquired cases were recorded overnight. From 6pm tonight until 6pm on Friday July 2, South East Queensland, Townsville city, Palm Island and Magnetic Island will go into lockdown.
Palaszczuk said yesterday the state was "on the verge" of a lockdown after it was discovered a Covid-positive miner linked to the NT outbreak had been infectious in the community with the Deltra strain of the virus.
There are concerns the situation across the country could escalate even further, with head of the Kirby Institute's Biosecurity Research Programme, Professor Raina MacIntyre, warning there was still the risk of a larger outbreak.
"If by the end of this week we see [a trend] where numbers are coming down, it may be enough, but if they're not, then it may not be," she told the ABC.
A woman walks through the empty Sydney CBD during the first day of lockdown in the city. Photo / Getty Images
Vaccines now mandatory for some groups
Australia has now mandated Covid vaccinations for aged care workers under new pandemic directives agreed to at government crisis talks on Monday evening. All aged care workers will be required have their first jab by mid-September.
The government also agreed to mandating vaccination and testing of all quarantine workers, including those in transport, and their household contacts.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the decision to mandate vaccination was not taken lightly.
"Imposing on a person the requirement to have a vaccine or not be able to work in a particular sector is something that no government would do lightly," he said.
"We have been considering this matter for some time now based on the best possible medical advice. This is a serious situation we're confronting and as always we're doing it together."
There will be also be bans on accommodating international quarantine arrivals – including highly infectious and high-risk people – next to lower-risk domestic arrivals.
Morrison revealed the government would introduce a new indemnity scheme for GPs to enable them to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to any adult who wants it, regardless of their age.
Australian health authorities have said the AstraZeneca vaccine is preferred for those over the age of 60, but the advice does not preclude persons under 60 from getting the vaccine.
