NSW nears lockdown as more diagnosed nationwide
NEW South Wales is closer to a lockdown scenario as the number of coronavirus cases without a clear source of transmission rises.
The number of confirmed cases in NSW rose to 1617 yesterday. A 91-year-old woman died, taking the state’s death toll to eight and the number of Australians who have died to 14.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged people to be vigilant and sensible, saying no-one should leave their homes unless they had to. But if Covid-19 cases from community-to-community transmission continue to rise, a more comprehensive lockdown would be needed.
‘‘That tells us we are starting to see the increasing spread from unknown sources,’’ Berejiklian said.
Australian Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said there were ‘‘small amounts of community transmission in some pockets in Sydney, which is probably the most significant in the country’’.
Berejiklian said at least seven days were required to determine the success of current restrictions, but she was willing to move ahead of NSW Health advice – an action demanded by the Australian Medical Association’s NSW branch.
President Dr Kean-Seng Lim said stronger physical distancing measures were required immediately. He also demanded assurances that doctors and nurses were protected from infection through access to equipment such as masks and gloves.
Victoria has nearly 700 cases, as people and businesses face steep fines for breaching selfisolation and mass-gathering rules.
Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday pleaded for people to stay home. Harsher ‘‘stage three’’ measures are expected, but Andrews has not said when they could come into effect.
In Western Australia, more than 70 passengers and crew on a cruise ship in Fremantle are now suspected of being infected, causing a further headache for the West Australian government.
It is understood that among the options being considered are for the Artania to sail to a defence base such as HMAS Stirling at Garden Island, near Perth, or the detention centre at Christmas Island. Nine people confirmed or suspected of being infected with Covid-19 left the ship on Friday and were taken into quarantine at the WA police academy.
Plans were under way for the hundreds of healthy European passengers and some crew to be flown to Germany on three planes over the weekend.
The cruise ship Vasco da Gama is docked in Fremantle. About 200 passengers from WA will go into isolation on Rottnest Island for 14 days, while about 600 other Australians will go to either Rottnest or a hotel to be quarantined for two weeks before heading home.
WA has 255 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and has recorded two deaths.
Meanwhile, fears that coronavirus could reach vulnerable indigenous communities have come true after a police officer and his wife based in the mostly Aboriginal community of Harts Range, northeast of Alice Springs, tested positive.