Next few days count in Covid battle, declares NSW premier
The coronavirus cluster on Sydney’s northern beaches grew to 28 cases yesterday, as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian thanked residents for following health advice and staying home for the next three days.
‘‘If we get on top of this in the next two or three days, all of us will be able to have a much better Christmas but if we don’t get on top of it in the next few days, it could mean further restrictions down the track,’’ Berejiklian said.
The premier said a message of high alert should be in place across Sydney, advising people to wear masks in places such as public transport and places of worship.
‘‘A couple of people at those venues weren’t from the northern beaches, they’ve gone back to their home . . . back to their other suburbs,’’ she said.
The premier said from now on NSW Health would be giving one daily case numbers update, but provide information about venue alerts as they become available.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant says no further cases have been linked to a bus driver who tested positive earlier this week.
‘‘The genome sequencing has determined the strain that gentleman acquired was most likely a US strain,’’ she said. This confirmed NSW Health’s hypothesis that the driver had become infected with the virus while driving air crew between the airport and their quarantine accommodation.
Speaking earlier yesterday morning, the premier warned there would be a ‘‘considerable number’’ of new cases announced after the northern beaches cluster hit 17 cases on Thursday night. She confirmed the source of the infections was from overseas.
Residents of the northern beaches area were advised to work from home and limit their movements for a three-day period on Thursday evening, as contact tracers raced to determine the spread of the outbreak.
NSW Health is discouraging unnecessary travel to and from the area.
There were long lines at northern beaches and north shore hospitals yesterday morning as locals queued up to be tested for coronavirus.
One of the cases reported on Thursday evening was a pharmacy worker who worked at a number of Ramsay Health Care-operated hospitals on the north shore.
The person worked shifts at North Shore Private Hospital, Castlecrag Private Hospital, Hunters Hill Private Hospital, Northside Cremorne Clinic and Ramsay Pharmacy North Shore.
The sites have been deep cleaned and their close contacts are being identified. From yesterday, visitors and staff at Ramsay hospitals across NSW will need to wear masks and patients will be limited to two visitors.
Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania all imposed new travel rules for people arriving from either the northern beaches or NSW at all on Thursday night.
People travelling from NSW to Western Australia from yesterday will need to complete a 14-day self-quarantine period as well as being tested.
Tasmania, Victoria and the Northern Territory imposed the same requirement for people who had been in the northern beaches region. South Australia has imposed it for people who visited venues identified by NSW Health as of concern.
People who have been in the northern beaches region since December 11 and travel to Queensland will need to selfquarantine for 14 days from their departure from the northern beaches.
Those arriving in Queensland after 1am on Saturday will be required to pay for hotel quarantine.