Hopes high for lifting lockdown
For the second day in a row, New South Wales has recorded its highest number of local Covid-19 cases over the past year, as government and health authorities express optimism that Sydney’s lockdown may still be lifted at the end of Friday, July 9.
NSW recorded 35 locally acquired cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday. There were 56,331 tests processed in the reporting period.
Twenty-nine of the new infections were linked to previously confirmed cases and six remain under investigation.
‘‘We have seen those testing numbers stay at very high levels consistently during the lockdown,’’ Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, noting the ‘‘green shoots’’ of what the lockdown was meant to achieve had begun to emerge but it was too early to say when her government and its health experts would be able to make the call on whether the lockdown is extended beyond next Friday.
Nine of the new cases were in the community during their entire infectious period, a decline from 12 in the previous 24 hours.
‘‘While as predicted the number of cases is going up, we are seeing a greater proportion of those cases in isolation, which is exactly what we want to see,’’ the premier said.
Chief health officer Kerry Chant said she was ‘‘forever an optimist’’ about being able to advise the lockdown could end next Friday, but she would need to see sustained high levels of testing as well as a reduction in the number of people who had been in the community before testing positive.
Dr Chant said the focus of the outbreak was shifting from Sydney’s eastern suburbs to western and southwest Sydney.
‘‘What the community can do is come out and get tested, and not try to play with the rules,’’ she said.
Berejiklian said the next few days would be critical, urging people to respect the stay-athome orders as Sydney sees out a second sunny weekend in lockdown.
‘‘I’m concerned the good weather, and all of us being cooped up, people will let their guard down,’’ she said. ‘‘Yes, it is great weather, we live in the best place on earth, but please be sensible.’’
In light of recent community transmission in Auburn, NSW Health advised anyone who was at Auburn Town Centre on or after June 27 to get a Covid-19 test. People who do not have symptoms do not need to isolate.
Recent sewage surveillance revealed fragments of the virus that causes Covid-19 in the Penrith and Hornsby Heights catchments. As NSW Health was not aware of any Covid-19 cases in these areas, the ministry has asked for residents to be particularly alert to symptoms.
Deputy Commissioner Gary Warboys said there were 78 fines issued for breaches of the Public Health Order on Friday.
A Bowral man charged with allegedly assaulting police when they attempted to enforce mask requirements at his cafe earlier this week was charged with additional offences on Friday.
The 63-year-old owner of The Organic Store was charged with not complying with a no spitting/coughing direction and served with a $200 infringement notice for not wearing a fitted face covering. He will appear in court next month. The 62-yearold manager and a 43-year-old woman were also given additional charges and will face court on August 17.
Footage of the incident was posted to the cafe’s Instagram account, which also included multiple posts discouraging mask-wearing and vaccines.
Yesterday morning, stay-athome requirements for people who had recently been in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and some Queensland local government areas were lifted in line with the end of local lockdowns in these locations.
Victoria reported no new local cases yesterday. Brisbane and Moreton Bay’s lockdowns were to be lifted at 6pm yesterday after five new local cases were recorded in Queensland.
Nine
‘‘While as predicted the number of cases is going up, we are seeing a greater proportion of those cases in isolation, which is exactly what we want to see.’’ Gladys Berejiklian, NSW Premier