Pictured: NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian
The alarming number of new Covid cases emerging in Sydney’s southwest has health officials and policymakers on edge, as they warn that young people are lying about obeying lockdown restrictions.
In the past two days alone, 21 new infections have popped up in south-west Sydney, with officials saying people are breaking rules and visiting friends and family – spreading the virus with them.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced on Wednesday that stay-at-home orders would remain in place for five million residents in Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and the Shellharbour region, for at least the next seven days until July 16.
The disappointing news for Sydneysiders who have been cooped up for almost two weeks already comes as the state recorded a further 27 infections bringing the total number of active cases to 350.
The harsh lockdown measures were originally introduced to contain the highly infectious Indian Delta Covid strain to the epicentre in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, after a limo driver ferrying international flight crew contracted the virus in June.
The harsh lockdown measures were originally introduced to contain the highly infectious Indian Delta Covid strain to the epicentre in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, after a limo driver ferrying interaction flight crew contracted the virus in June, but the strategy failed
Residents in southwest Sydney are pictured on July 4 soaking up the winter sun with the city still in lockdown – and outdoor gatherings banned
But the restrictions have failed to stop the highly contagious mutant variant spreading across the Harbour City and into the southwest.
Ms Berejiklian warned that Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool and Fairfield are the three Local Government Areas of most concern with 21 new cases recorded in the last 48 hours.
There were 11 infections in Fairfield, six in Canterbury-Bankstown and four in Liverpool, with the state’s top health official laying the blame at the feet of young people who are ‘not listening’ to public health orders.
In a thinly-veiled warning, Health Minister Brad Hazzard said individual actions will determine ‘the future of this virus in our community’ – and said if people don’t comply, the virus could be left to rip.
‘If individuals that we need don’t hear [public health messages] and don’t respond, then at some point we’re going to move to a stage where we’re going to have to accept that the virus has a life which will continue in the community,’ he said.
Workers at a butcher shop in Bankstown are pictured not wearing masks on July 4, with the city in lockdown and masks mandatory across all of New South Wales
‘But we’re trying damned hard at the moment to make sure that we can use every effort to suppress that virus – and right now is a critical time … particularly for the community in southwestern Sydney.’
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant warned the virus was affecting the young as well as old.
‘Of the seven people in ICU, one is in their 30s. A bit of a wake-up call to young people,’ she said.
The other patients are one in their 50s, two in their 60s and three in their 70s, with two on ventilators.
In total, 37 patients are in hospital with 14 under 55 and eight under 35.
‘We’d like to do a particular call-out to young adults in the community,’ chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant told reporters.
‘We know that this is a trying time for young adults who want to socialise with others. Please, continue to get tested and also be assured that any information that is given to public health will not be shared.’
Ms Berejiklian, whose parents are Armenian immigrants, also warned harsher restrictions may be required in Sydney’s ethnically diverse west and urged families to stop mingling.
Residents are seen mingling around a shopfront (pictured) on July 4 in Sydney’s inner west to by boutique food
A worker without a mask cleans the floor at one western Sydney venue on July 4. Coronavirus is feared to be spreading rapidly in the city’s south-west
‘Can I say to the communities in those areas, many have a similar background to me, please don’t mingle with family. I haven’t seen my parents since the lockdown started,’ she said.
The premier did not elaborate on what further restrictions could involve, except to say exercise could be limited and more travels put on travel.
Under current rules, there are no limits for where people can travel for essential shopping and exercise, but that could soon change like in the first lockdown.
NSW wants to eliminate community transmission until ‘the vast majority’ of adults are vaccinated. So far only nine per cent of Aussie adults have had both doses of the jab as the federal government struggles to secure Pfizer supplies.
A significant number of cars are pictured on the road in southwest Sydney on July 4, despite lockdown restrictions
Ms Berejiklian said the decision to extend lockdown was ‘difficult’ but was taken to stop the state ‘living in and out of lockdown’ until more people are vaccinated.
‘The reason why the New South Wales government has taken this position is because we don’t want to be in a situation where we are constantly having to move between lockdown, no lockdown, lockdown, no lockdown.
‘What we want to do is give us our best chance of making sure this is the only lockdown we have until the vast majority of our citizens are vaccinated.
‘We know the vaccine is the key to our freedom. The vaccine is key to saving lives and keeping the economy open.’
Ms Berejiklian said she made her decision based on the number of cases not in isolation.
Shoppers are pictured in face masks wandering the fruit section at a supermarket in southwest Sydney (pictured on July 4)
‘They are the numbers we are looking at when it comes to determining the length of the lockdown,’ Ms Berejiklian said.
She warned case numbers will increase in Sydney’s west because household contacts of positive cases have been out and about in the community.
‘I’m anticipating that tomorrow’s number will be higher than what we have seen today but they are at the moment concentrated in three local government areas,’ she said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Sydneysiders are on high alert after fragments of coronavirus were detected in wastewater in areas without a single known case.
The fragments were detected in three catchments covering Sydney’s south, inner-west and south-west, where no new Covid cases have been recorded for weeks.
Residents in the Marrickville, Minto and Cronulla catchments are urged to be alert for symptoms and get tested immediately if they develop.
Health officials are ‘particularly concerned’ as there have been no known cases of the virus in the Marrickville and Minto catchments.
Sydneysiders are on alert after fragment of coronavirus were found in sewage (stock image)
‘A detection in the Cronulla catchment is also of concern as it has had no new cases in the past week,’ a NSW Health alert read.
Residents who have recently recovered from Covid-19 can continue to shed fragments of the virus for several weeks.
The Minto catchment covers 101,300 residents in Sydney’s south-west.
Suburbs include Rosemeadow, St Helens Park, Englorie Park, Ambarvale, Blair Athol, Glen Alpine, Airds, Ruse, Minto, Bow Bowing, St Andrews, Raby and Gregory Hills.
Bradbury, Leumeah, Campbelltown, Woodbine, Currans Hill, Eschol Park, Eagle Vale, Blairmount, Kearns, Claymore, Mount Annan, Gilead, Menangle Park, Minto Heights, Ingleburn and Kentlyn are also included.
Three Sydney regions are on high alert after Covid-19 fragments were detected. Pictured is a woman testing wastewater for traces of the virus in Sydney
The Marrickville catchment covers 42,000 residents in the city’s inner-west in Dulwich Hill, Marrickville, Summer Hill, Lewisham, Ashfield, Haberfield, Stanmore, Petersham, Lilyfield and Leichhardt.
The Cronulla catchment in Sydney’s south covers about 233,000 residents in 65 suburbs, most in the Sutherland Shire.
The catchment also covers Holsworthy in the city’s south-west.
DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA’S INTERACTIVE MAP TO SHOW SYDNEY’S COVID EXPOSURE SITES
Anyone who lives or works in or around these areas is asked to be alert for symptoms and if they develop, immediately get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.
There are grave concerns case numbers will spike in the coming days as the highly infectious Indian Delta strain continues to rapidly spread across Sydney’s south-west.
The plea comes as thousands of Sydneysiders were ordered to isolate with a host of new exposure sites listed where coronavirus was transmitted from stranger to stranger.
A Bunnings, Dan Murphy’s, a SuperCheap Auto store and brewery were among the new exposure sites announced by NSW Health on Wednesday afternoon.
Fragments were detected in two catchments with no known cases of the virus. Pictured is Dr Sudhi Payyappat preparing wastewater samples for testing in Sydney
An urgent alert was issued for the Commonwealth Bank branch in Riverwood after a staff member worked there while infectious and transmitted the virus to others.
Anyone who attended the branch on July 1 between 9.30am-5pm, July 2 between 9.30am-4pm and July 5 between 9.30am-4pm is regarded as a close contact and has been ordered to get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.
The same orders apply to anyone who attended the Hop and Grain Brew Store in inner-city Marrickville on July 3 between 10.10am-10.40am, Bunnings Ashfield on July 5 between 3.50pm-4.05pm, Supercheap Auto in Ashfield on July 4 between 2.50pm-3.05pm and Dan Murphy’s in Strathfield South on July 3 between 5.45pm-6pm.
NSW Health has also confirmed for the first time the virus was transmitted at the Club Marconi in Bossley Park near Fairfield in Sydney’s south-west.
Anyone at the club on June 25 and 26 must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.