A number of new venues in NSW have been added to the list of public exposure sites, after a family travelled from Covid-hit Melbourne on a 1,765km roadtrip.
The man, his wife and their two children were three of Victoria’s six new locally acquired infections recorded on Wednesday.
The family travelled from Melbourne across the NSW border to Jervis Bay, Hyams Beach, Vincentia and Goulburn while potentially infectious on May 23 and 24, before the city was plunged into lockdown on May 27.
The father suffered some symptoms on May 25, after driving back to Melbourne on May 24, and tested positive on Monday, May 31 – almost a week later.
NSW Health issued and urgent alert for six new venues on Wednesday night including a Coles in Goulburn, a coffee shop in Gundagai and a craft store and cafe in Huskisson.
Anyone who attended the list of venues on the NSW Health website at the times listed must immediately get tested and self-isolate until they receive a negative result for Covid.
The famous Big Merino in Goulburn was listed as one of the sites that was exposed to the virus
The Covid-positive family was in Jervis Bay, Goulburn, Hyams Beach and Vincentia while potentially infectious on May 23 and 24. Pictured: The venues put on alert on Tuesday
Residents who lives in Jervis Bay, Vincentia, Huskisson, Gundagai or Goulburn, or who have visited since 19 May, is asked to be especially vigilant for the onset of even the mildest of cold-like symptoms.
NSW Health urges anyone feeling unwell to come forward for testing immediately if, then isolate until a negative result is received.
So far, 243 people have been contacted by NSW Health and ordered into isolation after potentially coming into contact with the infected family.
Among the effected venues is Trappers Bakery in Goulburn, which one of the busiest pit stops in NSW and has been closed for cleaning today after the man visited on May 24.
Anyone who visited Trapper’s Bakery (pictured) on Monday May 24 between 10:30am-11.30am is urged to self-isolate and get tested immediately
The infected man – and his family – visited popular tourist destination Jervis Bay (pictured) on the NSW south coast
South Coast MP Shelley Hancock says the highly contagious nature of the variant is ‘super alarming’ and is urging locals to ‘please get tested and then isolate at home’ and get vaccinated as soon as possible.
‘We’re not used to being on high alert on the (NSW) South Coast,’ she told Sydney radio 2GB on Wednesday.
She’s concerned about the impact of an outbreak on the area’s elderly population.
‘Sometimes complacency sets in – well, here’s the wake-up call,’ she said.
The Victorian lockdown was extended for another week on Wednesday, with restrictions changed in regional Victoria but little respite for Melbourne.
Yet another aged-care facility was forced into quarantine on Wednesday as the cluster swelled to 60 cases.
Although the Gladys Berejiklian’s government has been reticent to introduce border closures or lockdowns, there are now fears the state may be forced to impose similar restrictions to Victoria
Anyone who lives in Jervis Bay (pictured, the Green Patch camping site) or has visited Jervis Bay since May 22 is asked to get tested and to isolate if they have even the mildest of cold-like symptoms
Pressure is now mounting on Gladys Berejiklian to toughen restrictions as fears of another NSW outbreak grows.
The premier has been reticent to introduce border closures or lockdowns similar restrictions to Victoria and other states, but some on social media are calling for the state to lock out Victorians.
‘Gladys stated she didn’t need to close the border to Victoria while every other state and territory did. So here we are,’ one Twitter user posted.
‘This is the highly contagious Indian variant. Will she act promptly or will she let it run wild because it will.’
Another wrote: ‘If this spreads in NSW will it be Gladys’ stuff up? Will she get the blame?’
‘This is exactly why you’re and idiot for not closing the NSW border!’ a third wrote.
‘Why are you intent on not protecting your residents? Are you only going to learn once NSW has a massive outbreak like VIC?’
Victoria recorded six new locally acquired cases on Wednesday from 51,033 tests (pictured, a Melburnian queues for testing on Tuesday)
The cluster, which has been linked to a highly infectious double mutant Indian strain, grew to 60 cases on Wednesday (pictured, near empty streets in Melbourne’s CBD)
NSW Health revealed the roadtripper began their journey on May 23 first stopped off at Cooked Goose Café in picturesque Hyams Beach at 10am to 12pm after a long drive.
They then drove a little farther to Coles in Vincentia at 12pm to 1pm to get supplies for their overnight camping trip.
Next they pitched a tent at Green Patch campground in Booderee National Park on Jervis Bay and stayed there until about 9am on May 24.
On the way home to Melbourne they stopped at Shell Coles Express in the shadow of the Big Merino in Goulburn sometimes between 10.30am and 11.30am.
Across the road they munched on some tasty pies from the legendary Trapper’s Bakery between 10.30am and 11.30am, before driving home.
Anyone who visited the Shell Coles Express Big Merino, at Goulburn on Monday May 24 between 10am-11.30am is urged to self-isolate and get tested immediately
The Coles inside the shopping centre in Vincentia (pictured) has been identified as a hot spot
About 6.5 million Victorians were ordered into lockdown at 11.59pm last Thursday after a rapidly-spreading Covid-19 outbreak in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
Health authorities remain on edge after it was revealed that complete strangers had been infected by walking past Covid-positive cases.
Victoria’s Department of Health said ‘four or five’ cases emerged from ‘brushing past’ strangers who unwittingly transmitted the virus.
The lockdown is Victoria’s fourth in 14 months, as the list of exposure sites has now swelled to hundreds of venues.