Crossroads Hotel in Casula pub goer tests COVID-19 positive

Family of an infected pubgoer have tested positive to coronavirus after a Sydney hotel was forced to close over fears of a potential COVID-19 outbreak.

The Blue Mountains man returned a positive result after he had visited the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, in Sydney’s south-west, on July 3.

A 30-year-old woman and a man in his 50s had previously tested positive after visiting the venue for a drink on the same day, last Friday.

The latest infected man has since passed on the virus to three other household contacts, who are all in isolation. 

Health officials are now calling on anyone who visited the popular pub on that date to immediately self-isolate and get tested. 

Testing is urgently underway at a drive-through clinic at the Crossroads Hotel (pictured on Saturday)

The Blue Mountains man returned a positive result after he had visited the Crossroads Hotel (pictured) in Casula, in Sydney’s south-west, on July 3

The Crossroads Hotel is closed for deep-cleaning while a makeshift testing clinic operates in its car park. Major hospitals in the area have also extended opening hours for their coronavirus testing clinics.

Anyone who visited the hotel last Friday is now being asked to self-isolate and come forward for testing immediately if they develop even the mildest symptoms. 

A testing clinic has been set up in the pub’s car park, with drivers queuing for up to two hours to get tested on Saturday morning. 

‘We are at a critical point on the fight to contain the COVID-19,’ a NSW Health spokesperson said.

‘It is absolutely essential the community works together to limit the spread of the virus, by always maintaining good hand hygiene, adhering to physical distancing rules whenever possible and getting tested whenever symptoms occur, however mild.’ 

Health workers are seen giving out coronavirus tests to drivers at the Crossroads Hotel (pictured on Saturday)

Cars queued for up to two hours as they waited to get tested for coronavirus at the Crossroads Hotel (pictured on Saturday) after a COVID-19 outbreak

New South Wales recorded seven new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, with five confirmed cases from returned travellers in hotel quarantine, one from the pubgoer and another from a Victorian who drove into NSW on July 7. 

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard explained contact tracing on Friday had linked the man in his 50s, who had visited the Crossroads Hotel, to an earlier coronavirus infection from the Liverpool area.  

‘It occurred to the tracing staff that this woman who had become positive in the last few days should have their facts revisited,’ Mr Hazzard explained.

‘What has been found is that particular lady and this 50-year-old gentleman both attended last Friday night, independently, at a hotel.’

Mr Hazzard said the positive test results have ‘major ramifications’ as the two people appear to have come into contact with the virus at the same location. 

Cars queued up at a pop-up testing clinic at the Crossroads Hotel after two visitors became infected with coronavirus (pictured on Saturday)

New South Wales has recorded seven new cases of COVID-19 as of Saturday, with five confirmed cases from returned travellers in hotel quarantine, one from the pub goer and another from a Victorian who drove into NSW on July 7

A third infected person is now also involved. 

‘The tracing is under way as we speak,’ he said.

A pop-up testing clinic opened at the venue from 5pm on Friday and anyone who visited the venue since July 3 and has symptoms are encouraged to come forward.  

On Friday, Mr Hazzard also announced the ‘troubling case’ of a man in his 20s who travelled to Sydney from Victoria with a caravan in tow. 

Mr Hazzard said the man travelled 14 hours into the city ‘in the last few days’ and tested positive in the Sutherland area, southern Sydney. 

 NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Friday announced a 30-year-old woman and a man in his 50s were found to have contracted COVID-19 after visiting the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, the city’s south-west, on Saturday

Drivers are seen queueing (pictured, on the right on Saturday) for testing at the Crossroads Hotel where a pop-up clinic has been put in place

‘Quite a long drive, 14 hours straight through, so I am told, and he is now here, I thank him for coming forward,’ he said.  

‘I encourage others in a similar situation that may have come from Victoria or Melbourne particularly to make sure you are on high alert.’

Mr Hazzard said he would not yet name the caravan park as NSW Health continues to investigate the case.  

‘We are looking at what other measures might be necessary for others in and around that caravan park, but obviously first of all there needs to be questioning to understand what his contacts might have been,’ Mr Hazzard said. 

The Crossroads Hotel in Casula, in Sydney’s south-west (pictured) is the source of a new outbreak

Locals in Sydney’s Bondi are seen queuing to be tested for coronavirus on Tuesday (pictured)

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 9,059

New South Wales: 3,474

Victoria: 3,560

Queensland: 1,070

Western Australia: 630

South Australia: 443

Tasmania: 228

Australian Capital Territory: 113

Northern Territory: 30

TOTAL CASES: 9,549

CURRENT ACTIVE CASES: 1,285 

DEATHS: 107

The NSW-Victoria border was shut at 11.59pm on Tuesday for the first time in 101 years, as Victoria battles a second wave of coronavirus infections. 

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said health authorities are still investigating where the man – who is believed to be from metropolitan Melbourne – travelled through.

‘We are currently interviewing him to ascertain that information,’ Dr Chant said.

‘At this time, because he was travelling in a car and in a caravan and did the trip quite swiftly, we understand that he has not had any, had minimal or any exposure on his route up here.’  

The announcement of the two new coronavirus cases – the man in his 50s and the travellers in his 20s – follows the confirmation of a third COVID-19 case in the NSW-Victoria border town of Albury linked to two previous cases in the regional city.

NSW Health confirmed the case earlier on Friday after flagging it hadn’t made the deadline for confirmed case numbers on Thursday.

The case, a man in his 30s, is connected to two family members who tested positive to COVID-19 in Albury earlier in the week. 

Mr Hazzard (pictured) also announced the ‘troubling case’ of a man in his 20s who travelled to Sydney from Victoria with a caravan in tow

Medical workers are seen giving coronavirus tests in Sydney’s Bondi on Tuesday (pictured) amid fears the Melbourne outbreak may spread to NSW

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