New coronavirus ‘red zones’ in New South Wales despite the state having one new case in 24 hours 

The two new coronavirus hotspots in New South Wales have been revealed despite the state recording just one new case of the virus overnight.

Penrith in Sydney’s Greater West and The Hills District in the city’s north-west have been identified as the two new ‘red zones’ for COVID-19.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant is warning everyone in the areas to get tested, especially if they are presenting symptoms.

‘I would urge anyone in those local government areas, particularly with any symptoms, to come forward for testing,’ she told reporters on Monday.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant is warning everyone in the areas to get tested, especially if they are presenting symptoms

NSW recorded one new case of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday from some 6000 tests, with six people in intensive care. 

The total number of confirmed cases in New South Wales is now 3,076.  

A man in his 60s died in NSW overnight after contracting coronavirus from a personal contact, taking the state’s death toll to 48. 

The man had underlying health conditions and contracted the disease from a close personal contact, with his death bringing the national toll to 99.

NSW authorities have urged people to keep their distance from each other as social and economic restrictions are eased across the state.

NSW transport minister Andrew Constance is warning of indefinite Sydney traffic chaos as social distancing measures force people returning to on-site employment off public transport. 

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said peak-hour bus and train services were already at capacity – with just 12 passengers per bus and 32 per train carriage permitted. 

There are fears public transport is a main way for the virus to spread. Pictured: Sydney peak hour last year before COVID-19

Ms Berejiklian Mr Constance said workers would need to shift schedules to off-peak bus and train transport, take alternative routes or drive, cycle or walk.     

This would inevitably clog Sydney roads.

Mr Constance said some 87 million vehicle movements were on Friday recorded around the state as people continued to work from home – down from an average 105 million.

The maximum number of daily public transport trips permitted amid social distancing guidelines, meanwhile, would be 600,000 per day – down from 2.2 million.

‘Ultimately people are going to opt to drive because it’s safe,’ Mr Constance told reporters.

‘I could sit here and say there won’t be congestion on the roads but I’d be misleading you – there is. That’s why we want people to re-time their days.

‘These are tough days – I know this is hard.’

Ms Berejiklian said public transport commuters should try to travel between 10am and 2pm in order to save peak-hour space for essential workers and construction workers.

Socially-distanced seating on public transport would be marked out in ‘green dots’ in what Mr Constance characterised as a ‘nudge’ to keep people 1.5 metres apart. 

Diners stared out towards the beach as cafes reopened over the weekend in New South Wales and Queensland

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Sunday said he’d noted many people at cafes and restaurants over the weekend were not observing the 1.5-metre social distancing rule.

‘It’s fair to say that there has been, in a sense, a great NSW bust-out,’ Mr Hazzard said.

Ms Berejiklian also said on the weekend the state’s success in blunting the impact of COVID-19 may help attract private investment capital otherwise headed to the virus-hit US and UK.

She declared future NSW economic policy would involve ‘far less regulation’ and ‘flexibility to innovate’ for the private sector and suggested GST reform should be discussed.