New South Wales announces massive changes to gyms to stop spread of coronavirus as the state reports 19 new cases
Coronavirus restrictions on NSW hospitality venues will be extended to gyms, including the requirement for a permanent on-site hygiene marshal, as the state reports 19 new COVID-19 cases.
Gyms in NSW will be required from Saturday to register a COVID-safe plan and have a dedicated hygiene marshal on site to ensure social distancing, equipment cleaning and hand sanitiser
This includes 24/7 gyms which are typically not staffed at all times.
‘That includes gyms who currently might have a business model where no staff might be present,’ Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters on Wednesday.
‘This is in line with the health advice, which we know those high risk activities are those indoor venues where people are in close proximity to others, where they are speaking or where they are in close physical activity such as a gym.’
Ms Berejiklian said she would prefer to ‘be harder now’ on some restrictions to avoid a worse outbreak down the track.
‘The only way to get through this under the current restrictions if all of us step and do the right thing,’ she said.
Fitness First gym in Kings Cross on Tuesday confirmed one person who attended the gym for a class on July 20 had tested positive.
Of the 19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, 10 were connected to the Thai Rock Restaurant at Wetherill Park, taking the size of that cluster to 85.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced all Sydney gyms must have a COVID-safe marshall on hand at all times from this Saturday to make sure ‘safety is maintained’
The restaurant’s sister Thai Rock in Potts Point was connected to two additional cases, taking the size of that cluster in the densely-populated eastern Sydney suburb to seven. One new case was also linked to the nearby The Apollo eatery.
NSW Health has yet to establish a link between COVID-19 cases at the two Thai Rock restaurants and are still investigating.
Just two of the 19 cases on Wednesday were in hotel quarantine.
The case load has prompted Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Wednesday to ban all greater Sydney residents from the state from Saturday.
‘NSW is holding the line but as I’ve been saying for a number of weeks, we’re at a critical stage of the pandemic,’ Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters.
Two more pop-up COVID-19 testing clinics have also been set up in Sydney’s east as NSW health authorities monitor the Potts Point cluster.
A clinic opened up in Surry Hills on Tuesday and another will open from noon on Wednesday in Rushcutters Bay Park, down the road from Potts Point.
Two infected Thai Rock diners visited the nearby Cruising Yacht Club Australia in Rushcutters Bay on July 23, 24 and 26, with the venue’s staff to be tested.
The prestigious members’-only club, which is the home of the Sydney-to-Hobart annual sailing race, has closed until August 1 for deep cleaning.
A number of other restaurants in the eastern Sydney suburb have voluntarily shut down as a precaution.
All residents and visitors to Potts Point have been asked to seek COVID-19 testing if they experience any respiratory symptoms.
A primary school in western Sydney, meanwhile, will be closed for at least one day after a student tested positive to COVID-19.
Bayanami Public School in Parramatta will be closed on Wednesday to allow time for the school to complete contact tracing and cleaning.