‘It keeps me awake at night’: Gladys Berejiklian makes desperate plea to Sydneysiders from one key suburb after revealing coronavirus is ‘circulating in the community’
- NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is worried about mystery COVID-19 cases
- She said coronavirus appeared to be circulating in western Sydney communities
- Ms Berejiklian urged residents to get tested if they displayed any symptoms
- State announced 12 new cases on Thursday with three without a known source
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has urged residents to watch for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested as fears grow that the virus is circulating in the community.
On Friday Ms Berejiklian told the Today show she was deeply concerned with the worrying number of mystery cases that had been recorded in western and south western Sydney.
‘The one thing that keeps me me awake is that every week we are getting a couple of cases with no clear identifiable source and that worries us.
‘What that tells us is in south-western and western Sydney the virus is circulating among the community.’
On Thursday, NSW announced 12 new coronavirus cases with four linked to known clusters, three with no known source and five returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
On Friday Ms Berejiklian told Today she was deeply concerned with the worrying number of mystery cases that had been recorded in western and south western Sydney
Pictured, drivers are slowly ushered through a COVID-19 testing clinic at Bondi
NSW announced 12 new coronavirus cases on Thursday. Four were linked to known clusters, three with no known source and five returned travellers in hotel quarantine (pictured, a Sydneysider wears a face mask at Town Hall light rail station)
Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook, north-western Sydney, has been linked to 19 cases with the source still unconfirmed.
The school was forced to close for deep cleaning and will reopen its doors on August 24.
The nearby Opus Dei Catholic study centre, Eremeran, has also been linked to the outbreak.
The premises closed for cleaning after recently hosting five senior schoolgirls taking part in a religious retreat.
Our Lady of Mercy College, in Parramatta, has also closed after three cases were linked to the high school.
NSW Health has confirmed that one of the COVID-19 positive cases attended two southwestern Sydney venues while infectious.
People who were at Westfield Liverpool last Thursday and Friday and 5th Avenue Beauty Bar in Wetherill Park on Saturday are considered casual contacts and are advised to monitor for symptoms.
A new public health alert has also been issued for Liverpool Hospital with three hospital staff testing positive to COVID-19.
People who attended the hospital between August 6 and 9 are advised to monitor for symptoms and get tested if even mild symptoms emerge.
Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club has also recorded two cases.
People who attended the Catholic club at specified hours between August 7 and 10 are considered close contacts, and must get tested and self-isolate for 14 days.
Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook, north-western Sydney (pictured), has been linked to 19 cases with the source still unconfirmed
There are 135 coronavirus-infected people being treated by NSW Health, with seven in ICU and six of these on ventilators (pictured security guards at pop up testing clinic in Castle Hill in Sydney on Wednesday)
‘My strongest message is if you live in south-western or western Sydney and you have the slightest symptom, or you have been exposed as a close contact to one of those venues that have been announced please come forward and get tested and stay home for two weeks,’ Ms Berejiklian said.
‘It is so important for that to occur because we really worry about that community transmission.’
The state on Thursday also recorded its first COVID-19 death since August 1 after a Sydney woman in her 80s linked to the Our Lady of Lebanon Church cluster died.
There are 135 coronavirus-infected people being treated by NSW Health, with seven in ICU and six of these on ventilators.