Horror Covid risk for regional NSW as truck driver delivered pet food to country towns 350km away from Sydney on THREE days while infected
A truck driver travelled from Sydney to regional NSW to deliver pet food while infected with coronavirus, health officials has revealed.
NSW recorded 105 new cases on Sunday as Sydney and surrounding regions entered their fourth week of lockdown.
Around 27 of the cases out in the community for their entire infectious period.
Among the latest cases was a truck driver who delivered pet food on July 14, 15 and 16 to depots in Parkes and Blayney in the state's central-west.
Parkes is a four-and-a half hour 358 kilometre drive from Sydney while Blayney is 239 kilometres.
'It reminds businesses that when you are going about your actions, make sure you are doing deliveries in a contactless way,' NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said.
'We need to make sure that the way this is done reduces any risk of transmission.'
NSW Premier Gladys Berejikian addresses the media after the state recorded 105 new cases on Sunday
It comes after three removalists who allegedly knew they were infected before they left Covid-ravaged south-west Sydney for a job in central-west NSW.
Police allege the men aged 20, 27 and 27 travelled from West Hoxton to Figtree in Wollongong, before stopping at several towns on their way to Molong, in the state's central west.
Police caught up with the trio in Molong on Friday after being notified the men had travelled from a Covid hotspot.
They have been charged and will face Orange Local Court next month, where they face being fined $11,000 each and up to six months behind bars.
The trio were publicly slammed by NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys over their disturbing actions.
The infected truck driver travelled to the state's central-west on three consecutive days, which included at least one trip to Parkes
'Despite the best health advice, they continued on their journey. They left their home in Greater Sydney and put significant risk on the people in regional NSW,' he said.
The latest cases exposing regional NSW to virus sparked concern from deputy premier John Barilaro about the 'significant freight movement' into central-west NSW in the last week.
The National Party leader pleaded with regional NSW to 'stay vigilant in the community' as he warned Sydneysider to stay away.
'My advice to regional NSW is to keep doing what we're doing,' he said on Sunday.
'We have a level of freedom in regional NSW we don't have in Sydney ... and we want to keep that.
'Wear a mask, follow the rules and make sure the message to Sydney is clear: do not come to the regions at this time.'
Sydney's latest outbreak has surpassed the amount of cases recorded during the first wave between March and May 2020.
Three removalists have travelled across Sydney and regional NSW after being informed they had tested positive, they visited Figtree in Wollongong before travelling to Molong in Central west NSW (map above picturing the locations visited by the positive men)