New South Wales records 97 Covid cases overnight as Gladys Berejiklian extends Sydney’s strict lockdown for another two weeks
New South Wales has recorded 97 Covid-19 cases overnight as Sydney's lockdown was extended by another two weeks to stem the spread of the highly-contagious Delta variant of the virus.
The announcement comes as thousands of Sydney residents queued for up to eight hours on Wednesday morning to get a coronavirus test following an order from the New South Wales government.
Residents in the Fairfield local government area in Sydney's south-west who work outside the region must now get tested every three days in a desperate effort to curb the city's Covid-19 horror outbreak.
There were astonishing scenes at a 24-hour testing centre at Fairfield Showground as the queue of locals stretched for kilometres along Smithfield Road at 6am Wednesday, sparking traffic chaos.
Many locals slept in their cars as they queued to be tested overnight while residents who live in the area complained about being unable to drive out of their street due to the traffic bedlam.
There were also reports of police turning locals away at the drive-through clinic late Tuesday night with just two health workers conducting tests.
Pictured a masked pedestrian walks through Kings Cross in Sydney's inner-city on July 13
Health workers speak to members of the public at a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic at the Fairfield Showgrounds in Sydney on Wednesday. Residents were waiting up to eight hours in the queue at the Fairfield Showground drive-through testing clinic on Wednesday morning
Surfers move along the Bondi Beach boardwalk in Sydney's east with their boards in hand on July 14
It was a far different story in Sydney's east on Wednesday morning, where only a trickle of cars were waiting in line at a drive-through clinic at Heffron Park in Maroubra.
The long queues across Fairfield are expected to continue through the day, despite workers leaving the LGA having another three days to get their first swab.
Local Wayne joined the queue at Fairfield Showground at 1am and gave up three hours later because he had to rush to work.
'The guy told me there was still a four-hour wait at that hour,' he told 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham.
Another frustrated local who queued up to be tested on his way to work told the Today Show at 7am he'd be in the line for three hours already.
Two pedestrians walk along the Bondi Beach boardwalk on Wednesday. Lockdown restrictions are in place across Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong
Is the 'test-to-leave your home' requirement fair on essential workers supporting the community?
Is the 'test-to-leave your home' requirement fair on essential workers supporting the community?
Now share your opinion
Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone described the scenes as chaos as he slammed the new rules announced by the NSW government a day earlier.
'These are people that want to get tested, these are doctors and nurses, people that help our community, they work far and wide and these are essential workers,' Mr Carbone told the Today show on Wednesday.
'I think that the plan to get the mandated plan where people need to get tested two times a week, once every three days, was very badly thought out.
'We need more testing clinics, we need more vaccines. The government needs to listen to news the community. People can't get out of their cars, people cannot sleep and people cannot get tested, most importantly.'
There are an estimated 45,000 local residents who work outside the Fairfield LGA, which is home to a population of 180,000.
Residents didn't have to wait long to be tested at Maroubra's Heffron Park on Wednesday
An aerial shot of Smithfield Road early Wednesday morning showed the queue for the testing clinic at Fairfield Showground stretching for kilometres
Thousands of Fairfield locals queued to be tested on their way to work on Wednesday, even though they have another three days to do so
Mr Carbone has been inundated with complaints from frustrated locals about the long testing queues.
'Yesterday, I got complaints from people who were sick who want to get tested, who can't afford to wait six hours in a queue and have gone home,' he said.
'It's unfortunate that the government has done this. I don't think they understood the magnitude of it and I don't think they understood the amount of essential workers we have in Fairfield.'
The Fairfield Showground testing clinic is struggling with the overwhelming demand from locals who work outside the LGA, who have until the end of Friday to get tested.
Today show host Karl Stefanovic was shocked by the scenes and claims locals are waiting up to eight hours to be tested.
'This is absolutely disgusting for the people of Fairfield that they have to wait that long at a testing clinic,' he said.
'It is not good enough for the people of Fairfield.
'They're doing the right thing this morning and they're being badly let down.'
New Covid-19 testing rules- what you need to know
New COVID-19 testing rules are in place under a Public Health Order for workers who live in Greater Sydney and the Fairfield local government areas.
*Fairfield LGA residents leaving the area for work must get tested every three days
*Residents have until the end of end of Friday (July 16) to get their first test
*Rule doesn't apply to Fairfield residents who work in the LGA
*Workers are not required to wait for a negative test result but must carry proof of the test such as an SMS or email.
*Greater Sydney residents entering regional NSW for work must get a test every seven days and have until the end of Sunday to get their first test
Co-host Allison Langdon later grilled Prime Minister Scott Morrison over the chaotic scenes.
'These are people who have come off 12-hour shifts, then waiting six hours for a test,' she told the prime minister.
'How is this good enough, the situation we're seeing in Fairfield this morning?'
Mr Morrison replied: 'I'm sure the NSW government, who is running the testing regimes there, will get on top of that.'
Residents in the Sydney's east didn't have to wait as long for a test on Wednesday morning. Pictured is Heffron Park in Maroubra
Locals are waiting up to eight hours to be tested at Fairfield Showground, where the testing clinic is now open 24 hours. Pictured is the traffic queue
NSW treasurer Dominic Perrottet apologised to the Fairfield community on behalf of the state government.
'We working to get more testing into Fairfield,' he told 2GB.
Mr Perrottet reminded locals they had until Saturday to get tested and can leave the Fairfield LGA while they're waiting for test results, as long as they don't have any symptoms.
The rule doesn't apply to residents who don't need to leave the local government area for work.
Traffic queues along Smithfield Road stretched for kilometres on Wednesday morning
A second 24 hour pop-up drive-through clinic has also been set up at at nearby Endeavor Sports Park carpark in Fairfield West in response to the overwhelming demand.
Sydney's lockdown is expected to be extended into a fourth week after NSW recorded 89 new cases on Tuesday, following 112 new infections a day earlier.
Most of Tuesday's new cases were recorded in Sydney's south-west.