Sydney records another 163 Covid cases as health minister blasts states for not sending vaccines to NSW and Gladys Berejiklian considers bringing in the ARMY to guard city's red zone
New South Wales recorded 163 new coronavirus cases on Saturday with 45 infectious in the community as Sydney struggles to come to grips with its latest outbreak.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard confirmed the numbers in his morning press conference from a record 93,900 tests.
The latest cluster, which began in Bondi after an air crew driver tested positive on June 16, skyrockets to 1,951 with Saturday's announcement.
'Very worryingly - very worryingly - 45 were infectious out in the community,' Mr Hazzard said.
'In other words, 45 people were out walking around and potentially spreading the virus which certainly explains why our numbers are going up.
'What it is telling us is we have a continuing and growing problem, particularly in south-west and western Sydney.'
There are currently 139 people in hospital with Covid as a result of the latest outbreak, which includes 37 in intensive care, 17 of whom require ventilators.
There are 55 people under the age of 55 that are in hospital, including 28 under the age of 35.
Of the 37 people in intensive care, 36 are unvaccinated, with the other one having received only their first dose of AstraZeneca.
Mr Hazzard also expressed his disappointment towards Victorian Premier Dan Andrews and other state leaders for betraying NSW who have provided the 'gateway' for returning Australians and provided assistance nationwide through other crises.
'I want to remind those other states and territories that last time I looked, we were a Commonwealth - we worked together, and it disturbs me that that all we've ever done to work together has just seemingly been cast aside,' he said.
'When we have bushfires, when we have floods, people from our state go to help others. We know that and I can't thank New South Wales residents for the years and years of contribution to other states.
'Equally, those other states send their community, their emergency workers, their fireworkers, their SESs - they come to us and help.
'Last year when Victoria was in trouble and, from this end, we were thankfully not suffering the same problems that our Victorian colleagues and friends were suffering, I personally said goodbye to a number of health staff who went down to Victoria and put their lives at risk - put their lives on the line.
'I just want to emphasise that from my point of view it is with disappointment that I heard some of the responses from leaders from other states.
New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced Sydney has recorded 163 new coronavirus cases on Saturday with 45 infectious in the community
The latest cluster, which began in Bondi after an air crew driver tested positive on June 16, skyrockets to 1,951 with Saturday's announcement
'I can't quite see the difference between beating backfires and beating back and addressing the problems of floods, and beating back this COVID virus that could actually, if it gets worse here in New South Wales, could actually create massive problems for the whole country.
'New South Wales is the gateway to the rest of Australia. We've done enormous work to bring back so many Australians.
'More than half of all Australians who have come back have come back through the gateway of Sydney, and we continue to step up and make sure that we support our nation, our Commonwealth, and I certainly ask for the other leaders in our other states to reflect on that.'
He urged residents of western and south-western Sydney to follow the stay-at-home-orders and help the rest of the state overcome the outbreak.
'The basic message out of all of this is that the community - we really need our community, particularly in south western and wherein Sydney, to stay at home, to hear the message and stay at home,' Mr Hazzard said.
'Don't intermingle with family members from other households. It will continue to cause massive grief here in Sydney, particularly in western and south western Sydney, if family members mix with family members from other households.
'Just, please, stop doing it. Stop.'
The Health Minister also confirmed a man in his 80s from south-western Sydney died in Liverpool Hospital on Friday.
Military checkpoints could be brought in around Sydney's coronavirus 'red zones' in an attempt from the government to stop the latest outbreak
Gladys Berejiklian was offered military assistance by Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this month, which was initially rejected by the New South Wales Premier
Military checkpoints could be brought in around Sydney's Covid 'red zones' in an attempt from the government to stop the outbreak.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian was offered military assistance by Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this month, which was initially rejected by the New South Wales Premier.
However, a senior minister told the Telegraph that the state should look to the use of the army as a more effective measure of controlling the spread of the highly-infectious Delta strain.
'The government might have to get tougher on a more micro-level. This could mean hardening the lockdown like putting up physical barriers,' the anonymous minister told the publication.
'We've been offered troops, let's use them.'
NSW will beef up its vaccine strategy in the hope that more jabs can help quash Sydney's COVID-19 outbreak.
The state reported 136 new local cases on Friday, a new daily high for the current outbreak which started in mid-June.
Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant advised for the first time on Friday that the outbreak was a 'national emergency'.
The PM offered Australian Defence Force assistance as recently as July 7, but that was rejected by the NSW Premier.
Morrison offered the ADF again the next day, which Berejiklian again rejected.
The state's police commissioner Mick Fuller confirmed the military support had been offered, saying their help was unneeded in controlling Sydney's latest outbreak.
'I reiterate my support for the close relationship NSW Police has with the ADF, particularly working through the bushfires,' he said.
'That has continued throughout the Covid pandemic, including the close co-operation in the hotel quarantine operation and logistics support in the Police Operations Centre where ADF personnel continue to be essential in terms of the NSW Police operation.
'However, it was determined the police operational response didn't require external assistance in the south western Sydney operation given the transmission of the virus was between household contacts, not primarily occurring on the streets.'
New South Wales recorded 163 new coronavirus cases on Saturday with 45 infectious in the community as Sydney struggles to come to grips with its latest outbreak
The virus is spreading particularly quickly among young workers in critical industries who live in Sydney's west and southwest, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, and more first vaccine doses in those hot spots could slow the transmission.
'We need to get at least the first jab for as many people as we can in those affected communities as possible,' she said.
A plan to roll out more Pfizer vaccines to those critical workers, by extending the interval between Pfizer doses from three to six weeks, was discussed at a meeting of national cabinet on Friday.
An announcement on the strategy is expected today.