Urgent alert for FORTY FOUR new Sydney coronavirus exposure sites including TWELVE supermarkets, several chemists and a doctors surgery
An urgent alert has been issued for 44 new Covid exposure sites in Sydney, including 12 supermarkets, several chemists, and a doctors surgery.
The new list of popular shops and takeaway outlets are spread across the city, with five bus routes also linked to infected Sydneysiders.
It comes as NSW recorded 65 new local Covid cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, bringing the state's outbreak to 929 infections.
Seven of the sites are Tier 1, meaning anyone who visited at the listed times are considered a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days - regardless of the result.
Most of the venues - which include a bakery and McDonald's - are in Sydney's southwest, where the outbreak is currently concentrated after spreading from its original epicentre in the city's eastern suburbs.
The massive list comes as Greater Sydney residents brace for another two weeks in lockdown, after stay-at-home orders were extended on Wednesday until at least July 30
NSW Health has announced 44 new Covid exposure sites across Sydney on Thursday night, including 12 supermarkets, two Bunnings, and an entire shopping mall (pictured, Stocklands Merrylands)
Punchbowl's Chemist Warehouse is one of seven new close contact sites identified in NSW
Fairfield's Star Sweet Patisserie was attended by a positive case on Sunday 11 July from 4.20pm to 4.30pm, while Service NSW, in Liverpool, was exposed the following day from 10.10am to 10.25am.
In Punchbowl, the same alert as been issued for the McDonalds after an infectious employee worked in the drive through on Thursday July 8 from 6am to 4pm.
The local Chemist Warehouse was also affected on the same day between 2.30pm to 3pm.
Further west, Penna's Green Valley Pharmacy was also exposed, as well as the Alpha Medical Centre in Seven Hills.
An employee at the doctors surgery then contracted the virus, working while infectious on Tuesday July 13 and Wednesday July 14 from 8am to 5pm.
The spate of exposed pharmacies and medical centres prompted a warning from Gladys Berejiklian, who said many of the 28 new cases who had been in the community while infectious had been out and about shopping for medicine for their symptoms.
Penna's Pharmacy, in Green Valley, has been listed as an exposure site after positive cases visited the drug store over the weekend
NSW Health have also extended the close contact times for Lennox Village, in Emu Plains, to include Saturday July 10, between 4pm to 4.45pm. The shopping centre is 58km west of Sydney
'Pharmacists are the biggest source at the moment of people spreading the virus,' she said.
She begged people who have symptoms to stay away from local drug stores and doctor's surgeries to avoid spreading the disease further, especially as they could infect vulnerable people with other pre-existing conditions.
'If you have symptoms or feeling sick, please, if you're worried, call somebody, or get tested,' she appealed. 'Stay home, isolate and get the best medical and health advice.'
It comes as the NSW Premier said the number of new local Covid infections is stabilising, but warned the numbers are likely to keep bouncing around.
Of the 65 new cases, at least 28 people were out in the community for part or all of their infectious period - a number that authorities want to drive down to zero.
'It has been a stable number, it hasn't grown... unless it comes down, we can't get out of lockdown,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Thursday.
The majority of the new casual contact sites are in west and southwestern Sydney suburbs, including Fairfield, Auburn, Miller, Merrylands, Liverpool, Fairfield Heights and Smithfield.
However, others have been identified across the city, including a Bondi Junction chemist, CBD cafe, a hardware store in the inner-west, and a petrol station in Sydney's north-western outskirts.
A positive case visited Alpha Medical Centre in Seven Hills on Monday, with a member of the staff picking up the virus
A regional petrol station, in NSW's Riverina region, has been named as a close contact site after a positive case travelled intrastate (pictured, Hay Shell, on the Sturt Highway)
An alert has also been issued for the Bunnings Warehouse in Alexandria, in Sydney's inner-west, which is now classified as a casual contact site
Passengers who travelled on five train routes between Auburn and Westmead stations over the weekend and on Monday have also been placed on alert, as well as shoppers across 12 supermarkets.
Coles stores in Edensor Park, Hurstville, and Oatley were added to the list on Thursday, as were two ALDIs in Riverwood and Miller and Woolworths in Auburn, Riverwood, Belrose and Fairfield Heights.
The list also includes the Lennox Village shopping centre in Emu Plains - 58km west of Sydney - two Bunnings stores in Alexandria and Jamisontown, a coffee shop, and a dry cleaner.
As Covid-infected Sydneysiders seek out medication, three other pharmacies, in Condell Park, Engadine, Riverwood, have been exposed to the virus.
Health authorities have also extended the exposure times for three previously announced sites, including Hanson Concrete Australia, D&M Excavations, and Emu Plains' Lennox Village.
Meanwhile, five million NSW residents will endure at least another fortnight of lockdown after a run of high daily coronavirus numbers forced the state government on Wednesday to extend stay-at-home measures at least until July 30.
A woman wearing a face mask walks past a mural at Bondi Beach on Thursday, during Sydney's third week in lockdown
Several alerts were issued for supermarkets, including this Woolworths in Belrose in the city's north east
There are 19 Covid-19 patients in intensive care in NSW, with five ventilated.
Ms Berejiklian says movement around Greater Sydney needs to drop even further and again implored people to stay home unless essential.
She defended current work-from-home settings, saying residents able to work from home were already doing so. She said it was impossible to achieve 'perfection' in the settings for workers obliged to leave home.
Organisations have long been obliged to have Covid-safe plans in place for workers and numerous businesses have shut due to the incompatibility of their operations with current health orders, Ms Berejiklian says.
'There never will be no matter where you draw the line... but what I do know is that the green shoots are starting to show,' the premier said.
A couple walk through Barangaroo , in Sydney's deserted CBD on Thursday afternoon
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday the number of new local Covid infections is stabilising but warned the numbers are likely to keep bouncing around. Pictured: Police patrol in Sydney's eastern suburbs as the city remains under stay-at-home orders
Infection numbers continue to rise in southwest Sydney and a new 24-hour coronavirus testing clinic has opened at Fairfield.
There are now three testing sites in the area operating around the clock.
The clinics were inundated this week after essential workers from the Fairfield area were ordered to get tested every three days if they work outside the area.
Two of Sydney's major hospitals are also on alert after a nurse and a patient were diagnosed with COVID-19, but authorities say they are not panicked.
A pregnant patient at Liverpool Hospital, in Sydney's southwest, was diagnosed as Covid-positive on Wednesday after undergoing a procedure.
The hospital cancelled elective surgery to deep clean the operating theatre while close contacts are being tested and isolating for 14 days.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said hospital management 'understood what needs to be done' and were satisfied with the handling of the outbreak so far. He said the hospital was well equipped to replace isolating staff.
A new 24-hour coronavirus testing clinic has opened at Fairfield as infection numbers continue to rise in Sydney's southwest. Pictured: A health worker administers a test at the showground drive-through clinic in Fairfield
A pedestrian walks through the empty streets of Fairfield, where the city's outbreak is concentrated after shifting from its epicentre in the eastern suburbs
A nurse who worked at Westmead Hospital in the Covid-19 ward has also tested positive for the virus but there are no cases yet linked to the health worker.
The nurse was vaccinated and is currently asymptomatic.
NSW Health on Thursday afternoon confirmed another suspected case, at the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse for cancer treatment in Sydney, was a false positive.
Later on Thursday, it was reported that three south-west Sydney paramedics had picked up COVID-19, with contact tracing underway.
Covid-19 exposure alerts were issued on Thursday for two work sites in Greenacre over a two-week period, as well as Shell at Jindera and Shell Coles Express in South Gundagai in southern NSW after an infected removalist travelled through the area.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says relief is on its way for parents, who will no longer have to pay for child care they're not using during lockdown.
The measure could benefit around 216,000 families across 3600 centres.
NEW SYDNEY COVID EXPOSURE SITES
Anyone who visited the following venues is considered a close contact and should get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of result:
Hay: Shell Sturt Highway - Saturday July 10, 7.30am – 8am
Fairfield: Star Sweet Patisserie - Sunday July 11, 4.20pm – 4.30pm
Punchbowl: Chemist Warehouse - Thursday July 8, 2.30pm – 3pm
Liverpool: Service NSW - Monday July 12, 10.10am – 10.25am
Punchbowl: McDonalds (drive through only) -Thursday July 8, 6am – 4pm
Seven Hills: Alpha Medical Centre - Monday 12 July, 2.15pm - 4.30pm, and Tuesday 13 July and Wednesday 14 July, both 8am - 5pm
Green Valley: Penna's Green Valley Pharmacy - Saturday 10 July, 1.05pm - 1.15pm and Sunday 11 July 3.15 - 3.25pm
NSW Health also wishes to advise of additional times to previously announced venues. Anyone who attended these venues at the times listed is a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result:
Greenacre: D&M Excavations - Thursday 1 July, all day, to Wednesday 14 July, all day
Greenacre: Hanson Concrete Australia - Thursday 1 July, all day, to Wednesday 14 July, all day
Emu Plains: Lennox Village - Saturday 10 July, 4pm - 4.45pm
Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received:
Alexandria: Bunnings - Thursday July 8, 12.25pm – 12.40pm
Punchbowl: McDonalds (not drive through) - Thursday July 8, 6am – 4pm
Edensor Park: Coles - Sunday July 5, 10.10am – 10.50am and Saturday July 10, 10.10 – 10.50am
Miller: Blooms the Chemist - Monday July 12, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Miller: Aldi - Monday July 12, 12pm – 12.30pm
Merrylands: Priceline Pharmacy - Monday July 12, 1pm – 2pm
Fairfield: Chemist Warehouse - Monday July 5, 12pm – 2pm
Liverpool: Krispy Kreme - Saturday July 3, 1pm – 1.15pm
Auburn: Woolworths - Monday July 12, 8.30pm – 9pm
Fairfield Heights: The Boulevarde Pharmacy - Tuesday July 13, 10am – 11am
Fairfield: Sushi Hub - Saturday July 3, 2pm – 2.30pm
Jamisontown: Bunnings - Saturday 10 July, 9am – 10am
Smithfield: VIP Auto Repair - Tuesday 13 July, 11.20am - 1.30pm
Condell Park: The Discount Drug Store - Monday 12 July 11.25am - 11.35am
Lakemba: Best Price Supermarket - Sunday 11 July, 12.55pm - 1.05pm
Wetherill Park: XS Coffee Shop - Sunday 4 July, 10am-10.30am
North Bridge: 110 Collective/ Ritual Coffee Traders - Monday 12 July, 8.30am - 9am
Belrose: Taste Baguette - Tuesday 13 July, 8.10am - 8.20am, and Wednesday 14 July, 10.30am - 11am
Belrose: Woolworths - Wednesday 14 July, 10.30am - 11am
Belrose: Lawrence Dry Cleaners - Wednesday 14 July, 10.30am - 11am
Anyone who travelled on the following train trips at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received:
T2 Line: From Westmead Station to Auburn Station - Saturday July 10, departed 8.01am, arrived 8.13am
T2 Line: From Auburn Station to Westmead Station - Saturday July 10, departed 8.51pm, arrived 9.03pm
T2 Line: From Westmead Station to Auburn Station - Sunday July 11, departed 8.02am, arrived 8.13am
T2 Line: From Auburn Station to Westmead Station - Sunday July 11, departed 8.40pm, arrived 8.53pm
T5 Line: From Westmead Station to Auburn Station via Parramatta Station - Monday July 12, departed 7.45am, arrived 8.05am
NSW Health also wishes to advise of additional times to previously announced venues. Anyone who attended these venues at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received:
Fairfield: Aldi - Monday 5 July, 12.30pm - 12.50pm
Fairfield Heights: Fairfield Heights Pharmacy - Monday 12 July, 4.30pm - 6pm
Fairfield Heights: Woolworths - Sunday July 11, 9pm – 9.30pm
Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed must monitor for symptoms and if they occur get tested immediately and self-isolate until a negative result is received:
Riverwood: Woolworths - Monday July 12, 10.55am – 11.10am
Riverwood: Aldi Riverwood - Sunday July 11, 7.45pm – 7.50pm and Monday July 12, 10.45am – 10.55am
Riverwood: Commonwealth Bank - Sunday July 11, 7.30pm – 7.40pm
Oatley West: Coles - Saturday July 10, 4.10pm – 4.40pm and Sunday July 11, 4.25pm – 4.40pm
Merrylands: Stockland Mall - Saturday July 10, 2pm – 4pm and Monday July 12, 1pm – 2pm
Sydney: Caf̩ de Casablanca - Tuesday July 13, 1pm Р3pm
Bondi Junction: Chemist Warehouse - Saturday July 10, 9.15am – 9.25am
Riverwood: Galluzzo's Chemist - Monday 12 July, 10.50am - 11am Belrose: Glenrose Village - Tuesday 13 July, 8.10am - 8.20am, and Wednesday 14 July, 10.30am - 11am Emu Plains: Aldi, Lennox Village - Saturday 10 July, 3.45pm - 4pm Hurstville: Muffin Break - Monday 12 July, 9.45am - 9.55am, and Tuesday 13 July, 9.45am - 9.55am Engadine: Cincotta Chemist - Monday 12 July, 12.25 - 12.40pm