- NSW’s Agriculture Minister has tested positive for COVID-19, placing the State Government in lockdown as the Bondi outbreak spreads further
- Premier Gladys Berejiklian has tested negative for the virus, while four other MPs have been forced to isolate after coming in contact with the MP
- All up, 11 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in NSW, with one of the new cases not currently linked to existing outbreaks
- A Sydney man in Melbourne has also tested positive for the virus, prompting Victoria to increase its border restrictions with NSW
- The NSW Premier stopped short of introducing a lockdown, but says this outbreak is the scariest period Sydney has endured since the pandemic began
NSW’s Agriculture Minister has tested positive for COVID-19, placing the State Government in lockdown as the Bondi outbreak spreads further.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday she was a casual contact of MP Adam Marshall, but she has tested negative for COVID-19.
At least four NSW Government MPs were self-isolating after attending the Nationals dinner party with Mr Marshall, including the state’s Health Minister.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant explained rapid COVID-19 tests were being used on MPs to keep Parliament running.
“The unusual aspect is that we have used rapid technology,” Dr Chant said,
“And that isn’t only for key individuals, but certainly to enable the core functioning of Parliament.
“We have used the gene expert technology to allow us to be confident until we assess movements of all individuals.”
All up, 11 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in NSW today, with one of the new cases not currently linked to existing outbreaks.
Urgent investigations are underway by health authorities to determine how a female hairdresser acquired the virus.
Despite the unkown new cases and outbreak within Government, Premier Berejiklian stopped short of introducing a lockdown in Sydney.
Ms Berejiklian said the health advice was that a lockdown wasn’t necessary at this stage, however she conceded this latest outbreak was frightening.
“Since the pandemic has started this is perhaps the scariest period that NSW is going through and Dr Chant and I are of equal view on that,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“It is a very contagious variant but at the same time we are at this stage comfortable that the settings that are in place are the appropriate settings, but that is so long as everybody does the right thing.”
Meanwhile, the Sydney outbreak has spread to another state, with Victorian authorities confirming a Sydney man in Melbourne has tested positive for COVID-19.
As a result, Victoria has upped the border restrictions for those traveling from Sydney into the state, declaring the entire Greater Sydney Region a red zone.