NSW has recorded 97 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 – with the source of 34 infections currently unknown.
NSW Health says 63 of the new cases are linked to a known case or cluster – with the majority based in Sydney’s south-west.
Forty-nine are household contacts and 14 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 34 cases remains under investigation, the health authority confirmed.
Forty-six cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 17 cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period. Twenty-nine cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of five cases remains under investigation.
“Unfortunately 29 of those we understand were infectious for all of the time that they were infectious in the community – this is the number that is concerning. That number of people being infectious in the community keeps going up,” said NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian.
“Please stay at home, follow the orders.”
Of the 97 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night, 67 are from South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD), 14 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD, nine are from Western Sydney LHD, five are from Sydney LHD, one is from Northern Sydney LHD and one is from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD.
“We are asking people not to seek exceptions to the stay-at-home rules, but instead to ensure they comply with them, in order to reduce the number of infectious cases of COVID-19 in the community,” NSW Health said.
“The high number of COVID-19 cases and exposure venues in the Fairfield Local Government Area (LGA) means Fairfield residents who work in other LGAs must now be tested for COVID-19 every three days, even if they do not have symptoms.
“At this time, it is most important to focus on anyone with who has COVID-19 symptoms or is a close or casual contact of confirmed cases.
“These people must immediately get tested as soon as possible. We ask you to please stay in the line when testing clinics are busy and identify yourself to staff and tell them that you have symptoms.”
People who don’t have symptoms who will be travelling outside of the Fairfield area for work have until the end of today, Friday 16 July, to get tested.
“These people, who do not have symptoms, do not need to wait for a negative test before going to work although they must carry proof of the test and then after today, they must get a test every three days.”
NSW Health is now providing vaccinations to school staff within the Fairfield LGA where greater concern of COVID-19 transmission is ongoing.
A new vaccination centre for school staff in the Fairfield, Local Government Area has opened in Prairiewood.
The centre, which will provide up to 1,000 vaccinations a day, is open seven days a week from 8am to 6pm for this priority group.
Additionally, the NSW Health Sydney Olympic Park Mass Vaccination Centre is providing vaccinations to school staff who work in schools located in the Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown LGAs.
“NSW Health is working with this priority group to co-ordinate their vaccination bookings. The Prairiewood centre is not open to the general public,” it said.
“Initial plans to open the new vaccination centre at the Fairfield Showground were changed to a more suitable location at Prairiewood so as not to interfere with NSW Health’s 24-hour, 7-day COVID-19 testing clinic which opened at the Showground yesterday.”
There are currently 75 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 18 people in intensive care, five of whom require ventilation.
There were 77,587 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s total of 58,299.
NSW Health administered a record 22,568 COVID-19 vaccines in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, including 7,392 at the vaccination centre at Sydney Olympic Park.
