One major factor that could throw Sydney into snap lockdown
New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced that Sydney will not be going into lockdown, despite strong suggestions that COVID-19 cases may surge.
NSW recorded a worrying rise, with officials confirming 10 new infections on Tuesday.
Five locally acquired cases have been recorded in the 24 hours to 8 pm last night.
Two of those cases were announced yesterday morning, but seven other infections were recorded after the official reporting period and will be included in Wednesday’s numbers.
This means 21 infections are officially linked to the Bondi outbreak.
Ms Berejiklian said that she may consider a lockdown if unlinked cases began to rise.
“At this stage we follow Dr Chant and the health advice,” she said.
“Because all but one case is linked to an existing case and that case was only discovered a few hours ago … that gives us a degree of confidence that what we have asked people to do matches the risk that is there at the moment.
“If that changes, if we suddenly have a number of unlinked cases and if we suddenly have them outside the geographic region they are concentrated in that we will obviously adjust the health advice and we will respond to that (idea of a lockdown).”
Ms Berejiklian did however announce a week-long extension of mask restrictions to all of greater Sydney.
Blue Mountains and the Illawarra regions are also included in having to wear face masks, however the Central Coast is not.
Masks are compulsory on public transport and indoor venues until midnight on Wednesday, June 30.
“We will extend it to all of Greater Sydney. That means excluding the Central Coast and excluding the Hunter, but also they will be required to adhere to that compulsory mask wearing indoors for hospitality workers when we are going shopping, going grocery shopping, going to events inside,” she told reporters.
“It is only when you are eating or drinking indoors at a venue that you can’t or shouldn’t wear a mask. In every other circumstance, if you live or are in Sydney, you must wear a mask for another week beyond Wednesday midnight.”
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