All of Greater Sydney, Wollongong and Central Coast will head into a two-week lockdown, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced at the second Sydney COVID press conference today.
The lockdown will commence from 6PM tonight and end on Friday, the 9th of July.
Speaking at the conference, Berejiklian said that “this is a situation we absolutely have to.”
“There is no need to panic buy. All the shops will be open every day of the week. There is no curfew. You can leave your home at any stage to purchase any essential goods that you need to and that is a given. Be thoughtful and considerate about fellow citizens,” Berejiklian said.
“For the next two weeks, you will be able to exercise outdoors and we appreciate during the school holidays, this could be the only time that people are able to gather outside and in no more than groups of ten.
“In the regions that we’ve outlined, in no more than groups of ten, you’re able to gather outside for the recreational exercise.
“And of course, when you are outdoors in groups of ten, make sure that you maintain a good social distance and follow the health instructions.”
This Sydney-wide lockdown comes after NSW Health reported 29 new local cases over the last 24 hours, bringing the total cases from the Bondi Cluster to 82.
While a majority have been linked through contact tracing, authorities are concerned about one of the 28 new cases.
“28 of 29 [cases] are linked with one under investigation,” NSW Chief Medical Officer Kerry Chant said this morning.
“What we’re finding is the time we’ve gone to these cases, they’ve already been spread.
“12 of the 29 cases were in isolation through their infectious period.”
Berejiklian added that there’s a “potential of people being infectious in those areas for a couple of days” including a delivery driver for a seafood wholesaler within the Inner West council, one of the councils not previously under stay at home rules.
“There is concern these cases have been exposed for a number of days without people knowing.
“You’re more likely to pass it to all of your close contacts, previously the variants were 3–40 percent. That meant that one to two people in your proximity were getting it, now we’re seeing all of the members of your household.
“I said a few days ago this is the scariest time Sydney has experienced during the pandemic and I mean that. This [Delta] variant is contagious, unlike nothing we in NSW have ever seen.”
NSW Health has also updated the list of COVID exposure sites, including a seafood wholesaler outside of the four Local Government Areas under lockdown. As always, stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, wash your hands regularly, wear a face mask when outside of your home, and stay away from others for the time being.
