NSW has extended its restrictions in Greater Sydney by a week as a safety precaution in the wake of the two local COVID cases.
Despite there being no new cases acquired since the restrictions were put in place earlier this week, some amended restrictions will be in affect to avoid a “super-spreading event.”
Under the restrictions, household visitors are limited to 20 guests, including children. Masks are compulsory on public transport and in all public indoor venues, including movie theatres, hospitals, aged care and for front-of-house hospitality staff.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/3Y8Kv4ZwlR
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) May 9, 2021
Shoppers in retail will not have to wear masks from 12.01am on Monday but for public-facing staff there is no change to the restrictions.
Dancing is not allowed at indoor hospitality venues or nightclubs but is allowed at weddings with a strong recommendation that no more than 20 people are on the dance floor at any one time. Visitors to aged care facilities are limited to two people per day.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the “missing link” between two local cases of COVID-19 detected on Wednesday remained unknown and the government is “keen to prevent a super-spreading event”.
She said existing restrictions for Greater Sydney, including Wollongong, Central Coast and the Blue Mountains, “will be in place for an extra week, except for shoppers in retail who will no longer be required to wear a mask”.
The two cases, a man in his 50s from Sydney’s eastern suburbs and his wife, are the first known locally acquired cases of the Indian B.1.617 variant of the virus in NSW.
Apparently the man’s infection was linked to a returned overseas traveller from the US, who was quarantined at the Parkroyal hotel at Darling Harbour last month.
They have not ruled out how the man contracted the virus as he has no known links to the hotel quarantine or hospital systems.
Health authorities believe there is at least one person in the community who does not know they have been infected with COVID.
“Despite extensive investigations to date, NSW Health has not identified how the initial case, the man in his 50s, was exposed to COVID-19, which suggests he acquired the infection through brief contact with a currently unidentified person who was infectious in the community,” NSW Health said on Sunday.
Thanks everyone for your patience. As the “missing link” case hasn’t been identified we’re keen to prevent a super-spreading event. All safeguards/restrictions will be in place for an extra week, except for shoppers in retail who will no longer be required to wear a mask. https://t.co/OVZCaXy6sv
— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) May 9, 2021
NSW Health said six new cases were acquired overseas to 8pm on Saturday. A previously reported overseas acquired case was excluded after further investigations. The state has recorded 5343 infections since the start of the pandemic.
