COVID-19 update – 18 new cases in NSW, one new case in Baulkham Hills aged care facility – Tuesday, 6 July 2021

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said she wants to see over 40,000 tests every day this week to ensure Sydney can move out of lockdown with confidence.

NSW recorded 18 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Of these locally acquired cases, 16 are linked to a known case or cluster – nine are household contacts – and the source of infection for two cases remain under investigation.

No new overseas-acquired cases were recorded in the same period. The total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic is 5,808.

There have been 330 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case of the Bondi cluster was reported.

There are now 255 cases directly linked to known cases in the Bondi cluster.

There were 32,136 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s total of 58,373.

NSW Health administered 20,562 COVID-19 vaccines in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, including 7,249 at the vaccination centre at Sydney Olympic Park.

The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 2,426,414, with 942,221 doses administered by NSW Health to 8pm last night and 1,484,193 administered by the GP network and other providers to 11.59pm on Sunday 4 July.

Case details

Of today’s 18 new locally acquired cases, 11 were in isolation throughout their infectious periods and five cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period. Two cases were infectious in the community.

There has been one further confirmed case of COVID-19 in a worker at SummitCare Baulkham Hills aged care facility to 8pm last night. When this worker was identified as a close contact, they went into isolation immediately, but had worked throughout their infectious period.

This brings the total number of cases associated with the aged care facility to eight, including five residents and three aged care workers.

Four residents were fully vaccinated, and one – who entered the facility in mid-May – has not been vaccinated.

The aged care worker included in today’s numbers has had their first AstraZeneca dose. The two other aged care workers had not been vaccinated.

Out of an abundance of caution all five residents with COVID-19 have been transferred to Westmead Hospital for observation.

One further case has been recorded to 8pm last night linked to a gathering at the Meriton Suites Waterloo on Saturday 26 June.

A total of seven people who attended the gathering have now tested positive for COVID-19 and five household contacts of these people have also tested positive.

Venues of concern

Anyone – including guests, staff and contractors – who was on any level of the Meriton Suites, 30 Danks Street, Waterloo, for any amount of time between 7pm on Saturday 26 June and 8am on Monday 5 July must immediately get tested and isolate until you receive further advice from NSW Health.

NSW Health is urging people in Bossley Park and the broader Fairfield to be particularly vigilant for symptoms due to the identification of unlinked cases in the area.

Advice has been updated for the following venue. Anyone who attended the following venue at the times listed is a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result, and call 1800 943 553 unless they have already been contacted by NSW Health:

Bossley Park

Club Marconi

121-133 Prairie Vale Rd

Friday, 25 June 2pm – 8.30pm   Saturday, 26 June 10am – 6pm

Sewage detection

NSW Health’s ongoing sewage surveillance program has detected traces of the virus that causes COVID-19 at several locations around Sydney. The detection at Penrith sewage treatment plant is of particular concern, as there are no known cases in this catchment.

Penrith covers about 75,000 people in suburbs including Cambridge Gardens, Cambridge Park, Leonay, Emu Plains, Glenbrook, Penrith, South Penrith, Glenmore Park, Jamisontown, Regentville, Lapstone, Orchard Hills, Kingswood, Castlereagh, Cranebrook, Llandilo, Sun Valley, Mount Riverview, Emu Heights, Jordan Springs, Mulgoa, Warrimoo, Blaxland, Yellow Rock and Blue Mountains National Park. Anyone who lives or works in or around this area is asked to be particularly vigilant for any symptoms that could signal COVID-19, and if they appear, immediately get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.

Get tested

All other venues of concern in western Sydney can be found here.

To keep our community safe, please follow NSW Health advice. If you are directed to get tested for COVID‑19 or self-isolate at any time, you must follow the rules whether or not the venue or exposure setting is listed on the NSW Health website.

Please check the NSW Government website regularly and follow the relevant health advice if you have attended a venue of concern or travelled on a public transport route at the same time as a confirmed case of COVID-19. This list is being updated regularly as case investigations proceed.

Anyone who visited Auburn Town Centre on or after 27 June to get tested for COVID-19, even if they do not have any symptoms. People with no symptoms or who have not been to close or casual venues do not need to strictly isolate while waiting for their test result, but should limit their movements outside the home to only the essentials.

There are over 30 testing clinics in western Sydney and more than 350 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW, many of which are open seven days a week.

To find your nearest clinic visit here or contact your GP.

To book your COVID-19 vaccination, go to www.nsw.gov.au or visit the Australian Government’s Vaccine Eligibility Checker online.

You must stay at home

Stay-at-home orders are now in effect across all Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

Until 11.59pm on Friday 9 July, everyone in Greater Sydney must stay at home, unless it is for an essential reason such as:

• shopping for food or other essential goods and services;
• compassionate needs or medical care, including being vaccinated for COVID‑19 (unless you have been identified as a close contact);
• exercise outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer;
• essential work or education, where you cannot work or study from home.

People who have been in the Greater Sydney region (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour) on or after Monday 21 June must follow the stay-at-home orders for a period of 14 days after leaving Greater Sydney.