COVID-19 Update – Lockdown extended and curfews introduced as NSW records four deaths and 642 new cases, 256 in western Sydney – Friday, 20 August 2021
NSW recorded 644 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
Of these locally acquired cases, 134 are linked to a known case or cluster – 107 are household contacts and 27 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 508 cases is under investigation.
65 cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 30 were in isolation for part of their infectious period. 41 cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 506 cases remains under investigation.
Two cases acquired their infection in the ACT and are in isolation in southern NSW.
Two new cases were acquired overseas in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. The total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic now stands at 16,164.
New rules as lockdown extended through September
In response to the evolving Delta outbreak, NSW will extend the current lockdown in Greater Sydney until the end of September, and introduce new rules targeting the local government areas of concern, where the vast majority of new cases are emerging.
NSW Health and Police have worked together to develop a set of additional COVID controls for the state to reduce transmission and ensure compliance.
Additional rules for the LGAs of concern:
From 12.01am Monday, 23 August the following additional rules will apply for residents and businesses in the LGAs of concern:
- Curfews will be introduced from 9pm to 5am (except for authorised workers, emergencies or medical care) to help reduce the movement of young people;
- Outdoor exercise is limited to one hour per day;
- The following retail premises must close except for click and collect: garden centres and plant nurseries, office supplies, hardware and building supplies, landscaping material supplies, rural supplies, and pet supplies (tradespeople are allowed to shop in-store where relevant); and
- All exams and other education or professional development related activities will move online, not including the HSC. The government will provide further information on its education plan in due course.
The following new restrictions around workplaces and authorised workers from the LGAs of concern will be introduced:
- Childcare workers and disability support workers who live or work in the LGAs of concern must have their first vaccination dose by 30 August;
- Authorised workers who work outside their LGA of concern are only permitted to work if rapid antigen testing is implemented at their work-site or they have had their first vaccination dose by 30 August.
- From Saturday, 28 August, authorised workers from the LGAs of concern are required to carry a permit from Service NSW declaring that they are an authorised worker and cannot work from home; and
- From Saturday, 28 August, anyone entering an LGA of concern for the purposes of work must carry a worker permit issued by Service NSW.
From 12.01am Monday, 23 August, workers from the Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland and Fairfield LGAs will no longer have to have been tested for COVID-19 in the previous 72 hours to work outside their LGA.
Special powers will also be given to the NSW Police Force including:
- Power for the Commissioner of Police to lockdown apartment blocks while health assesses the COVID risk;
- Power for the Commissioner of Police to declare a residential premise a COVID-risk premise and require all people to present to police during compliance checks;
- Powers to allow police to direct a person who has been issued with an infringement notice to return to their place of residence; and
- If a person from outside an LGA of concern is found to be in an LGA of concern without a reasonable excuse, they will be fined $1000 and required to isolate at home for 14 days.
Additional measures for Greater Sydney (including regional NSW until 28 August)
From 12.01am Monday, 23 August, the following additional rule will also be introduced for Greater Sydney (including regional NSW until 28 August):
- Mask wearing will be mandatory when outside your home, except when exercising.
There have been a number of cases in Early Childhood Education and Care Services, so parents and carers across the state are strongly encouraged to keep their children at home, unless they need to be at those services.
For the latest information visit www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
We can get on top of this, we can reduce the rate of increase, and we can reduce the number of people who are seriously ill and who will die. But it is going to be hard and it requires us to redouble our efforts and work together.”
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant
New case details
Of the 644 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night, 256 are from Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD), 222 are from South Western Sydney LHD, 47 are from Sydney LHD, 35 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, 27 are from Western NSW LHD, 25 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD, eight are from Northern Sydney LHD, three are from Hunter New England LHD, three are from Far West LHD, three are from Central Coast LHD, two are from Southern NSW LHD, one is from Mid North Coast LHD, and 12 cases are yet to be assigned to an LHD.
Sadly, NSW Health has been notified of the deaths of four people who had COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
A woman in her 80s from Sydney’s inner west died at Royal North Shore Hospital. She was a resident at Wyoming Aged Care Facility and is the fourth death linked to this cluster.
A man in his 70s from south-east Sydney died at St George Hospital, where he acquired his infection.
A man in his 80s from western Sydney died at Nepean Hospital, where he acquired his infection.
There have now been two deaths linked to the outbreak at Nepean Hospital. A previously reported COVID-19 death – a man in his 70s from western Sydney who died on 17 August at Nepean Hospital – is now also linked to this outbreak.
A woman in her 80s from south-west Sydney died at Campbelltown Hospital.
NSW Health extends its deepest sympathies to their loved ones.
This brings the number of COVID-related deaths to 65 since 16 June, and the number of lives lost to 121 since the beginning of the pandemic.
There have been 10,582 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case in this outbreak was reported.
There are currently 470 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 80 people in intensive care, 27 of whom require ventilation.
There were 127,590 COVID-19 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s total of 119,310.
Get vaccinated
NSW Health administered a record 46,645 COVID-19 vaccines in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, including 9,823 at the vaccination centre at Sydney Olympic Park.
The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 5,606,572, with 2,021,684 doses administered by NSW Health and 3,584,888 administered by the GP network and other providers.
Get tested
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.
It remains vital that anyone who has any symptoms or is a close or casual contact of a person with COVID-19, isolates and is tested immediately. When testing clinics are busy, please ensure you stay in line, identify yourself to staff and tell them that you have symptoms or are a contact of a case.
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.
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