Coronavirus NSW: Locally acquired cases spike again
NSW’s resurgence of locally acquired cases continues with a further seven announced on Tuesday.
There were also six cases detected in hotel quarantine meaning the state’s 13 cases overall surpassed Victoria’s 12 daily cases for just the second time in months, albeit Victoria’s borders are closed to overseas arrivals after its botched hotel quarantine program.
In an alarming trend for health authorities, cases attached to previous ones without a known origin continue to arise.
Two of the local cases were announced on Monday and are doctors who worked at the A2Z Medical Clinic in Lakemba.
They are linked to a previous case of an unknown source.
The other five locally acquired cases are members of the same household in southwestern Sydney.
NSW Health said the five new cases provided a link between four previously unlinked cases that included a nurse from St Vincent's Hospital, and a previously reported cluster of five people in southwestern Sydney linked with Liverpool Hospital.
The 14 people reported between October 8 and Tuesday were now linked, it said.
There have now been 26 locally acquired cases since Thursday after a run of 12 days without any.
“We are seeing now an increase in community transmission and we do need to keep an eye out for that, primarily in south-western Sydney and western Sydney,” Premier Gladys Berejkilian told reporters on Tuesday.
Childcare centre shut down
NSW Health said one of the new cases was a disability support worker who had worked at three small group homes in southwestern Sydney. Contact tracing and investigations with seven clients and their staff was underway.
Another one of these new cases attended the Great Beginnings Oran Park childcare centre on October 1, 2, 8 and 9 while infectious.
The centre is closed and contact tracing is underway.
NSW Health said the new cases were recorded from 8609 tests reported to 8pm on Monday night, compared with 7391 in the previous 24 hours.
A recent drop in testing numbers remains a concern for authorities who are urging anyone with symptoms, particularly in west and southwest Sydney, to get tested.
Southwest suburb on high alert
Earlier a health alert was issued for anyone who was at takeaway food shop Ali Dine Inn and Take Away Lakemba last Friday between 7:30pm and 8:30pm.
Anyone who attended the A2Z medical centre between September 25 and 28 should also be tested immediately, but as the full 14 days since exposure has elapsed they don't need to isolate if they test negative.
An infected patient also attended the ISRA medical practice in Lakemba, and anyone who attended between October 5 at 6pm to October 6 at 6am is considered a casual contact and must monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if symptoms develop and must remain in isolation until a negative test result is received.
NSW Health has established a pop-up clinic at Lakemba to deal with the cluster.
with AAP
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