Covid NSW: 283 more cases, another city goes into lockdown
Tamworth to enter snap lockdown
Byron Bay case infectious in community
Canterbury-Bankstown 'epicentre of virus'
Another northern NSW city has been placed into lockdown after the state recorded 283 new local Covid cases in the past 24 hours.
Tamworth will enter a snap seven-day lockdown at 5pm on Monday after a woman with Covid travelled to the area from Newcastle, which is also in lockdown, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced during a media conference.
She said the woman's visit has led to numerous Covid exposure sites, although no infections have been confirmed in the Tamworth area, which has an estimated population of 42,000.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the young woman with Covid did not know she was infectious when she visited Tamworth on August 5.
She is now isolating in Newcastle, but Dr Chant said she is “very concerned” about the exposure sites in the area.
Of the 283 new local cases, 106 were circulating in the community for all or part of their infectious period.
An unvaccinated Sydney woman in her 90s has also died, taking the death toll from the current Delta outbreak to 29.
There are close to 350 people in hospital and 67 are in the Intensive Care Unit.
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital's ICU co-director Dr Richard Totaro said during the media conference that no fully vaccinated people had been admitted to his ICU. Dr Totaro explained the burden on staff of caring for Covid patients.
"The real striking thing is we haven't seen anyone who has had both their vaccines come to the ICU and need to be with us," Dr Totaro said.
Tamworth Covid exposure sites
Inland Cafe in Tamworth from 9:15am to 10 am on August 5
The Tudor Hotel Tamworth from 11am to 11:40am on August 5
Gloria Jean's in Tamworth from 9 am to 9:20am August 5
Super Vape Store in Tamworth from 10:55am to 11:05am on August 5
Ampol Roadhouse Tamworth from 12.25pm to 12.30pm on August 5
NSW Covid: Calls for more testing in Byron Bay
Premier Berejiklian is pushing for Byron Bay residents to get tested for Covid after a man in his 50s was found to be positive.
He was in the community for a number of days, but it is unknown how he became infected.
"We understand he did travel from Sydney toward the end of July," Dr Chant said, adding that the man is now in hospital.
"We are quite concerned and we do want to see testing numbers in that area increase."
Health authorities said more than 133,000 Covid tests, a new record, were taken in the past 24 hours.
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NSW Covid: Canterbury-Bankstown 'epicentre of virus'
The Canterbury-Bankstown LGA remains the "epicentre of the virus" outbreak, Ms Berejiklian said on Monday.
She said the LGA's adjoining suburbs should "be on high alert".
"We please ask everybody in that area to absolutely only leave home unless you absolutely have to, and of course we are asking people not to go into those areas unless it is absolutely essential," Ms Berejiklian said.
A day earlier, the premier said 12 suburbs in the Penrith local government area would join eight western and southwestern Sydney council areas as Covid-19 areas of concern.
The suburbs include Caddens, Claremont Meadows, Colyton, Erskine Park, Kemps Creek, Kingswood, Mount Vernon, North St Marys, Orchard Hills, Oxley Park, St Clair and St Marys.
People in these suburbs can only leave the council area if they are authorised workers. They are also limited to shopping and exercising within 5km of home and must wear masks outside.
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