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KFC listed as Covid exposure site for entire week

  • Member of staff spent an entire week at the store while potentially infectious

  • Sydney mayor encouraged people to leave 5km lockdown bubble to visit KFC

A Sydney KFC is a notable new addition to NSW's growing list of Covid-19 exposure sites after a member of staff spent an entire week at work while potentially infectious.

Every customer who visited the Punchbowl store between July 27 and August 2 is identified as a close contact and must seek immediate testing and isolate for 14 days regardless of result.

The suburb of Punchbowl is located in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, one of the eight LGAs of concern.

ABC News anchor Joe O'Brien said on Twitter the exposure highlighted the "huge challenge" NSW contact tracers were facing. On Thursday a record 262 new local cases were reported in the state.

Contact tracers are scrambling to ensure customers of KFC Punchbowl over a seven-day period are identified. Source: Getty
Contact tracers are scrambling to ensure customers of KFC Punchbowl over a seven-day period are identified. Source: Getty

Mayor encouraged residents to leave 5km bubble to buy KFC

The potential transmission site comes just days after Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone said his constituents could leave their 5km lockdown bubble to buy KFC.

Responding to a woman's query on whether she was allowed to do so, Mr Carbone, who was enraged last month over the sudden restrictions imposed on his LGA, encouraged her to do so.

"We can't go out, we can't do anything... if she wants KFC, let her have her chicken," he said on Facebook.

"It’s not the most important thing in life and certainly not the healthiest, but we don’t need to stop living if that is what makes us happy and it’s safe."

Five people died from Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, the joint highest during the pandemic in NSW.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian continues to say vaccination is the way out of the crisis which has shut down Greater Sydney for almost six weeks, despite a lack of sufficient supply secured by the Commonwealth.

She said restrictions will remain in some form until 80 per cent of people are vaccinated, and wants 50 per cent of residents jabbed by the end of the month.

Greater Sydney will be subject to stay-at-home orders until at least August 28.

On Thursday, Newcastle and the Hunter region were placed in lockdown as five cases emerged in the area.

It is due to expire on August 13.

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