NSW to 'live differently' for months as 19 new cases recorded
NSW's daily local Covid-19 case total has remained under 20 for the second consecutive day, a promising indication cases are plateauing.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed 19 new cases on Tuesday morning, slightly up from the 18 confirmed on Monday.
Ms Berejiklian had warned cases could "bounce around" in the coming days, with case totals similar or higher than the 29 and 30 daily cases recorded over the weekend. The premier said on Tuesday the trend in the past 48 hours was encouraging however there was still potential for a surge in cases.
The state's outbreak which began on June 16 now stands at 149 community cases.
Seventeen of the 19 new cases are linked to previous cases.
The two most recent mystery cases are a resident from the eastern suburbs and someone who works in the area.
Nine of the new cases were infectious in the community but Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said she hoped this number would significantly drop in the coming days due to the lockdown.
She highlighted the four local government areas that were initially placed into lockdown, stressing those who have entered those areas in the previous two weeks must be extra vigilant for symptoms.
"We are particularly wanting to focus on workers or regular visitors to those local government areas of Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and City of Sydney.
"Clearly, during that period there was the chance that you may have inadvertently come into contact with someone who is positive, or there may well have been missing links, missing cases in that area."
There are now more than 300 locations or transport routes identified as exposure sites.
Premier's vaccine warning to state
Ms Berejiklian once again urged people to come forward to get vaccinated, warning "we will have to live differently" until the majority of the population has received both jabs – a feat not expected for months due to the nation's stuttering vaccine rollout.
"Until at least 80 per cent of our adult population is vaccinated, we can't have a conversation about what COVID normal looks like."
A record 67,000 tests were received in the previous 24 hours, a response Ms Berejiklian described as "outstanding".
Tuesday marks the third full day of a two-week hard lockdown for the Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour regions.
Moments after NSW's daily Covid-19 press conference, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced South East Queensland, Townsville city, Palm Island and Magnetic Island will go into a snap, three-day lockdown, making Brisbane the fourth state or territory capital to do so in 72 hours.
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