NSW records triple-digit Covid spike as new restrictions announced
The number of daily Covid-19 cases in NSW surged once again beyond 100 on Saturday as Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced a tightening of restrictions.
NSW has recorded a further 111 locally acquired cases, the second highest daily total of the latest outbreak, just one case lower than Monday's update of 112 infections.
Another Covid-19 death was announced, the third of the outbreak. He was a man aged in his 80s living in Sydney's southwest.
With infections fuelled by the highly-infectious Delta variant proving stubborn, Ms Berejiklian has moved to tighten lockdown restrictions in Greater Sydney.
"It is not good enough for us to tread water which is what we're doing now," she told reporters.
"We have to some extent stabilised it but we are not managing to get that curve to come down and quash that curve.
"We have certainly prevented thousands and thousands of cases but we haven't managed to quash the curve and that is why the NSW government is taking further action from today.”
NSW tightens Covid restrictions - here's what you need to know
'No end in sight': Expert warns of 'indefinite' Sydney lockdown
'Peak Melbourne': Internet loses it over detail in ABC live cross
Anyone who lives in Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool local government areas must stay in those areas, including people who are leaving for work. The only exceptions are healthcare and emergency services workers.
It will be imposed from midnight Saturday.
Retail has been restricted to a list of "critical" venues, Ms Berejiklian added.
Construction across Sydney has been paused until July 30.
Car pooling is now also banned.
"I can't remember a time when our state has been challenged to such an extent," Ms Berejiklian said.
"Not a single one of these decisions was taken lightly."
Once again, Ms Berejiklian warned the number of people in the community while infectious was too high, with a further 29 on Saturday. Ten people were partly infectious in the community.
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant added of Saturday's cases, 83 are from southwest Sydney and 60 of those are in the Fairfield LGA.
Dr Chant called on residents living in Campbelltown, Camden, Lakemba, Fairfield, Liverpool, Cumberland, Mt Druitt, Bankstown, Rooty Hill, Bayside, the Sutherland shire, the Georges area and Minto to present for testing.
“I can't stress it enough, every time you go out and about, please assume that you have come in contact with somebody who is infectious," she said.
NSW cases pass 1000 mark
On Friday local cases since the outbreak began on June 16 surpassed 1000.
The focus continues to be around Sydney's west where the majority of cases are occurring.
Earlier on Saturday, Dr Danielle McMullen, the NSW President of the Australian Medical Association, suggested the restrictions implemented to date had allowed cases to fester.
"Our settings aren't strong enough and we haven't managed to get our arms around this cluster," she told ABC Weekend Breakfast.
She said having kept retail open for so long had "sent the wrong message to the community".
Several supermarkets were added to a growing list of exposure sites overnight as contact tracers desperately try to curtail the spread of the virus.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
