Covid NSW: New cases visited Kmart, Westfield and more
NSW Health are racing to trace coronavirus contacts and have issued a number of public health alerts after new cases emerged after 12 consecutive COVID-free days.
On Wednesday, the state – which had been tracking positively in its fight against the coronavirus – reported Thursday’s numbers would include new locally transmitted infections.
Three new infections were reported on Tuesday night after the official tally ended at 8pm.
None of the three cases – a Camden woman, a Parramatta woman and a Wollondilly man – are linked to each other.
As the new cases were revealed, anyone who attended an 8.15am pilates class at Fitness First in Carlingford on October 3 is considered a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, even if the test result is negative.
Anyone who wasn't in the class but visited the gym between 8am and 9.15am is considered a casual contact and must monitor for symptoms.
People who attended the following venues are also considered casual contacts:
Narellan Kmart on October 2, between 6pm and 7pm
Penrith Homemaker Centre on October 4 between 11am and 1pm
Penrith Guzman y Gomez on October 4 between 1.30pm and 2pm
Penrith Home Co on October 4 between 2 pm and 2.30pm
Westfield Parramatta on October 5 between 9.30am and 11am
Castle Towers Shopping Centre on October 5 between 12pm and 1pm
New cases could delay opening of Queensland border
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says even a single case of untraced community transmission in NSW would reset the border clock countdown.
She has said the border would reopen on November 1 only if NSW had 28 days with no locally transmitted "mystery" cases.
Queensland Health Minister Stephen Miles told reporters it was too early to say if the 28-day countdown for border reopening would have to be reset.
"We will monitor very closely whether NSW can link those cases to existing clusters," he told reporters.
"We hope they can ... the public health units will provide the contact tracers with 48 hours to identify that link."
Earlier Ms Berejikilian again implored her Queensland counterparts to reconsider their "unrealistic" stance.
"I say to the Queensland government, I appreciate you will probably come out today and say the 28 days is ticking from the start. Until the end of the pandemic, it is unlikely that NSW will get to 28 days with no community transmission."
NSW Health said that in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday three returned travellers in hotel quarantine were diagnosed with COVID-19.
It remains concerned about low testing rates, with the past two days coming in at under 6000 when at least 8000 people should be tested every day.
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