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Sydney apartment block under police guard over Covid cases

An apartment block in Blacktown in Sydney's west is in lockdown, after six people tested positive to Covid-19.

At least 100 residents have been told to stay indoors under isolation orders after the cases emerged from three associated households in the apartment block, consisting of 50 units.

"Western Sydney Local Health District have worked with the residents and building management to assess the situation and, in collaboration with other agencies, are implementing measures to address infection control and the health and welfare of residents," a NSW Health spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia.

The apartment block in Blacktown is in lockdown after several people tested positive for Covid. Source: Google StreetView
The apartment block in Blacktown is in lockdown after several people tested positive for Covid. Source: Google StreetView

A NSW spokesperson said the occupants of the building will follow the same lockdown orders as the Bondi apartment cluster earlier in July, with the NSW Police Force and private security ensuring the safety of the building. Food and other services, including daily welfare checks, will be provided to residents safely during their 14 day quarantine period.

NSW Health reminded residents of the importance of wearing a face mask in common areas, such as shared foyer or lobby areas, lifts, stairwells and corridors, and shared laundry facilities of apartment complexes.

Police have been guarding the apartment block since Monday Night

Police have been guarding the Devitt Street apartment since 10:30pm on Monday night, with health authorities seen walking in and out of the building in PPE.

All residents of the building have been determined to be close contacts.

“The NSW Police Force are providing support to NSW Health, who are responding to several cases of Covid-19 in an apartment block in Blacktown,” NSW Police told Yahoo News Australia.

“NSW Police were asked to be on site in case assistance was required.”

One of the residents who has tested negative says the building was surrounded by police, media camera crews and security guards.

"It's a bit daunting, a bit scary," she told Sydney radio 2GB on Tuesday.

"There's a lot of police outside and we just don't know what's going on right now."

NSW records 145 cases of Covid-19

NSW recorded 145 new cases on Monday, slightly up from the 141 cases recorded on Sunday.

Of those, 51 were in the community for the entirety of their infectious period and 25 were partly in the community while infectious. Combined, the 76 cases is the highest number of infectious people in the community of the outbreak.

The latest outbreak stands at 2,226 cases since a driver was infected last month.

NSW has also recorded 10 deaths linked to the current outbreak. There are 156 cases being treated in hospital, with 44 people in intensive care, and 18 patients being ventilated.

Two people die from Covid as NSW

NSW Health confirmed a woman in her 80s had died at her home in Pendle Hill, in Sydney's west, on Monday afternoon, while a man in his 80s died while being treated at Campbelltown Hospital. On Sunday, Australia recorded the death of a 38-year-old Sydney-based Brazilian student, who is the youngest female to die from Covid-19 in Australia.

with AAP

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