Australia COVID LIVE updates:415 new cases of COVID-19 in NSW, Victoria has 25 new cases
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- NSW COVID-19 update live
- Victoria records 25 new local cases
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NSW COVID-19 update live
NSW police issue 529 fines and charge 29 people
NSW police issued 529 fines yesterday and charged 29 people with breaches of the public health orders.
NSW Deputy police commissioner, Mick Willing said 31 fines were issued to young people gathering at the cliffs at Clovelly, and 18 to people who came together in Jesmond near Newcastle.
Ten fines were issued to a group of people who went to a barbecue lunch at Blacktown.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mick Willing will provide an update on COVID-19. Credit:Photo: James Brickwood.
“I would love to go to a barbecue lunch with my friends and family, but now is simply not the time,” Mr Willing said. “We are faced with a situation with the Delta variant that spreads across young people, so it is particularly disappointing to see young people involved in breaches of the public health order.
“We now have a statewide lockdown across the state, and we need 100% of people to stay at home and comply with the orders. Not 90%. 100%.”
Watch Live: Victorian Premier gives COVID-19 update
More NSW cases in hospital 276 cases under investigation.
Three more people have been hospitalised with COVID-19 in NSW overnight taking the total to 381 people admitted to hospital, with 62 now in intensive care and 24 requiring ventilation.
Of the 415 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night, 139 are linked to a known case or cluster – 122 are household contacts and 17 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 276 cases is under investigation.
There were 167 cases from the Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD), 98 from South Western Sydney LHD, 42 are from Sydney LHD, 36 from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, 31 from South Eastern Sydney LHD, 21 from Western NSW LHD, nine from Hunter New England LHD, six from Northern Sydney LHD, two from Central Coast LHD and the addresses of three cases are yet to be verified.
Areas of most concern in Sydney around Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Auburn, and Guilford
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the areas of most concern are in western and south-western Sydney, particularly Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Auburn, and Guilford.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant says she is “very concerned” about western New South Wales. “We have cases in Dubbo and we have exposures and sewage detections in a number of other areas such as Bourke (and) Walgett.
“I am concerned that we up our vaccination rates and up our testing, and that we again have very strong compliance with the requirements to stay at home.
“On a more positive front, it is pleasing to see things settle in the Newcastle area. But the public health unit still remains concerned, especially around the Maitland area,” she said.
NSW records 415 new local COVID-19 cases
NSW has recorded 415 new local cases of coronavirus with at least 35 people infectious in the community, but that number is “likely to rise’, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said today.
Four people died with COVID-19 overnight including a female in her 50s, a female aged in her 70s who had recently had her first dose of vaccine, so wasn’t protected, a man in his 80s at Liverpool Hospital who wasn’t vaccinated, and a female in her 80s at RPA who was vaccinated but did have underlying chronic conditions.
NSW has now given 5 million doses of vaccine to people and half of the population have now received their first dose.
NSW in lockdown after snap statewide restrictions introduced
NSW entered a snap statewide lockdown at 5pm on Saturday after recording 466 new cases of COVID-19, which continues to spread across the regions.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro took to Twitter on Saturday afternoon to say the stay-at-home orders would be introduced for all of regional NSW to “minimise movement and protect our communities from the evolving COVID situation in Sydney”.
Mr Barilaro used an online call to tell regional NSW MPs that the entire state would enter lockdown for at least seven days, an MP unauthorised to speak on the issue told the Herald.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian did not mention the possibility of a statewide lockdown when shefronted the state government’s daily 11am COVID-19 update.
“Following the press conference today, I received health advice concerning multiple regional NSW areas,” she tweeted at 3.45pm.
“As such, from 5pm tonight, all of regional NSW will go into a seven-day lockdown. This means the whole state is in strict lockdown.”
Read more here.
New COVID-19 infections at Sydney schools
Two Sydney schools have reported people testing positive for coronavirus today.
Coreen school in Blacktown and Schofields public school both reported members of their school community testing positive for COVID-19.
Both schools will be closed for contact tracing and cleaning today.
The NSW Department of Education and NSW Health have identified close contacts of the confirmed cases and have asked them to self-isolate.
NSW Health said anyone who has been unwell or developed symptoms such as a fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss of smell/taste, muscle/joint pains, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting and/or extreme tiredness should be tested at one of the state’s COVID-19 testing clinics.
PM says there is ‘no need to be out for hours and hours and hours a day’
Prime Minister Scott Morrison pleaded with NSW residents to comply both with the letter and spirit of lockdown restrictions that now apply across the state.
“I implore people across Sydney stay at home. Don’t get down the beach for hours, don’t meet up with others, walking in twos apart and catching up anyway,” he said.
“We all know we’re talking about. Okay, don’t do it. Please don’t do it, because, you know, too much, is having to be endured through these lockdowns for them not to work.
“And so it’s up to all of us, I think to make this lockdown work.”
Mr Morrison acknowledged that people in regional areas might wonder why they have to comply with the rules but it was important it happened.
“We’re seeing that already, where the virus has been able to spread particularly decide their most sensitive communities, indigenous Australian communities… and we have to prevent that. You have to try and prevent that as much as possible.
“And so my plea to my fellow Australians particularly my fellow Sydneysiders stay at home. Stay at home only leave when you absolutely have to.
“There’s no need to be out for hours and hours and hours a day. I know the rules provide it. But please don’t do it, stay home. The more we do that, the more likely we’re going to get through this.”
PM backs NSW state-wide lockdown
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backed the decision of the NSW government to implement a state-wide lockdown but declined to endorse its announcement on social media.
“The decision to the NSW government to have a statewide lockdown is consistent with the advice that I had received from the Chief Medical Officer,” he said.
“I’m pleased the decisions have been taken, I’ll leave in the manner in which it is communicated to others.”
Mr Morrison said there is no plan for vaccine passports. The government does provide a digital certificate for vaccination and discussions are happening between state and territory governments on what freedoms could be given to people who are vaccinated.
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