Two more people have died in Sydney as a result of the coronavirus and with the state still deep in crisis it’s possible the New South Wales government will target some at-risk areas with tighter lockdown rules.
In other parts of the nation, the news is more positive. Victorians are expected to hear by lunchtime that lockdown will ease – though they have been warned strict rules will remain.
South Australians authorities are also confident they can lift restrictions this week.
Here’s what we know so far on Tuesday about the outbreaks and rule changes across NSW, Victoria and SA.
Victoria on track to ease restrictions
Victoria’s lockdown is expected to be lifted but the government will take a cautious approach to prevent another outbreak of the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant.
Premier Daniel Andrews, senior government ministers and the state’s public health team met on Monday night to make a final decision on the strength of new restrictions.
Political reporters from the ABC, The Age and Herald Sun have all said sources have confirmed students are returning to face-to-face school.
Other likely changes:
- Cafes, gyms and hairdressers to reopen, with density limits;
- Office work to return, with 25 per cent capacity;
- The five-kilometre travel limit will be scrapped.
Victorians will not be able to have people over at their houses, but small groups – of up to 10, according to the Herald Sun – will be able to meet outside. Masks will remain mandatory.
When Victoria emerged from last month’s lockdown, the state government kept a number of strict restrictions in place for two weeks, including a 25-kilometre travel rule.
Both major Melbourne newspapers report that the 25-kilometre rule will not be in place this time.
Expect the government to confirm the exact changes at a lunchtime press conference.
The state recorded 11 new local COVID-19 cases on Monday, all linked to the state’s current outbreaks of the highly infectious Delta strain.
All of the people who had contracted the virus were in isolation for their entire infectious period and no new exposure sites were listed.
New exposure sites in NSW
It was revealed on Monday night that two more people have died from COVID-19 in NSW. The deaths took the the toll from the state’s latest outbreak to 10.
One victim was a woman in her 80s who had died at her home in Pendle Hill on Monday afternoon. A man in his 80s had died while being treated at Campbelltown Hospital.
It brings the state’s death toll since the start of the pandemic to 66 and comes a day after a Sydney-based Brazilian student Adriana Midori Takara became the youngest woman to die of COVID-19 in Australia.
NSW recorded 145 new local COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday, of which 51 were in the community for the entirety of their infectious period and 25 were in the community for part of their infectious period.
On Monday night, NSW Health named Campsie Centre Shopping Mall as a new venue of “key concern”. Anyone who visited the mall over the 10 days between July 14 and July 24 must go into quarantine.
Other new exposure sites are mostly in Campsie at various times in the past week:
- Campsie Growers Market;
- The World of Fruit;
- Man Hing Chinese Takeaway;
- and Produce Pet and Garden Supplies in Enfield.
⚠️PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT – VENUES OF CONCERN⚠️
NSW Health has been notified of a number of new and updated venues of concern associated with confirmed cases of COVID 19. pic.twitter.com/HYsgLoq4t7— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 26, 2021
Supermarket workers to get Pfizer vaccine
The NSW crisis cabinet met on Monday to devise a strategy to deal with the evolving crisis and to begin workshopping the restrictions to remain in place in Sydney over the coming months.
Greater Sydney’s lockdown is due to end on Friday, though Premier Gladys Berejiklian flagged the state “might need to go harder in some areas” while easing restrictions in places less at risk.
“Our mission is to allow our citizens to live as safely and as freely as possible,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Meanwhile, leaders hope making changes to the vaccine rollout – including prioritising essential workers – will help the state out of the crisis.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said the NSW government would allow walk up AstraZeneca vaccines at some locations from Tuesday.
She echoed updated expert immunisation advice that locked-down residents should “strongly consider” taking the AstraZeneca jab.
While Pfizer supplies remain constrained, the NSW government said it has plentiful AstraZeneca, which is effective in preventing hospitalisation or death.
Dr Chant also suggested NSW Health could administer more than 350,000 vaccines per week if its Pfizer supply was enhanced. This is separate from the federal government’s vaccine rollout.
“We have to make really hard choices and what we’re doing is looking at the best evidence (on) available supply,” Dr Chant said.
“Ultimately, if we had more vaccine, we could do more … but we do have a good vaccine, which is AstraZeneca.”
Western Sydney Local Health District on Monday announced pop-up clinics will be set up across the Merrylands and Guildford area for three weeks for AstraZeneca vaccinations.
All people aged over 40 will be able to receive the jab without a GP referral.
NSW Health is looking at options to lower the age limit.
Meanwhile, frontline workers for Woolworths, Aldi, Coles and Metcash in Fairfield, Liverpool, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland and Blacktown will gain priority access to the Pfizer vaccine.
This includes workers in supermarkets, warehouses and online retail centres who cannot do their job from home.
The jab will be available to them at the Sydney Olympic Park hub.
The announcement comes after Dr Chant said it was crucial to vaccinate essential workers in the area.
“We are very keen to provide access to those critical workers that are required to keep Sydney running,” she said.
Lockdown will ease for South Australia
South Australian officials are finalising plans to bring the state out of its week-long COVID-19 lockdown amid growing confidence a cluster of virus cases has been contained.
Premier Steven Marshall said the shutdown will end at one minute past midnight on Wednesday morning, provided there are no further “unlinked” coronavirus cases.
The rules will also be contingent on final health advice on Tuesday when transition arrangements for sporting fixtures are also expected to be detailed.
“Working together we’ve been able to demonstrate we can get through this very difficult situation,” Mr Marshall said.
“We’re absolutely delighted with how the people of South Australia have worked with the restrictions. Everyone has made extraordinary sacrifices this week.
“We said we wanted to go hard, we wanted to go early and we wanted to knock this off.”
SA will still keep a range of restrictions including a general density requirement of one person to every four square metres.
Masks will be required in high-risk settings, such as aged care centres, in medical services and on public transport.
All food and drink consumption must be while seated and dancing and singing would remain banned.
Family gatherings will be limited to 10 people although weddings and funerals can have up to 50.
Schools will also reopen on Wednesday.
The new restrictions will remain in place for at least a week.
-with AAP
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