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Coronavirus Australia: Two more deaths as NSW records 145 new cases

The West Australian
Members of the public and health workers are seen at a pop up COVID testing clinic at the Blacktown Showgrounds in the western suburbs of Sydney.
Camera IconMembers of the public and health workers are seen at a pop up COVID testing clinic at the Blacktown Showgrounds in the western suburbs of Sydney. Credit: MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE

Two more people have died from COVID-19 in NSW, taking the toll from the state’s latest outbreak to 10.

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.

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 in her 30s became the youngest woman to die of COVID-19 in Australia.

NSW RECORDS 145 NEW LOCAL VIRUS CASES

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NSW has reported 145 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and at least 76 of those people were circulating in the community for all or part of their infectious period.

Greater Sydney and surrounding regions are in lockdown until at least July 30, while three local government areas in regional NSW are in lockdown until at least 28 July.

Of the 145 new cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday, 51 were in the community for the entirety of their infectious period and 25 were in the community for part of their infectious period.

There are currently 44 COVID-19 patients in NSW in intensive care, and 18 of these people are ventilated.

Monday’s tally came from more than 98,000 tests.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said her government would this week begin to lay out the “road map” for the coming months, including which restrictions will be retained or discarded.

The NSW crisis cabinet met on Monday morning to work out a strategy to deal with the evolving COVID-19 crisis after a week that saw daily infections soar and an illegal violent street protest in Sydney.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian during a press conference in Sydney, Monday, July 26, 2021.
Camera IconNSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian during a press conference in Sydney, Monday, July 26, 2021. Credit: LISA MAREE WILLIAMS/AAPIMAGE

Ms Berejiklian earlier deflected reports the lockdown was likely to extend until mid-September, saying nothing had been decided.

She flagged some restrictions would be necessary until the majority of the population was vaccinated.

However, she did confirm there will be a return of “some construction activity on Saturday”.

The fate of three local government areas in regional NSW areas due to exit a lockdown on July 28 is also unclear.

The premier again expressed her distress about the weekend anti-lock-down protest of about 3000 people in Sydney, saying it had the potential to be a super- spreader event.

Eight people have died during the latest outbreak, which erupted in Sydney on June 16.

Protesters are arrested by the police at Sydney Town Hall during the ‘World Wide Rally For Freedom’ anti-lockdown rally at Hyde Park in Sydney.
Camera IconProtesters are arrested by the police at Sydney Town Hall during the ‘World Wide Rally For Freedom’ anti-lockdown rally at Hyde Park in Sydney. Credit: MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE

QUEENSLAND RECORDS ONE NEW CASE

Queensland has recorded one new locally-acquired case of COVID-19 in a Gold Coast man who recently completed hotel quarantine.

The man in his 40s, who was fully vaccinated, recently arrived in the state from China and had completed 14-day hotel quarantine.

He tested negative before getting out of quarantine before he developed symptoms at his Gold Coast home on July 13 and got tested.

“Because of this gentleman and of course the other two individuals, the flight attendant and the gentleman who travelled from NSW, the index case for the flight attendant, we do have new exposure sites going up regularly.” she said.

“So I encourage anyone who either lives or has travelled around Brisbane or the Gold Coast in the past couple of weeks to be regularly checking the Queensland COVID websites for exposure sites.

“If you’ve been to any of those exposures sites, you must quarantine, get tested and contact Queensland Health and follow further advice.”

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the man’s initial COVID-19 test showed low amounts of virus and he was placed in home isolation.

His second test then returned much higher amounts of the virus indicating he had become more infectious.

Dr Young said it wasn’t clear why a man who was vaccinated against COVID-19 developed symptoms.

“That could be a totally unrelated illness ... we know if you have a separate illness, a separate respiratory illness, that can lead to shedding of COVID-19 virus if you have previously been infected,” she said.

The chief health officer said it’s not clear whether the man had picked up the virus in China, in hotel quarantine or in the community on the Gold Coast.

The man, as well as a flight attendant and a man from NSW, have been infectious in the community for almost two weeks.

Queensland Health added 37 new COVID-19 exposure sites across the northern Gold Coast and in Brisbane suburbs of Chermside, Banyo and Nundah.

One of the cases visited Goodstart Early Learning at Parkwood twice a day, for morning and afternoon drop-offs, between July 14 and July 16 and again between July 19 and July 23.

Exposure venues have also been listed at the Harbour Town shopping centre at Biggera Waters on July 17 and venues at the Pacific Fair shopping centre at Broadbeach Waters on Saturday.

Queensland recorded no new cases of COVID-19 in hotel quarantine on Monday.

VICTORIA RECORDS 11 NEW CASES OVERNIGHT

Victoria has reported 11 new local COVID-19 cases as Premier Daniel Andrews warns some restrictions are likely to remain even if the state’s lockdown lifts as planned.

The health department said all the new locally acquired cases had been linked to Victoria’s current Delta strain outbreaks and were in isolation for their entire infectious period.

Another case was recorded in hotel quarantine, with active infections across the state rising to 190.

More than 25,000 test results were received in the 24 hours to midnight on Monday, while almost 14,000 vaccine doses were administered at state-run sites during the same period.

The result will further fuel hopes Victoria’s extended restrictions may be eased as planned at 11.59pm on Tuesday.

Mr Andrews said the state is “well-placed” to end its fifth lockdown this week, though some restrictions are likely to remain for some time.

The statewide lockdown was called on July 15 due to an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant, which originated from cases in NSW.

Victoria’s lockdown was meant to end after five days, but was extended for a week.

Mr Andrews on Sunday said he was confident the lockdown wouldn’t be extended again, citing the downward trend in the number of people in the community while infectious.

Victoria recorded 11 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Sunday, all of which were linked to known outbreaks and were in quarantine for their entire infectious period.

“These numbers are the trend that we wanted to see, these numbers are more than promising, but we just have to wait and see what comes through tomorrow and Tuesday to be certain that we can ease restrictions,” Mr Andrews told reporters.

A person wearing a face mask is seen in Melbourne, Friday, July 23, 2021.
Camera IconA person wearing a face mask is seen in Melbourne, Friday, July 23, 2021. Credit: JAMES ROSS/AAPIMAGE

“I will foreshadow, there will still be rules after midnight Tuesday, it’ll be important that we all follow them.”

Victorian cabinet ministers and the public health team will meet on Monday to discuss the new set of restrictions, but Mr Andrews flagged masks will remain compulsory for some time.

There are more than 22,000 people self-isolating across the state after being deemed close contacts of positive cases, while there are more than 380 exposure sites.

Mr Andrews expressed his dismay at “selfish” anti-lockdown protesters who gathered in Melbourne on Saturday but said he was reasonably confident it would not become a super-spreader event.

WA RECORDS NO NEW CASES OF CORONAVIRUS

WA Health has reported no new cases of COVID-19 overnight.

The State’s total stands at 1048.

There are now nine active COVID-19 cases are being monitored by WA Health: one case is in hotel quarantine and eight cases remain aboard the BBC California currently berthed at Fremantle Port.

To date, 1030 people have recovered from the virus in WA.

SA ON TRACK FOR LOCKDOWN TO END ON TIME

South Australia appears to be on track to exit a week-long lockdown after no serious escalation in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state in the past 24 hours.

The state’s coronavirus transition committee will meet on Monday before an expected government news conference about 11am when residents will be informed of the next steps.

Premier Steven Marshall told Adelaide radio 5AA on Monday there had been no “serious” escalation in cases overnight on Sunday, although SA Health did identify a new exposure site linked to a positive case in Elizabeth Park.

“A lot of people (were) going through a huge amount of pain over the last week,“ he said.

The seven-day lockdown was imposed at 6pm last Tuesday.

SA reported three new COVID-19 cases on Sunday but because they were all in quarantine there was no immediate threat to the lockdown exit timetable.

“It is very clear to me that South Australians are taking this lockdown order very, very seriously,” Mr Marshall said on Sunday.

“We want to come out on Tuesday and the actions of all South Australians are speaking volumes. Thank you very much.”

NT STARTS HOME QUARANTINE FOR RESIDENTS

Northern Territory residents returning home from interstate COVID-19 hotspots will now be allowed to quarantine at home.

The measure will help reduce the number of people staying at the Alice Springs quarantine facility, which is nearing capacity.

Only local residents with living arrangements deemed suitable by health staff for quarantining will be eligible to isolate at home.

NT Police and health staff will carry out regular checks to ensure people are complying with their 14-day quarantine orders.

A digital monitoring system has also been introduced to check that people stay at their homes.

NT Health says 17 Alice Spring residents were on Sunday released from the Todd River facility to finish their quarantine at their homes.

All tested negative for COVID-19 and were deemed to be low risk.

STATE-BY-STATE BREAKDOWN

NSW - 145 NEW CASES

VIC - 11 NEW CASES

QLD - ONE NEW CASE

WA - ZERO NEW CASES

SA - TBA

NT - TBA

ACT - TBA

TAS - TBA

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