The number of COVID-19 cases in Sydney’s Bondi cluster has risen to 21, after NSW Health confirmed 10 new infections in its latest update.
The increasing number of cases has led NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to extend the state’s mask mandate for all indoor public venues to 12:01am on Thursday, July 1.
“We will extend it to all of Greater Sydney … excluding the Central Coast and the Hunter,” she said.
The Premier said the local government areas of Wollongong and Shellharbour, which had compulsory masks for public transport, would be subjected to the same mask rules as Sydneysiders. The Blue Mountains are also included.
Out of the 10 new cases, seven came in after NSW Health’s 8:00pm reporting deadline and will be officially included in tomorrow’s numbers.
Of three cases confirmed before the reporting cut-off, one was a woman in her 60s from Illawarra and the other a woman in her 40s from Sydney’s northern suburbs.
Both were close contacts of previously reported cases and have been in isolation.
The third is a woman in her 20s from Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
NSW Health said she was linked to the Bondi cluster but further investigations were underway into the source of the infection.
Of the seven cases after 8:00pm yesterday, six were household contacts of previous cases who have been in isolation.
The last case is a student at St Charles’ Catholic Primary School in Waverley, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
A statement from the school confirmed a year 3 student had tested positive and that it was “working closely” with the Ministry of Health.
The school will implement remote learning for the final three days of term and “it is anticipated the school will reopen with face to face learning at the beginning of Term 3”.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the government would be pushing for QR codes to be made mandatory in all NSW retail outlets.
“There are categories that need to have QR codes including nail and beauty salons but we are in the process of extending it to all retail outlets,” he said.
“We may knock on your door asking who has been in your shop … NSW Health tracers need that information.”
Ms Berejiklian ruled out any further restrictions for the time being.
“At this stage, we feel the response we are having as proportionate,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We did predict and assume that all household contacts, in fact, one [entire] family — parents and four children — managed to contract the disease.”
“We anticipate in coming days at those in isolation with a household contact are likely to develop the disease given how contagious it is.”
Chief health officer Kerry Chant said the number of household contacts being detected was “somewhat pleasing”.
“If we had not identified those cases, they would have been in the community with generating further exposure venues,” Dr Chant said.
The Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre continues to be the main area of concern to health authorities.
Previously, anyone who was in the complex, including the car park, on June 12 or 13 was told to get tested, but now anyone who was there from June 14 to 18 must also be swabbed.
People who do not have symptoms, and have not been to specific venues of concern at certain times, do not need to isolate after their test.
“However, these people are strongly urged not to attend gatherings and minimise their movements,” Natalie Klees, from NSW Health, said.
A total of 28,645 tests were completed in the 24 hours to 8.00pm yesterday.
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