Covid update: Premier declares national emergency

PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian has declared the New South Wales Covid-19 outbreak a national emergency, following a crisis cabinet meeting held this morning.

The Premier will be requesting for the Federal Government to refocus the national vaccine rollout strategy to assist in stopping the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant in Greater Sydney.

“Dr Chant and her team advised us that the situation that exists now in New South Wales, mainly around southwestern and now western Sydney suburbs, is regarded as a national emergency,” said the Premier.

“From today, the New South Wales Government will be calling on the Federal Government to refocus our national vaccination strategy,” she said.

“There’s no doubt, that if we want to contain this virus and stop it seeping out to other parts of Greater Sydney, stop it impacting our freedom and economy, but also stop it spreading into other states, we need to have a discussion about refocusing the national vaccination strategy,” she said.

“We need at least more first doses of Pfizer, so we will be taking to national cabinet -through the advice of the Chief Medical Officer- our strong advice and recommendation that consideration be given to at least having more people having at least one dose of either vaccine, which reduces transmission,” she said.

“We need to get at least the first jab for as many people in those affected communities as possible,” said Ms Berejiklian.

The state recorded 136 new local cases up to 8pm last night, with 53 cases infectious in the community. 

Sadly, an 89 year old man died from Covid-19 overnight.

“There’s no doubt that the numbers are not going in the direction we were hoping they would at this stage. It’s fairly apparent we won’t be close to zero come next Friday,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“Tragically, as we see more cases develop, we will also see more hospitalisations and more people in intensive care,” she said.

 “The key to our freedom, the key to us living freely and as openly as possible, is getting more jabs in arms and containing the virus and not allowing it to spread further,” she said.

“We have an obligation on behalf of the nation to contain the virus,” said Ms Berejiklian.

Dr Chant has advised people aged 40 and over to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine and those aged below 40 to visit their regular GP before booking and AstraZeneca jab.