Covid Update: Stopping a super spreading event

PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian has said they are trying to stop the possibility of a super spreading event, by extending restrictions and encouraging testing as the new highly contagious delta strain of Covid-19 continues to spread. 

A total of 21 people have been confirmed as having contracted the virus, 10 more since yesterday, including one case of a primary school child, where transmission has not been established.

Mask wearing indoors, except for when eating or drinking, has been extended until Wednesday June 30 throughout greater Sydney, including Wollongong, Shell Harbour and the Blue Mountains, but excluding the Central Coast and the Hunter.

The government will also be rolling out a requirement for all venues to have a QR code, including shopping centres and all retail outlets.

The Premier stressed the new delta variant is highly contagious and simply being within one meter of an infected person can be enough for transmission.

“It’s not like other strains…we know this will soon become the dominant strain,” explained the Premier.

“The challenge is to stop a super spreading event,” she said.

“Whilst we do have the current outbreak, we have managed to keep everything open and that’s what we want to do going forward throughout the pandemic,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

The government is urging anyone who Bondi Junction shopping centre between June 12 and 18 to come forward for testing. These people will not need to isolate for 14 days, but everyone needs to be tested, including people in the car park.

Most newly reported cases have been household contacts of people with the virus, but two new cases were not.

One new case was a worker at Bondi Junction whose contact with the infected person was described as fleeting and highlights how contagious the virus is.

The other new case is a primary school child from St Charles Primary School, Waverley and the chain of transmission is unknown, but being investigated.

Dr Kerry Chant, NSW chief medical officer said the case of the primary school student illustrates the need for people to be tested, so all chains of infection can be identified and managed.

Brad Hazzard, NSW Minister for Health said last year he had described the virus as not being a high-jumper or a long-jumper, but now describes the new variant was a gold medalist in transmission, stressed the importance of social distancing and mask wearing.