New restrictions now in place for Greater Sydney as second local COVID-19 case reported
NSW Health has announced a new venue of concern connected to the current COVID-19 outbreak.
The update came after a raft of new COVID-19 restrictions went into effect at 5pm across the state.
Anyone who visited XOPP restaurant in Haymarket on Wednesday, April 28 between 1.30pm and 2.30pm has been asked to get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received.
The health department has also updated its list of venues, with updated times.
Restrictions are now in place across Greater Sydney as health authorities work to find the missing link that saw a Woollahra couple test positive to coronavirus.
A man in his 50s from Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs tested positive yesterday and today his wife was also confirmed to have contracted the virus.
The restrictions will remain in place for Friday, Saturday and Sunday and are aimed at reducing any possible community transmission.
Authorities are still unable to determine where the couple contracted it, but genomic testing has found the strain is the same as a returned traveller.
The returned traveller came back from the United States on April 26 and entered hotel quarantine at the Park Royal in Darling Harbour, before testing positive to COVID-19 on his day one test, when he was moved to Sydney Health Accommodation on April 28.
“We are currently reviewing CCTV footage to look at how the transmission got from this individual to our case,” Dr Chant said.
“What we’re concerned about is that there is a missing link, because there is no direct contact that we’ve been able to establish yet.”
New restrictions in place
No more than 20 people will be allowed in people’s homes.
There will be no singing or dancing in indoor venues, including places of worship and entertainment venues. Weddings will be given an exception with health advice to limit patrons on the dancefloor to 20.
Mask-wearing will be compulsory at all public indoor places for the next three days.
The NSW Premier is urging Sydneysiders in particular to be cautious over the next few days, as it remained likely that unidentified cases were wandering around the city.
She urged everyone to follow the mask rules and, if going to a bar, to sit down while drinking.
“Enjoy Mother’s Day – do what you would normally do,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We’re actually saying to businesses, keep your doors open, just make sure you have a COVID safe plan.”
She said she expected to be criticised by other state premiers for not going hard enough, but urged that it remained “business as usual” for businesses.
“Our decision is based on advice – it’s proportionate,” she said.
“If this was Queensland or WA or anywhere else, they would have shut down the whole city, they would have shut down businesses.”
NSW’s snap restrictions explained
The following measures will be effective from midday today(enforceable from 5pm) until 12.01am Monday, 10 May for the Greater Sydney region (including Wollongong, Central Coast and Blue Mountains):
- Visitors to households will be limited to 20 guests – including children;
- Masks will be compulsory on public transport and in all public indoor venues, such as retail, theatres, hospitals, aged care facilities and for front-of-house hospitality staff (except in a hospitality venue when eating or drinking);
- Drinking while standing up at indoor venues will not be allowed;
- Singing by audiences at indoor shows or by congregants at indoor places of worship will not be allowed;
- Dancing will not be allowed at indoor hospitality venues or nightclubs however, dancing is allowed at weddings with a strong recommendation that no more than 20 people should be on the dancefloor at any one time; and
- Visitors to aged care facilities will be limited to two people.
‘We know for sure’ someone with COVID has been moving around Sydney
Ms Berejiklian has defended today’s new restrictions as “reasonable” and “proportionate”, saying that we know “for sure” that someone infectious with COVID-19 has been moving around in the community.
“At least one person with the virus has been going around their business and we haven’t found them yet,” she said.
“We don’t know where they’ve been. We don’t know if they’ve been to major events. We don’t know who they’ve sat next to.”
She said that today’s measures, particularly around the use of masks, would help protect the community against becoming infected by those people, without unnecessarily impacting on businesses.
She said that the Blue Mountains and Wollongong had been included in the restrictions as many Sydneysiders commute there.
“Last time we were told, why were we including the Illawarra, and then the next day there was a handful of cases in the Illawarra,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Locations
NSW Health advised on Thursday night a new venue of concern, XOPP restaurant, has been identified and others have been updated as part of ongoing investigations into two COVID-19 cases.
Tuesday, April 27:
– Fratelli Fresh, Westfield Sydney, F5 Pitt Street, Sydney , 1:15pm to 2:15pm
Wednesday, April 28:
– XOPP, Mezzanine level, 1 Little Pier Street in Haymarket, 1:30pm to 2:30pm
Thursday, April 29:
– Bondi Trattoria, 34 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach , 12.45pm to 1.30pm
Friday, April 30:
– District Brasserie, Chifley Square, 11am – 11:45am
– HineSight Optometrist, Sofitel Sydney, Wentworth, 12pm – 1pm
– Barbetta, Paddington, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
– Event Cinemas (not including those who attended screening of The Courier), Westfield Bondi Junction, 6pm – 8pm
– Figo Restaurant, Rushcutters Bay, 8.45pm – 11pm
Saturday, May 1:
– Joe’s Barbeques & Heating, Silverwater, 1pm – 1.45pm
– Tucker Barbecues, Silverwater, 1pm – 1.45pm
– Barbeques Galore, Annandale, 2pm – 3pm
– Barbeques Galore, Casula, 3:35pm to 4:05pm
– BP Runway, Cnr Butler Road, General Holmes Dr, Mascot, 4.30pm – 5pm
Sunday, May 2:
– The Meat Store, Bondi Junction, 3pm – 4pm
Monday, May 3:
– The Stadium Club, Moore Park, 11.30am-12.30pm
– Azure Café, Moore Park, 12.30pm-1pm
– The Royal Sydney Golf Club (bridge room and club bar), Rose Bay, 5:20pm to 10:00pm
Tuesday, May 4:
– Rug Cleaning Repairs Hand Rug Wash Sydney, Brookvale, 12.30pm-1pm
– Alfresco Emporium, Collaroy, 1pm-2pm
– SMITH MADE, Balgowlah, 2.30pm-2.45pm
– Chemist Warehouse, Double Bay, 3.45pm-4pm
– Woolworths, Double Bay, 4.05pm-4.15pm
The full list of venues of concern and advice for those who attended the venues is available on the NSW Health website. People are urged to check the website regularly for updates.
