Sydney lockdown extended for two weeks after 97 new COVID-19 cases

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced the lockdown in Greater Sydney will be extended until 11:59pm on Friday, July 30, after 97 new Covid-19 cases were detected.  Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the number NSW health officials are concerned about is how many people are spending time in the community  as Twenty-four of the new cases were out in the community while infectious.

"The number that would worry us in the last 24 hours is the 24 number. 24 people were infectious in the community. We need to get that down to is close to zero as possible," she said.

Premier said authorities will know by the end of this two week extension and warned people to prepare for the lockdown to be extended again.

Areas of concern for health authorities in addition to Fairfield local government area include: Roselands, Rosebery, Canterbury, Sutherland Shire, St George, Windsor, St Ives, Penrith and the Bayside local government area.

She said all of Greater Sydney should be concerned about the possibility of catching the virus, noting that, while the bulk of transmission – 70 of today’s cases – were in south-west Sydney, “what I’m reading to you today is what happened overnight”.

“Tomorrow, there might be different sites ... whenever you leave the house you’ve got to assume you can come into contact with someone who is infectious,” she said.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said  that state now has a total of 864 cases, with more than 70 people in hospital with Covid-19, the highest number so far during this outbreak. Of these cases more than 20 people are in intensive care in Sydney. One of the ICU patients is in their 20s, two are in their 30s, two are in their 40s, five are in their 50s, five are in their 60s, three are in their 70s and two are in their 80s.

“The reason I take the time to read out those age profiles, it really is to dispel the misconception that COVID is mild and younger age groups,” Dr Chant said.

“Yes it is less likely to lead to hospitalisations in younger age groups, but it still can be a serious illness admission to ICU so it’s important to keep ourselves and loved ones safe.”

The current restrictions will now run until at least 11.59pm on July 30, this includes remote learning for schools in lockdown areas and the rules in place across regional NSW.  However Some experts have predicted the lockdown, now in week three, could last for two months.