Venues across Sydney have been placed on high alert as two new cases of community transmission of the coronavirus have been confirmed. A man from Sydney’s East has become the state’s first local COVID-19 case in 40 days. A household contact of his has also tested positive.
The man, who is in his 60s, works as a driver and often transports international airline staff. Health authorities have reported that the man has not recently been overseas.
A positive test was taken on Tuesday when the man submitted himself for testing. This was then confirmed by a second test on Wednesday. The household contact was tested yesterday and returned a positive result.
“NSW Health has been notified that a household contact of a locally acquired case reported earlier this evening has also tested positive, and further venues of concern have been identified,” health authorities said.
Investigations and contact tracing are ongoing as health authorities race to determine the source of the outbreak. It is not, at this stage, believed to be linked to another ongoing investigation into a possible leak from a Sydney CBD quarantine hotel.
“Urgent investigations into the source of the infection and contact tracing are under way, as is genome sequencing,” NSW Health said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
The man visited a number of locations across Sydney’s East including the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction, where he saw a screening of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard at the Event Cinemas outlet in the complex.
A full list of possible exposure sites can be found below. Authorities are urging anyone who was at any of the venues at the time of the infected man to get in touch with NSW Health.
If you were at any of the following, you must get tested immediately and self-isolate for 14-days, even if you return a negative test.
Authorities say that the list of exposure sites is expected to grow as investigations continue.
The news comes just hours after Melbourne returned just five positive cases and restrictions across the city and the state are set to loosen tonight.
Already, Queensland Health has stated anyone who has visited the exposure sites and is now in the state must self-isolate for 14 days.
It has been reported that there are already long queues forming at testing sites across the Eastern Suburbs and Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in a press conference this morning that she expects testing numbers to ramp up as Sydney prepares to fend off the potential outbreak.