Sydney’s Covid ‘national emergency’ shows no sign of improving

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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Sydney’s coronavirus outbreak has turned from crisis to a national emergency and shows no sign of improving despite four weeks of lockdown.

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Of the 136 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, 53 were infectious in the community, sparking fears of another significant spike today.

The situation worsened overnight when NSW Health confirmed 130 staff and patients at the Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital had been forced into isolation after two student nurses tested positive to COVID-19.

The two cases are not linked and contact tracers are frantically trying to determine how many more people the virus could have spread to.

“Twenty-five staff were identified as close contacts of the first student nurse and have been isolating. There were no patients identified as contacts,” the South Western Sydney Local Health District spokesperson told 9News.

“Extensive contact tracing of the second case continues. Five patients and more than 100 staff have been identified as potential contacts and are isolating.”

There has been “no impact on the hospital’s services or the delivery of care”, they said.

Restrictions tighten

Restrictions have been tightened further in several local government areas in south-west Sydney while authorities fight to control the spiralling outbreak across the city, which has also claimed another life.

“There is no doubt that the numbers are not going in the direction we were hoping they would at this stage,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

The so-called ring of steel around the Fairfield, Canterbury Bankstown, and Liverpool LGAs was expanded to include Cumberland and Blacktown.

More than a quarter of Sydney residents are now effectively trapped at home, with only essential workers allowed to leave the area.

“What we are not seeing is the turnaround that we would have liked to see at this stage,” Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said.

After National Cabinet on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said NSW would not be getting any extra supply of the Pfizer vaccine to curb its outbreak, but second doses may be delayed so more people can get their first jab.

The lockdown in Sydney was working, Mr Morrison said.

He said the restrictions had prevented coronavirus infections growing exponentially, as it has in other countries.

“In Victoria, when they went through the lockdown, they saw cases rise and rise and rise for many, many weeks while they were in lockdown,” Mr Morrison said.

“I would reassure people that what you are doing now is saving lives, it is working to bring this under control.”