Long queues have formed at pop-up testing sites in south-western Sydney, like this one at Prestons in the Liverpool LGA.(ABC News: Brendan Esposito)
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warns tighter restrictions could be forced on three Sydney local government areas (LGAs) as the COVID-19 outbreak spreads to the city’s west.
Key points:
21 cases in the past two days have popped up in three LGAs in south-west Sydney
The cases are across multiple households
Residents are being asked to stay home and restrict their movements
Data from NSW Health shows that of 21 cases notified in the past two days, 11 cases were from Fairfield, six from Canterbury-Bankstown and four from Liverpool.
Ms Berejiklian today called on communities in those three LGAs not to mingle with family.
“Don’t think it is OK to visit your cousins or have sleepovers,” she said.
The Premier also foreshadowed that extra social distancing restrictions were under consideration for those areas.
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said there were a number of cases across multiple households in south-western Sydney.
“The concern we’ve got though, which is reflected in the numbers of the people that are infectious in the community, is the fact that by the time we get to those household cases, the rest of the household is already infected and so, therefore, has been unknowingly in the community infectious,” she said. She highlighted the suburbs of Bossley Park, Smithfield, Fairfield, West Hoxton, Bass Hill, St Johns Park, Canley Vale and Greenfield Park as causing particular concern.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said two of the 75 infringement notices issued yesterday were at a barber shop in Liverpool.
Residents in Liverpool have been urged to retrict their movements.(ABC News: Brendan Esposito)
“It is quite clear that police, based on that health advice, need to redouble down their efforts again in those local government areas, that is happening right now,” he said.
The Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool local government areas are home to large multicultural populations.
About 41 per cent of the Fairfield population were born in Australia, 50 per cent in Canterbury-Bankstown and 52 per cent in Liverpool, compared with a NSW average of 66 per cent Australian-born residents.
The Premier said she understood the strong family values that may lead to breaches but insisted adherence was required.
“Can I say to the communities in those area, many have a similar background to me, please don’t mingle with family. I haven’t seen my parents since the lockdown started — it is hard.”
Most people in Fairfield, an area authorities are concerned about, are already wearing masks outdoors.(ABC News: Kathleen Calderwood)
The dominant ethnicity in Fairfield is Vietnamese at 17 per cent followed by 11 per cent Chinese.
Kate Hoang, the federal president of the Vietnamese Community in Australia, said she didn’t agree with the Premier pinpointing cultural issues as a reason for the spread.
“It’s not about the culture. The south-western Sydney people are following the law and health advice, but sometimes there is definitely an information lag due to language barriers compared to people in other suburbs,” she said.
“We want to do the right thing.”
Ms Hoang, who lives in St Johns Park, one of the suburbs pinpointed, said many in the community are not English speakers and don’t watch the news daily so the translation through their local network takes a few days.
“I think the message has gotten through now as the streets are really quiet where I am and a lot of the Vietnamese businesses have actually chosen to shut down completely.
Mayor of Fairfield Frank Carbone said he had received a call from Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Dr Chant in response to the latest cases.
“I know it’s difficult, there is a strong connection between families here in Fairfield, but after all, it’s our families we want to protect.”
