NSW records four local COVID-19 cases, including two reported yesterday

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard

Residents from Berala and surrounding suburbs have been banned from attending the cricket Test at Sydney’s SCG this week.

Berala, in Western Sydney, is at the centre of the latest COVID cluster, with several cases connected to a supermarket and bottle shop.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he would sign a public health order banning people from the affected suburbs attending the Test.

Mr Hazzard listed Auburn, Berala, Lidcombe North, Regents Park or Rookwood as suburbs falling under the ban.

“There will be orders, health orders made, in the next 24 hours, that will enable NSW Police to fine you $1,000 if you set foot inside the SCG,” Mr Hazzard said.

“You must not, you must not come to the SCG.”

It came as NSW Health recorded four locally acquired coronavirus cases in the 24 hours to 8:00pm last night.

Two of the cases were announced yesterday: a man in his 40s who visited the BWS in Berala and a woman in her 40s, who had links to the BWS and the Woolworths.

The source of one case announced today is under investigation, but is also thought to be linked to the Berala cluster.

The fourth case is a close contact of a known case in the Croydon cluster, bringing that total to 10.

“I can confirm that person was in isolation, and therefore posed no risk to the community,” NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said.

Another case has been confirmed this morning and will be included in tomorrow’s numbers.

Acting Premier John Barilaro said the case was an 18-year-old man from Berala, who travelled to Orange, Nyngan and then Broken Hill for a camping trip.

“We’re urging people in Orange, Nyngan, and Broken Hill to be tested,” he said.

While infectious, the man visited restaurant Birdie Noshery in Orange (January 3 from 12:30pm to 2:00pm) and the Nyngan Riverside Tourist Park (Saturday, January 2 to Sunday, January 3).

Dr Chant applauded the 18-year-old Sydneysider for acting on what presented only as a “runny nose”.

“[He] woke up, had a little bit of a runny nose just yesterday. And went out and got a test and did the right thing,” she said.

“Can I thank this individual.”

However Mr Barilaro urged Sydneysiders not to travel to regional and rural areas as authorities work to contain the virus in Greater Sydney.

“Even though we’re confident in the health infrastructure in the regions, it brings a greater risk,” he said.

He also urged people in the regions and rural areas to reconsider travel to the city for the Test at SCG.

“If you can avoid it, if you can change your plans, I urge you to do so.

“It could be a simple infection, that then goes back to the region and causes us more concern.”

NSW Health also extended its advice for Woolworths Berala, and now says anyone who visited at any time during December 20 and December 31 should be tested immediately and self-isolate until a negative result is received.

However, the instruction to isolate for 14 days regardless of the result stands for those people who visited during the high-risk times, which are available on the NSW Health website.

The Berala cluster has reached 15 cases and was traced back to an international COVID-19 strain which entered the community via a patient transport worker.

There were 26,391 tests conducted overnight.

ABC