NSW records new case of COVID-19 as Bondi Junction is listed among Sydney exposure sites

A new locally acquired COVID-19 case has been detected in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, sparking an urgent investigation as to its source and warnings for a swathe of venues.

NSW Health said the case, a man from Bondi in his 60s, worked as a driver, and that international flight crew had been among his passengers.

The man visited the Bondi Junction shopping centre in the city’s east several times in recent days.

Visitors to Bondi Junction’s Event Cinemas on Sunday, June 13 between 1:30pm and 4:00pm for a screening of the Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard which started at 1.45pm are being asked to contact NSW Health, self-isolate for 14 days, and get tested.

Meanwhile, people who attended the following venues are being asked to contact NSW Health, get tested, and isolate until they receive more information:

• Vaucluse, Belle Cafe, Friday, June 11, 9:15am-9:50am, Saturday, June 12, 11:20pm-1:50pm, Sunday, June 13, 11:30am-12:00pm, Tuesday, June 15, 9:50am-10:25am
• Bondi Junction, Sourdough Cafe, Friday, June 11, 12:40pm-1:10pm
• Vaucluse, Belle Cafe, Saturday, June 12, 10:20am-10:45am
• Bondi Junction, David Jones, Saturday, June 12, 11:00am-11:40am
• Bondi Junction, Myer, Saturday, June 12, 11:10-12:15pm
• Vaucluse, Washoku Vaucluse, Saturday, June 12, 12:00pm-1:30pm
• Vaucluse, Rocco’s, Monday, June 14, 10:55am-11:30am
• North Ryde, Celeste Catering Macquarie Park Cemetery Cafe, Tuesday, June 15, 1:00pm-1:20pm

The man underwent a saliva test yesterday, which came back positive today.

Genomic testing is underway to find the source of the infection.

Epidemiologist professor Mike Toole, from the Barnet Institute, said the the next 24 hours would be critical.

“This man went to a lot of exposure sites … as we saw in Victoria with the last outbreak if it’s a particular variant it can spread quite quickly,” he said.

“If you get a number of cases arising from more than one of those exposure sites, and they may not be linked to each other then I think you would have to consider stricter lockdowns.”

Queensland Health has also asked that anyone who visited the exposure sites during the risk periods to quarantine at home.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said NSW close contacts should not travel.

“We will be closely monitoring the situation in NSW over coming days,” Dr Young said.

“It’s important that anyone who has been to these venues in Sydney follow the advice of NSW Health and not travel.

“If you have been to any of these sites and are already in Queensland, you must immediately travel by private transport directly to your home or accommodation and quarantine.

This is the first locally acquired case in the state since a couple returned positive swabs in early May.

Contact tracers used genomic sequencing to link the source of those infections to someone in NSW’s hotel quarantine program, however, how the virus made it into the community remains a mystery.

Those cases prompted Premier Gladys Berejiklian to tighten restrictions including limiting household guests and banning dancing at nightclubs.

It is the second coronavirus scare for the state in 24 hours after three cases were confirmed on the same floor of a quarantine hotel in the city’s CBD.

NSW Health authorities are investigating whether it was an instance of COVID-19 spreading among returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

All three cases arrived in Sydney on the same flight from Doha on June 1, and stayed in adjacent rooms at the Radisson Blu hotel.

Authorities have since contacted other returned travellers who had been discharged from the fourth floor of the hotel and have asked them to isolate and get tested.

ABC