Newcastle and Hunter residents entered a seven-day snap lockdown from 5pm today as the NSW Government battles to contain the spread of COVID cases in the area.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant announced today that three cases were detected in two schools in the region.
It comes a day after Hunter residents were put on high alert after COVID-19 fragments were detected in local sewage treatment plants.
Dr Chant said “testing levels need to be high” in the Hunter in order to trace those affected in the region.
She advised that residents in the Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Maitland, Cessnock, Singleton, Dungog, Muswellbrook and Newcastle local government areas should not leave home unless for essential needs.
Hunter residents are now subject to the same rules that apply to the Greater Sydney region, which include not leaving home unless for essential work, shopping for food and other essential goods and services, exercising outdoors, accessing medical care or for compassionate reasons.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said school students in the area would adopt a study-from-home model for the seven-day period, however they were permitted to attend school if education from home wasn’t possible. Any scheduled weddings or funerals were not to proceed until advised by NSW Health.
Residents were already experiencing chaos at supermarkets within an hour of the 11am announcement. Many shelves at Aldi at the Kotara Homemakers Centre, including those normally stocked with toilet roll, milk and fresh fruit and vegetables, were empty by lunchtime.
Traffic at the centre was in gridlock as the community braced itself for lockdown.
Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp reminded residents that “supermarkets will not close! There are vulnerable people in our community who cannot wait in long lines”.
It is believed a gathering at Blacksmiths Beach on Friday afternoon could have led to the latest Hunter outbreak.
“We believe that there may have been people there from Greater Sydney and that’s how it was introduced,” Dr Chant said.
Anyone who attended the following venues in the region around the times listed is deemed a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result. They are urged to call 1800 943 553 unless they have already been contacted by NSW Health.
- Maitland Christian School
- Morisset High School
- Apple Store, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 3.10pm to 3.50pm
- Boost Juice, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 3.52pm to 3.56pm
- Cotton On, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 3.57pm to 3.58pm
- Jay Jays, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 3.58pm to 4.13pm, and 4.54pm to 4.59pm
- Priceline Pharmacy, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 4.20pm to 4.25pm
- Glassons, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 4.26pm to 4.41pm
- Supre, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 4.43pmto 4.53pm
- Factorie, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 5.02pm to 5.08pm
- Charlestown Square Food Court (Guzman y Gomezand McDonalds) on 29 July from 5.09pm to 5.44pm
- Ground Level Newsagency, Charlestown Square on29 July from 3.16pm to 3.22pm, and 4.18pm to 4 .24pm
- Pearl Nails, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 3.23pm to 4.18pm
The Premier reported 262 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the state in the past 24 hours, bringing the state’s total to 4319 locally acquired cases reported since June 16, 2021.
The Commonwealth Government announced today that NSW would receive an additional 183,690 Pfizer doses over the next fortnight. As a result, NSW Health will reinstate vaccination bookings affected by the recent reallocation of doses to Year 12 students in Greater Sydney.
Hunter residents whose bookings were recently cancelled will be rebooked to ensure they are the first to receive the new doses. NSW Health has begun work on reinstating these bookings and further information will be available soon.
Hunter New England Health stressed that the community must work together to prevent further spread of the virus, and directed residents to the following testing clinic sites:
- Belmont Hospital drive-through clinic
- Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital
- Cessnock Hospital drive-through clinic
- John Hunter Hospital
- Maitland Hospital
- Singleton Hospital drive-through clinic
- University of Newcastle drive-through clinic
- Adamstown Laverty Pathology drive-through clinic
- Cessnock Laverty Pathology drive-through clinic
- East Maitland 4Cyte Pathology drive-through clinic
- Gateshead Laverty Pathology drive-through clinic
- Morisset Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology drive-through clinic
- Nelson Bay Laverty Pathology drive-through clinic
- South Maitland Laverty Pathology drive-through clinic
- Wallsend 4Cyte Pathology drive-through clinic
- Warners Bay 4Cyte Pathology drive-through clinic
Berejiklian reiterated the importance of getting vaccinated, saying “no one who has died [from COVID-19] has had both doses of vaccine. I cannot stress enough how it’s so important for everybody of all ages to come forward and get the vaccine”.
Anyone with flu-like symptoms has been urged to get tested and self-isolate until they receive their results. Residents deemed close contacts must not leave their homes for a 14-day period.
Maia O’Connor
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