NSW has recorded another four locally acquired coronavirus cases as authorities continue to appeal to residents to get tested.
Acting Premier John Barilaro on Wednesday announced the state had recorded four cases of community transmission in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, as well as one overseas case from 32,667 tests.
Two of the local cases related to the Berala cluster, one was a household contact of a case in Avalon and the other – a man in his 30s from Western Sydney – is still under investigation.
In regards to a previously-announced case who travelled from Sydney to the Nyngan, Orange and Broken Hill, Mr Barilaro said the 18-year-old’s travel companions had all tested negative so far.
The acting premier thanked NSW residents for coming out to get tested in increasing numbers.
“My challenge is that we continue to come out and get tested,” Mr Barilaro said on Wednesday. “If we can remain in the 30 to 40,000 range, that would be fantastic.”
He said existing restrictions on the Northern Beaches will remain in place until 9 January.
Chief health officer Kerry Chant said it was “critical” to maintain high testing numbers.
“We do need that over a sustained period of time, because we are concerned that there are unrecognised chains of transmission, particularly in Berala and the surrounding suburbs, including Wentworthville,” she told reporters.
Dr Chant continued to call for anyone who went to the BWS or Woolworths in Berala between 20 and 31 December to check the NSW Health website for testing advice.
They’ve also issued alerts for a number of other venues in Western Sydney connected with the new case still under investigation, including the Merrylands RSL, The Sydney Murugan Temple at Mays Hill, the Saravanaa Bhavan Indian Restaurant in Parramatta and the Sydney Marina Dine in and Take Away at Pendle Hill.
More information on the venue alerts is available here.
‘COVID tests must be free’
After previously calling on multicultural leaders in the Berala area to encourage COVID-19 testing, Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he was confident the message was getting out to multicultural communities.
According to 2016 Census figures, the suburb is highly multicultural, with nearly 80 per cent of residents speaking a language other than English at home.
Mr Hazzard said health authorities had been working with Multicultural NSW to reach the public through a number of avenues and in multiple languages.
He again reiterated that COVID-19 testing should be free, after seeing evidence that at least one person had been charged by a private pathology service.
The health minister has also heard reports from multicultural communities that some people thought they had to pay.
“Let me make this very clear, very, very clear – that is, COVID tests must be free,” Mr Hazzard said.
“For the entire New South Wales non-traveller community, if you need to have a test because we’ve asked you to have a test, you’ve been exposed to one of the venues we have highlighted, or because you have symptoms, the test is free.”
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your jurisdiction’s restrictions on gathering limits. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080. News and information is available in 63 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus.
Please check the relevant guidelines for your state or territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania.
