Published 11:05 IST, December 29th 2020
Sydney on 'high alert' after three mystery COVID-19 cases detected on northern beaches
Of the total cases linked to the Avalon cluster, one resided in Wollongong on NSW south coast, and others resided in the inner west and north of Sydney.
At least three new ‘mystery cases’ of the novel coronavirus have been discovered in Greater Sydney’s northern beaches, which the epidemiologist warned could spread faster ‘like fire’. The sources of locally transmitted infections have not been known yet. In a state press conference, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that the three new cases that have been identified had no immediate link with the northern beach cluster. She imposed the state on "high alert" and urged the residents to get tested for even mildest of symptoms as they approach New Year's Eve.
Of the total cases linked to the Avalon cluster, one reportedly travelled resided in Wollongong on the NSW south coast and had travelled to Sydney. The others, meanwhile, resided in the inner west and north of Sydney. The mysterious COVID-19 cases were diagnosed from the total 16,329 tests conducted in the 24 hours by 8 pm. In another worrying scenario, a Sydney airport van driver who commuted the international flight crews to-and-from the airport had tested positive for COVID, prompting the health authorities to conduct mass scale tracing.
No link to trace 'origin' found
“Health will be providing more detail as the day unfolds but we’re encouraging everybody who lives on the Northern Beaches with the mildest of symptoms to come forward and get testing,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian told a live-streamed news conference. “All that genomic testing is in overdrive at the moment,” she added. Further speaking about tracing the origin of the new infections, Berejiklian said that there have been no links to these worrisome cases found yet. NSW Health will share more details as it comes to hand, Health Minister Brad Hazzard added.
Earlier, Premier Berejiklian banned the congregation in Sydney’s downtown harbourside where the crowd gathers every year to watch the New Year fireworks at the Opera House, citing the deadly resurgence of the disease. Restrictions of the outdoor public gathering were also announced for Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong areas, according to NSW primer’s announcement.
Updated 11:03 IST, December 29th 2020