Premier Berejiklian has said that even stricter lockdown measures could be introduced in three local government areas to tackle a surge in cases in Sydney’s west. The premier urged anyone living in Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown or Liverpool to be especially vigilant about following lockdown rules and to seek testing at the onset of even mild symptoms, after several new cases of community transmission were linked to the areas.
“We have seen the main cases move from the southeast,” Berejiklian said. “Pretty much all of the cases we are seeing from southeastern Sydney are now in isolation. So we are pretty confident the virus isn’t spreading in that community but we have seen overnight some concerning statistics on what is happening in the Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool council areas.
“Please, in those three local government areas, limit your movement. The New South Wales government doesn’t want to go to the next stage but we are even considering if there are any further actions we need to take in those three local government areas.”
News of the Western Sydney surge came during the same press conference that an extension to the Greater Sydney lockdown was announced. Stay-at-home orders will now remain in effect until July 16. The state’s chief medical officer, Kerry Chant, also urged younger people in Sydney not to be complacent about health guidelines. Of the 37 people currently hospitalised with the virus, more than a dozen under the age of 55 have been admitted to the ICU, and of that number eight are under the age of 35.
“The fact that 37 patients have been admitted to hospital should indicate to the community the fact that Covid, including the Delta strain, is not a mild disease. It can be mild in some but for many it can lead to hospitalisation and death,” Chant said. “Again, we’re dispelling that myth that it only leads to hospitalisation for the elderly. Of the seven people in ICU, one is in their 30s. [This is] a bit of a wake-up call to young people.”
The premier also said that the state would reveal its "roadmap" out of lockdown on July 8, along with the longterm restrictions that may be put in place to control the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant once lockdown ends. On July 6, Berejiklian said that certain restrictions would likely remain in place until the state's vaccination program was able to scale up in October.