Sydney was urged to stay home this weekend as a besieged Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned she would “go harder” to contain the latest outbreak if required.With case numbers from the original Bondi cluster surpassing 1000 on Friday, with another 97 confirmed – three-quarters in Sydney’s south west – the state government has come under increasing pressure to mandate tougher restrictions to stop people from moving around.Health authorities are most concerned with the growing number of people who have been moving about while infectious, with 29 recorded on Friday.While the Fairfield local government area has had the majority of recent cases, Ms Berejiklian said community transmissions had seen the virus spread to neighbouring local government areas.The Premier urged Greater Sydney residents to stop moving around, including trying to “sneak out” to the bush, which remained virus-free.“We really want to stress to everybody, please stay at home,” she said.“We ask everybody in the community to really make sure they stay at home unless they absolutely have to. We need people to stop moving around. I am assuming the numbers (on Saturday) will be greater than what we saw (on Friday).”Asked if it was time to change tack on the present regime of restrictions, the Premier conceded the case numbers were “not where we would like them”. She said: “If we need to go harder, of course we will.”Fairfield residents who work outside the local government areas must be tested every three days – a requirement that led to a record 77,500 tests being recorded in NSW overnight to Friday.With testing capacity boosted, Ms Berejiklian urged locals to encourage extended family members, work colleagues and friends to also get tested. There are now 75 confirmed Covid cases in hospital, with 18 in an intensive care unit (ICU) – five of whom are on ventilators.Of the ICU patients, one is in their 20s, another in their 30s, two in their 40s, five each in their 50s and 60s, three in their 70s and one in their 80s.NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant revealed only one of the patients being treated in intensive had a vaccination, receiving only the first of two required shots.In urging Greater Sydney to stop moving around, Dr Chant said it was concerning a number of the new cases were “unlinked”, suggesting there were still cases in the community yet to be uncovered.Dr Chant declared Bayside, Campbelltown, Camden, Lakemba, Fairfield, Liverpool, Cumberland, Mt Druitt, Rooty Hill, Bayside, Sutherland Shire and Georges Rivers as new “areas of concern”, and residents should get tested.Victoria records 19 new local virus casesVictoria has recorded 19 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Saturday.The state’s health department confirmed the new local cases about 8.50am and said all were linked to current outbreaks.The number of exposure sites across the state has also exploded to more than 160 after several venues from the tourist hot spot of Phillip Island were added overnight.Victoria now has 43 cases linked to the two incursions that jumped the border from Sydney’s deadly Delta outbreak.The health department said all of the new cases on Saturday were also linked to known outbreaks, which have spawned from a team of Sydney removalists who transited through the state and a family that returned to Melbourne’s north from a NSW red zone.Spot tests for Sydney hospital workersAll healthcare workers in south west Sydney hospitals are now being regularly tested for Covid.Staff are now undergoing random, regular Covid tests on the wards every few days to pick up asymptomatic Covid, as all staff are fully vaccinated. A healthcare worker at Liverpool and Campbelltown hospitals tested positive to Covid-19 after a patient, who had visited Liverpool Hospital tested positive.While vaccines prevent serious illness and death, it does not stop acquisition of the virus or transmission. On Thursday, Liverpool Hospital staff went in isolation after a woman who arrived for a caesarean procedure on Wednesday tested positive to Covid.Three paramedics working at Liverpool ambulance station have also tested positive to Covid leading to the Australian Paramedics Association (NSW) President Chris Kastelan calling for cleaning teams. NSW Health said the operating theatres at both Campbelltown and Liverpool had been deep cleaned.Essential services causing confusionThe state government’s refusal to clearly define essential work has been slammed as “crazy” by struggling businesses.Among the examples causing confusion are that brothels are turning into escort agencies and sex workers are making home visits in a bid to side step the public health orders, as small business slam “wishy washy” retail rules. ESSENTIAL SERVICESNSW One Nation Leader Mark Latham savaged the rules which refuse to define essential work.“Basically the only people ruled out are burglars because they are ‘unauthorised’,” he said. Some small business owners who can’t afford to keep their doors open and want to do the right thing are frustrated at the lack of clear essential services in Sydney. Co-owner of the fashion label We Are Kindred, Lizzie Renkert, said the vague advice drives her “crazy”.“We wanted to do right thing for the good of Sydneysiders but also it would cost us money to remain open and we’d have no foot traffic, so we’ve been closed for what feels like forever,” Ms Renkert said. “The tiny brands and the big brands that can do with a slump, they are the ones that are still trading and doing it legally — we could too but I wouldn’t be able to pay staff.”Mr Renkert said she wants a Victorian style lockdown with “completely empty streets”. “There needs to be standardised rules and support packages readily available — not weeks after.” Meanwhile, The Saturday Telegraph witnessed multiple advertisements from private sex workers spruiking their services during lockdown. Under the current Public Health Orders, visitors are permitted to homes if they are workers. Across the border, Victorians are subjected to much tighter control with clear definitions of essential retail,NAT – Stay Informed – Social Media
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