NSW outbreak sees biggest spike in Covid cases yet
NSW has recorded 172 locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Tuesday as anticipation grows changes to current restrictions in Sydney could be revealed by the end of the week.
The daily total is the highest since the Delta outbreak began on June 16.
Of the latest cases, 60 were in the community for the entirety of their infectious period. A further 19 were in the community for part of their infectious period. The status of 32 cases remain under investigation.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian reiterated her government's shift in focus to the vaccine rollout, pleading with residents to come forward for the jab.
"My message to everybody please come forward and get the vaccine. Not only are you protecting yourself but you're protecting those closest to you," she told reporters.
Infections continue to centre around the city's west and while case rates are falling in the Fairfield local government area, the worst-hit area in terms of cases, they are on the rise in Canterbury-Bankstown LGA.
Berejiklian warns Sydney will not open up 'too early'
Ms Berejiklian says she will provide clarity on the state's exit out of lockdown in the coming days and hinted on Monday there could be a tightening and loosening of restrictions for specific areas.
"Some settings might change. We might need to go harder in some areas and release some settings in others," she said.
On Tuesday she stressed the state would not open up too early and reiterated her goal remained to get daily cases infectious in the community as close to zero as possible.
"We know we've put in the hard yards of five weeks and we don't want to waste all the great work we've done by opening too early, and then having the virus spread again," Ms Berejiklian said.
However at least 79 cases announced on Tuesday spent time in the community, the largest daily increase of the outbreak yet.
Ms Berejiklian said the focus needed to remain on preventing household and workplace transmission.
Two women in their 80s who died of the virus, as reported on Monday, were household contacts of people who were unvaccinated. There are now 10 deaths linked to the outbreak.
A multi-storey apartment block in western Sydney has been locked down with a police guard to enforce two weeks of quarantine after six cases were detected amongst the residents.
Around 100 people living in the five-storey building are being urgently tested after the first case was diagnosed in a resident in the Devitt St building in Blacktown on Monday.
NSW Health's Jeremy McAnulty said there was no indication yet cases were emerging from Saturday's anti-lockdown protest.
He called on people at the protest with symptoms to come forward for testing "no matter your political views".
"Come forward for testing to protect yourself and your family and friends COVID is a serious disease as we've seen, deaths occur in young people," Dr McAnulty said.
Major concern over shopping centre exposure
A shopping centre in Campsie is of great concern to health authorities after a case spent up to 11 days infectious at the premises.
Anyone who visited the Campsie Centre Shopping Mall, which has a Big W, Chemist Warehouse and Australia Post, between July 14 and July 24 must seek testing immediately and isolate for 14 days regardless of their test result.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
