Urgent Covid warning for 67 Sydney suburbs after virus found

Residents in 67 Sydney suburbs have been put on alert after fragments of the virus that causes Covid-19 were recently detected at two sewage treatment plants.

Upwards of 340,000 people who live and work in western Sydney are being urged to monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if they appear.

The two sewage treatment plants of concern are Liverpool and Glenfield, NSW Health officials said on Saturday.

The Liverpool treatment plant takes in a catchment of close to 180,000 people.

Glenfield plant, where virus fragments were also detected on Wednesday, collects waste from over 160,000 people.

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Suburbs in the Liverpool catchment include:

Bardia, Hinchinbrook, Hoxton Park, Abbotsbury, Ingleburn, Prestons, Holsworthy, Edmondson Park, Austral, Cecil Park, Cecil Hills, Elizabeth Hills, Bonnyrigg Heights, Edensor Park, Green Valley, Pleasure Point, Casula, Hammondville, Liverpool, Moorebank, Wattle Grove, Miller, Cartwright, Lurnea, Warwick Farm, Chipping Norton, Voyager Point, Macquarie Links, Glenfield, Catherine Field, Gledswood Hills, Varroville, Leppington, West Hoxton, Horningsea Park, Middleton Grange, Len Waters Estate, Carnes Hill, and Denham Court.

Suburbs in the Glenfield catchment include:

Airds, Ambarvale, Appin, Bardia, Blair Athol, Blairmount, Bow Bowing, Bradbury, Campbelltown, Casula, Claymore, Currans Hill, Eagle Vale, Englorie Park, Eschol Park, Gilead, Glen Alpine, Glenfield, Gregory Hills, Holsworthy, Ingleburn, Kearns, Kentlyn, Leumeah, Long Point, Macquarie Fields, Macquarie Links, Menangle Park, Minto, Raby, Rosemeadow, Ruse, St Andrews, St Helens Park, Varroville and Woodbine

NSW Health did acknowledge the detection of the fragments in the sewage likely reflects confirmed cases in the catchment areas, though still urges anyone living or working in those areas to monitor for symptoms.

Urgent call for people to get tested

NSW recorded no new locally-acquired Covid-19 cases on Saturday and one case acquired from overseas.

In the last 24 hours reporting period, 11,343 tests were carried out across the state, NSW Health said, which is compared to 17,000 tests the previous day.

NSW Health stressed the importance of high testing rates and once again urged people to come forward for testing, even if they have the mildest of symptoms.

“High testing rates are necessary to give confidence that no cases are going undetected in the community,” NSW Health said.

“Everyone who gets tested is playing an important role in helping to contain the spread of COVID-19.”

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 4.5 million tests have been conducted across the state.

All up, NSW has recorded 4,895 coronavirus cases and 56 confirmed deaths.

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