Slim chance to unlock in NSW

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the state needs to get the number of people who are infectious while out in the community down to zero, as the state records 112 new locally acquired infections.

/  NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian

Latest advice on vaccination

Authorities have also announced an extension to the vaccine rollout, with jabs to be made available to teachers and aged care workers in the areas of southwest Sydney most affected by the breakout. In addition, those over 40 will soon be able to access the AstraZeneca jab in vaccination hub and pharmacies but warned people to “consider your own risk”.

Chief health officer Kerry Chant urged anyone who had received the AstraZeneca jab within the past four weeks to call their GP to see if their second dose could be administered between six and eight weeks after the first dose. Under 40s will soon be able to access AstraZeneca at vaccination hubs, without seeking advice from their GP. Dr Chant said this was because “the current risk situation has changed dramatically”.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI’s) advice on AstraZeneca is that it remains the preferred vaccine for over 60s, although it can be used by younger adults who don’t have access to Pfizer.

Vaccine rollout expansion

The NSW government has announced teachers and aged care workers in the Fairfield, Canterbury Bankstown and Liverpool areas will be prioritised for vaccination as the state makes changes to the vaccine rollout. A vaccine hub will open at Fairfield Showground on Friday to target the two groups.

In addition, people over 40 will soon be able to access AstraZeneca jabs in vaccination clinics and some pharmacies across NSW without needing to consult their GP.

More vaccination hubs will open over coming weeks in Macquarie Fields in southwest Sydney, in Belmont at Lake Macquarie and in Wollongong to complement the changes. Those who have had their first AstraZeneca jab are now urged to get their second dose within six to eight weeks.

Further situation in the outbreak

NSW Police on Saturday issued 105 infringement notices due to public health order non-compliance, bringing the total to 376 since Friday. Monday’s numbers follow 77 new local cases reported on Sunday and one death, a woman in her 90s from Sydney’s southwest who was a close contact of a locally-acquired case.

The woman died hours after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and was believed to have been unvaccinated. Her death is the first since the Bondi cluster emerged on 16 June, and the first connected to COVID-19 in NSW since a man died in December.

Ms Berejiklian said at least 34 of today’s new cases were infectious while in the community. She refused to be drawn on a timeline for opening up and repeated calls that it was up to the community to stay home. She said she and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet had been in “very high-level discussions” involving financial support for businesses affected by the lockdown and an announcement was “imminent”

Early the week response from Federal government 

The commonwealth government is working on broadening its assistance measures to help states deal with Covid, in the wake of the worsening New South Wales outbreak.

Treasury is understood to have provided options to Scott Morrison, which are now under consideration. Additional mental health support will be provided, if needed, on top of the financial assistance already provided for businesses and individuals unable to work in what is becoming a protracted lockdown.

NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has acknowledged the Sydney lockdown, already extended for a week beyond the original plan, is likely to go longer, with daily case numbers expected to top 100 in the coming days.

NSW’s lockdown triggered the emergency payments put in place when Melbourne entered its fourth lockdown in May. The emergency payments subsidise employees unable to attend work by either $325 or $500, with the payments flowing after a hotspot declared area is placed in lockdown for more than a week.

Under the agreement struck with state and territory leaders at national cabinet, the states are expected to provide business support, while income support has been left to the commonwealth. But with Sydney facing at least a month in lockdown, the Morrison government is being pressed for more financial support.

Last week, NSW treasurer Dominic Perrottet wrote to his federal counterpart Josh Frydenberg and asked for jobkeeper to be reinstated. That was immediately rejected by Frydenberg. “Jobkeeper is not coming back,” he said, but he noted the $500 in emergency assistance is the same level as the last tapered jobkeeper payment, before it expired.