NSW will lock down residents in the Northern Rivers region over fears a 50 year old Sydney man has spread the virus throughout the area.
At NSW’s Covid update on Monday morning, chief health officer Kerry Chant said investigations were ongoing into where the man, who is in his 50s, had been in travelled from Sydney to Byron Bay in late July.
‘He is currently being re-interviewed and we are also arranging urgent testing of his two household contacts,’ she said.
The man’s movements remain a mystery after it was discovered he was not recorded on any QR code check-ins while he was infectious.
‘That matter is under investigation,’ Dr Chant replied when asked why the man had travelled from Sydney.
‘The gentleman himself has been admitted to hospital for the moment.’
His trip north has now plunged about 300,000 residents in regional centres like Grafton, Yamba, Casino, Lismore, Byron Bay, Ballina, Murwillumbah , Grafton and Brunswick Heads into lockdown.
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said the man in his 50s travelled from Sydney to Byron Bay in late July and was believed to be infectious in the community for five days
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Covid restrictions applying to the Northern Rivers region would not change while the man’s journey was under investigation
Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Monday morning said Covid restrictions applying to the Northern Rivers region would not change while the man’s journey was being investigated.
But but by the afternoon that advice had changed and now Byron, Ballina and Lismore and Richmond Valley will all be locked down until August 17.
‘To protect people of NSW from evolving Covid-19 outbreak, new restrictions will be introduced for the Byron Shire, Richmond Valley, Lismore and Ballina Shire Local Government Areas Effective from 6pm Today until 12:01 Tuesday August 17,’ the NSW government said in a statement.
‘Following updated health advice from NSW Chief Health officer Dr Kerry Chant, stay-at-home orders will apply to all people who live in these areas or have been there on or after July 31.’
Dr Chant urged residents in the Byron Shire, Richmond Valley, Tweed, Lismore, Kyogle and Ballina LGAs to come forward for testing if they experienced symptoms because the man was symptomatic in the community for a number of days.
He travelled from Sydney at the end of July and spent five days in the community before being admitted to hospital in Lismore.
The restrictions will be the same rules as those already in place across Greater Sydney, as well as Tamworth, Armidale, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Singleton, Dungog, Muswellbrook and Cessnock.
NSW will lock down residents in the Northern Rivers area over fears a 50 year old Sydney man has spread the virus throughout the region
At NSW ‘s Covid update on Monday morning, chief health officer Kerry Chant said investigations were ongoing into where the man, who is in his 50s, had been in travelled from Sydney to Byron Bay (pictured) in late July
Everyone in these areas must stay at home unless they have a lawful excuse to leave such as food shopping, essential exercise, essential work that cannot be done from home and giving or receiving healthcare.
Visitors from outside of a household, including family and friends, are not permitted during the next seven days.
‘People also cannot enter the Byron Shire, Richmond Valley, Lismore and Ballina Shire Local Government Areas, without a reasonable excuse to do so,’ NSW government said.
Earlier, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk responded to news of the case by suggesting the state may ‘go harder’ in enforcing border restrictions with NSW.
The man at the centre of the Northern Rivers lockdown who travelled to the area from Covid-ravaged Sydney has checked himself into the Lismore Base Hospital (pictured)
Residents in the NSW Northern Rivers area are pictured lining up to get swab tested for Covid at Lismore Base Hospital on August 9, 2021
‘We are absolutely concerned about what is happening in New South Wales,’ she said.
‘The further north the virus travels is alarming for us so we’ll be watching that incredibly carefully.’
‘We already have those border patrols and those border controls in place at present. But if we have to go harder, we will.’
The Byron Bay alert came as another regional NSW town, Tamworth, was plunged into a seven-day lockdown after a woman, who was exposed to the virus in Newcastle, visited several venues including a pub, cafe and hotel on August 4.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the lockdown would begin from 5pm Monday.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state may ‘go harder’ in enforcing border restrictions with NSW as a result of the Byron Bay alert
A COVID-19 drive through testing clinic at the Cavanbah Centre on April 1, 2021 in Byron Bay, Australia
She said interstate travel would remain restricted until Greater Sydney got the current Delta outbreak under control.
‘Can I stress at the moment nobody from New South Wales is going anywhere, what we want to see is an improvement of the situation,’ she said.
‘I think it’s pretty predictable what the other states will do. I don’t know about you guys but I don’t think any state Premier will change their position.’
NSW announced 283 new Covid-19 cases and one death on Monday, an unvaccinated woman in her 90s who died from the virus at Greenwich Hospital on Sunday.
