After already enduring three weeks of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, Greater Sydney and its surrounding areas are set for another fortnight in lockdown with restrictions extended until 11:59pm on Friday, July 30.
NSW has today recorded 97 new local COVID-19 cases, prompting the government to extend a lockdown in Greater Sydney and its surrounds by at least two more weeks.
The stay-at-home provisions, which were scheduled to end on Friday, will now remain in place until at least July 30.
The state’s schools will also continue with online learning.
Of the 97 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, at least 31 were in the community during part or all of their infectious period.
“(That’s) what we need to get down to as close to zero as possible,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters on Wednesday.
It comes after the state and federal governments on Tuesday afternoon revealed an extensive financial support package.
The state government expanded a business grants program and will cut or defer payroll taxes for most companies, while workers who have lost eight or more hours a week as a result of the lockdown will be able to apply for up to $600 per week in federal support.
The increase in workers’ payments kicks in once a lockdown exceeds 21 days.
Ms Berejiklian said an extension to lockdown provision was inevitable given the extent of COVID-19 spread in the community.
She said the government continued to prioritise aged care workers and teachers in southwest Sydney for vaccination.
“Of course we want to see this lockdown end in a timely way … (but) we’ll have that support for businesses,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The feedback from business has been very positive.”
The Queensland government has stated it will keep the border open to the rest of NSW, saying the Greater Sydney lockdown is containing the city’s COVID-19 outbreak.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles says authorities are closely monitoring the situation, but there’s no evidence of virus cases or positive sewage testing results north of Sydney.
He’s hopeful the lockdown is containing the virus in Sydney and a hard border won’t need to be imposed.
“Pleasingly the ongoing monitoring of sewage indicates that the outbreak there is largely contained to Greater Sydney, meaning that the restrictions in place in Greater Sydney may mean that we don’t yet need to put in place greater border restrictions here,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia have already closed their borders to NSW, but Queensland is only restricting entry for travellers from Greater Sydney.
Mr Miles said while Sydney’s lockdown is containing the outbreak, for now, lifting restrictions there too early could cause Queensland to impose a hard border with NSW.
“Obviously if NSW opted to lift those lockdown restrictions, well then we would need to reconsider,” he said.
Source: AAP