05.02.2021
3 min read

Thousands forced into isolation as COVID fragments are found across Sydney

Anyone who attended one particular store over an 11-day period has been asked to get tested for COVID.

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Thousands of Sydneysiders have been forced into two weeks of isolation as a COVID cluster in the city’s west continues to grow.

The cluster, which emerged from the BWS store in Berala, is now at 15 cases.

Some customers who shopped at the store over an 11-day period during Christmas and New Year’s are now considered close contacts and urged to isolate and get tested.

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Household contacts of these people are also urged to get tested and isolate until a negative result is returned.

Several hundred more are considered casual contacts and are urged to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.

A General view of the BWS store at Berala in Sydney. Credit: AAP

Berala BWS COVID case contact dates

The dates include:

Sunday 20 December

  • Close contacts: 12.30pm – 2pm
  • Casual contacts: all other times that day

Monday 21 December

  • Casual contacts: all day

Tuesday 22 December

  • Close contacts: 12.45pm – 9.15pm
  • Casual contacts: all other times that day

Wednesday 23 December

  • Close contacts: 1.40pm – 9.15pm
  • Casual contacts: all other times that day

Thursday 24 December

  • Close contacts: 12.40pm – 9.15pm
  • Casual contacts: all other times that day

Saturday 26 December

  • Close contacts: 9.55am – 7.15pm
  • Casual contacts: all other times that day

Sunday 27 December

  • Close contacts: 12.40pm – 8.15pm
  • Casual contacts: all other times that day

Monday 28 December

  • Close contacts: 9.30am – 7.15pm
  • Casual contacts: all other times that day

Tuesday 29 December

  • Close contacts: 1.45pm – 9.15pm
  • Casual contacts: all other times that day

Wednesday 30 December

  • Close contacts: 12.45pm – 9.15pm
  • Casual contacts: all other times that day

Thursday 31 December

  • Close contacts: 8.30am – 3pm
  • Casual contacts: all other times that day

Customers who attended Woolworths Berala from December 20 to December 31 are also considered casual contacts and should get tested and isolate until a negative result is returned.

Suburbs on COVID alert

Dozens of suburbs have been put on alert after the state’s sewage surveillance program detected fragments of the virus at two pumping stations in Camellia.

The station includes sewage from the Berala area, including:

  • Auburn
  • Bankstown
  • Bass Hill
  • Berala
  • Camellia
  • Chester Hill
  • Chullora
  • Clyde
  • Condell Park
  • Granville
  • Guildford
  • Guildford West
  • Harris Park
  • Holroyd
  • Homebush West
  • Lidcombe
  • Mays Hill
  • Merrylands
  • Merrylands West
  • Newington
  • North Paramatta
  • Old Guildford
  • Parramatta
  • Potts Hill
  • Regents Park
  • Rookwood
  • Rosehill
  • Rydalmere
  • Sefton
  • Silverwater
  • South Granville
  • South Wentworthville
  • Strathfield
  • Sydney Olympic Park
  • Westmead
  • Yagoona

Anyone who lives in these areas is asked to monitor for symptoms and get tested and isolate if symptoms occur.

Five more locally acquired cases of COVID were detected in NSW on Tuesday, three of which were linked to the Berala cluster.

One other case was linked to the cluster at Croydon while another was detected in an 18-year-old who travelled into Orange, Broken Hill and Nyngan.

SCG Test warning

Cricket fans from Berala and surrounding suburbs face a $1000 fine if they are caught attending the third Test at the SCG when it begins on Thursday.

Roughly 10,000 people will be allowed to attend each day of Australia’s clash with India after the New South Wales government slashed capacity to 25 per cent.

Instead, new tickets went on sale from Monday afternoon after every original ticket sold in the lead-up was cancelled.

The decision to allow fans comes after the Australian Medical Association led calls for the match to be played in front of empty stands because of the risk it could become a super-spreading event.

While the gates will be opened, residents from Auburn, Berala, Lidcombe North, Potts Hill and Regents Park have been warned to stay home or risk being fined by police.

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