An urgent coronavirus alert has been issued for Wollongong as a further two Covid cases were found in the area as part of 18 locally acquired cases announced by New South Wales in the 24 hours to Wednesday.
Thousands of Wollongong residents raced to get a Covid-19 test on Tuesday afternoon minutes after news broke that the virus had spread south from Sydney.
Along with the two Wollongong cases – who are from the same household – nine of Wednesday’s cases are linked to the Avalon cluster in Sydney Northern Beaches, six are linked to a cluster in Sydney’s Inner West, and one is under investigation from northern Sydney.
A health worker tests a woman for coronavirus at a testing centre at Figtree Community Centre in Wollongong on Wednesday (pictured)
Huge lines stretched around an entire block at the Wollongong Hospital on Tuesday afternoon with many waiting up to five hours just to get a test
Long lines of cars wait to enter a testing facility in Wollongong on Wednesday (pictured)
Thousands of Wollongong residents raced to get a COVID-19 test on Tuesday afternoon after news broke that the virus had spread south from Sydney
A health worker in protective gear rushes a sample to be tested at a drive-thru testing clinic in Wollongong on Wednesday (pictured)
Another seven cases have also been found in travelers in hotel quarantine in the 24 hours to Wednesday.
NSW Health warned that with two locally acquired cases found in the Wollongong area, anyone who has been in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region in the last two weeks should be alert for symptoms and get tested and isolate should they appear.
The two cases add to a previous mystery case discovered in a person from Wollongong on Monday night.
Alerts have been issued specifically for two Greek Orthodox Churches as well as the Wollongong Central shopping centre, the Figtree Grove shopping centre, and an optometrist.
Huge lines stretched around an entire block at the Wollongong Hospital on Tuesday afternoon with many waiting up to five hours just to get a test.
Some residents shared online that after spending hours standing in the pouring rain, they were turned away at the last minute due to a lack of staff and testing kits.
Traffic lines up for a Covid testing facility at Figtree, Wollongong on Wednesday (pictured)
A huge queue of people is seen near the Wollongong Hospital on Tuesday afternoon over fears the virus has spread in the city
People have been urged to get tested and isolate if they visited the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church on Sunday December 27 from 10.30am-11am in Wollongong
Some people even said they were turned away from the Wollongong Hospital at the last minute due to a lack of staff and testing kits
The St Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Wollongong has also been put on high alert
Photos taken of the hospital on Tuesday show an endless stream of masked locals anxiously waiting to receive a test.
Standing socially distanced, the line wrapped around several streets near the hospital as residents braced for a long wait.
‘After 2.5 hours in the rain and cold waiting to get a Covid test and getting sent away due to lack of staff,’ one woman tweeted.
‘Did the right thing and went to the Wollongong Hospital only to be sent home to isolate and come back tomorrow. The queue had 100s of people, very busy,’ another said.
‘Everyone in that line (thousands of people) would have patiently waited, in the rain (and it was cold) all night to get tested – HOW can they have not planned for this?’ wrote a third.
The five venues listed were visited by one of three mystery cases that were detected late on Monday night, including one person from Wollongong.
Anyone who visited the sites at the specific times have been urged to get tested and isolate immediately until given further instructions.
The coronavirus outbreak in Sydney has spread south to Wollongong with churches, shopping centres and an optometrist all on high alert (pictured people line up for testing in Wollongong)
Wollongong Central shopping centre on Crown Street has also been put on alert for any visitors on Wednesday December 23 from 3.30pm to 4pm. The infected person visited Coles, JB hi-fi, City Beach, Hero Sushi and Strandbags while at the centre
A mystery case is believed to have visited five venues in Wollongong sparking a mad rush to get tested
These include the St Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church on Sunday December 27 from 9am to 10.15am as well as the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church on Sunday December 27 from 10.30am to 11am.
The same directions apply to anybody who visited the Figtree Grove Shopping Centre on Monday December 21 from 12.30pm to 1.30pm, on Wednesday December 23 from 8.45am to 9am, and on Thursday December 24 from 6.45am to 9.30am.
Patients who attended the Proust Optical Shop at the Figtree Grove Shopping Centre, on Monday December 21 from 9.30am to 5pm, and Wednesday December 23 from 9.30am to 2pm must also get tested immediately.
Wollongong Central shopping centre on Crown Street has also been put on alert for any visitors on Wednesday December 23 from 3.30pm to 4pm.
The infected person visited Coles, JB hi-fi, City Beach, Hero Sushi and Strandbags while at the centre.
After news broke of the potentially infected venues, hundreds of Wollongong residents flocked to get tested, with queues forming down the street in a matter of hours
Long lines are seen at the Wollongong Hospital on Tuesday as residents race to get tested
Thousands raced to get a test after an infected person visited various venues in the city over the past week
Everyone in the queue managed to socially distance and wear a mask while waiting for their Covid test
Meanwhile in Sydney, the Pittwater Place shopping mall in Mona Vale have also been added to the list for those present on Wednesday December 23 from 3.30pm-4pm.
Three mystery cases were recorded in NSW, including one person from Wollongong, one from inner-west Sydney and another from the Northern Beaches.
They were recorded after the 8pm cut off meaning they will be included in Wednesday’s figures amid fears the virus is secretly spreading around the state.
Earlier on Tuesday, NSW recorded three new local cases, all linked to the hotspot suburb of Avalon, taking the cluster to 129 patients. A further six returned travellers in hotel quarantine tested positive.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged Greater Sydney residents to get tested after 16,000 people got swabbed on Tuesday, down from 70,000 on Thursday.
She said ‘Greater Sydney must be on high alert’ until the source of the three new mystery cases is found.
On Monday Premier Berejiklian tightened restrictions for gatherings across Sydney as the state recorded five new cases.
Wollongong residents are seen waiting outside a testing clinic after five venues were put on high alert
She said officials still don’t know how the outbreak began, meaning the northern zone of the Northern Beaches will remain locked down until January 9 to stop the disease spreading – but residents will be allowed five visitors from the zone on New Year’s Eve.
The southern zone will be released from lockdown on January 2 – but residents are allowed 10 visitors from the zone on December 31.
Amid fears New Year’s Eve could become a super-spreader event, restrictions will tighten in Greater Sydney from Monday night with public gatherings limited to 50 people, down from 100. Home gatherings remain limited to 10 visitors.
More than a dozen people from the Northern Beaches were fined $1,000 after escaping the coronavirus lockdown zone to attend a wedding in Sydney’s CBD.
Guests at a wedding in Pyrmont on Sunday. Police officers crashed the event at 5pm
Police crashed the nuptials at Dalton House in Pyrmont at 5pm on Sunday after receiving a tip-off.
Residents from the Northern Beaches are banned from leaving the area since the Covid-19 outbreak on December 16.
Guests who have been fined $1,000 each include a man and woman, both aged 43, from Allambie Heights, a 33-year-old woman from Narraweena, and a 27-year-old man from Frenchs Forest.
Three women, 19, 22 and 28, and two men, 23 and 63, from Beacon Hill were also slapped with the hefty penalty.
An additional three people, including a 34-year-old man, a 36-year-old woman, both from Frenchs Forest, and a 26-year-old man from Beacon Hill will also be fined for attending the wedding.
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