Gladys Berejiklian announces 97 new cases, as Sydney outbreak hits 1000 infections in a month

New South Wales has recorded 97 new coronavirus cases, taking the state’s latest outbreak to more than 1000 infections in a month.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said is it “concerning” that 29 of the new cases were in the community while infectious.

“That number of people being infectious in the community keeps going up,” she said.

“Unfortunately, the Fairfield local government area is still seeing more than, or around three quarters of cases in the Fairfield local government area but we are also seeing an extension of cases in adjoining suburbs.”

The 97 new cases reported on Friday were found in 77,587 tests to 8pm on Thursday and take the state’s latest outbreak to 1026.

The outbreak emerged on June 16 after a Bondi limo driver who transports international aircrew contracted the virus.

Of the new locally acquired cases on Friday, 63 are linked to a known case or cluster – with 49 being household contacts and 14 identified as close contacts.

The source of infection for 34 cases remains under investigation.

NSW Health said 67 of the new cases are from the South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD), 14 are from the South Eastern Sydney LHD and nine are from the Western Sydney LHD.

There are a further five in the Sydney LHD, one in the Northern Sydney LHD and one in the Nepean Blue Mountains LHD.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant thanked the community in south-west Sydney for following the health advice.

“I’ve had the privilege of working in that neck of the woods for a long, a lot of my working life,” she said.

“It was an amazing place to work and live. I say a big thank you to the community.”

Source: skynews.com.au