explainer

Lockdown extended: What we just learned from Gladys Berejiklian's press conference.

Five million Sydney residents will spend at least one more week in lockdown than initially planned, amid the community spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant. 

The lockdown is now planned to end at midnight July 16. 

In the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, New South Wales recorded 27 new cases. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was concerned that only 13 of those cases were in isolation for the entirety of their infectious period, while seven were in isolation for parts of their infectious period. Seven were in the community while infectious. 

There have been 357 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case of the Bondi cluster was reported. Of these, 25 cases are not linked to a known case or cluster.

Here's what else we learnt from Gladys Berejiklian's press conference.

Will Sydney schools be open next week?

No. 

Schools in Greater Sydney will not resume face-to-face learning next week and will instead move to online learning. 

Ms Berejiklian said this is "not because schools aren't a safe place," but instead because they need to reduce mobility in the population.

"We need to stop literally hundreds of thousands of adults moving around and interacting with each other inadvertently as they drop kids off and pick kids up at those usual times," the Premier explained. "Our main concern is too many people being mobile at the same time and having those interactions."

Schools in regional NSW will resume face-to-face learning from next week.

Gladys Berejiklian has extended lockdown for one week. Image: Getty.

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'A wake up call to young people.'

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant has said the recent hospitalisation of people in their 30s who are infected with the Delta variant should be a "wake up call to young people".

Currently, there are 37 patients admitted to hospital in NSW with COVID-19, with seven in ICU - two of whom are on ventilators. 

Dr Kerry Chant says 14 of those in hospital are under the age of 55, and eight are under the age of 35. 

One person in ICU with the Delta variant is in their 30s.

Dr Chant said these numbers "should dispel the myth that this is something that only impacts on the elderly".

Three local government areas of concern.

Ms Berejiklian said there are three local government areas where the virus is circulating at an alarming rate. 

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The three areas are Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool.

"In those communities we are asking you to just redouble your efforts," Dr Chant pleaded with the community. "Please stay at home. Do not visit loved ones. Try engage through digital means. Try avoid any unnecessary contact with other additional households and please limit your movements into any indoor environments. So only have one person go and get the shopping. As the Premier has indicated, if you have got enough food, don't leave the house at this time."

The Premier also said the government is considering if there are further actions they may need to take in those communities.

Feature image: Getty. 

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