Several restaurants in Sydney's Potts Point have voluntarily shut their doors until the end of the week amid concerns the inner eastern suburb could be the next NSW coronavirus hotspot.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Three more positive cases in the densely populated suburb involving The Apollo and Thai Rock restaurants were among 14 new COVID-19 cases announced on Tuesday, with just one from hotel quarantine.
Two of the new Potts Point cases dined at both the Thai Rock Potts Point restaurant and The Apollo restaurant, and NSW Health now believes this links the two outbreaks.
The two people also visited the Cruising Yacht Club Australia in Rushcutters Bay on July 23, 24 and 26. The yacht club has closed for deep cleaning.
The third new case is a staff member of The Apollo.
Anyone who attended The Apollo from July 22 to 25 or Thai Rock between July 15 and 25 are being asked to get tested and quarantine for 14 days.
NSW Health is also asking anyone who lives in or has visited the Potts Point area in the past two weeks to get tested if they have respiratory symptoms.
Following the three recent cases in the area, a number of high-profile restaurants have voluntarily closed, while some have reverted to selling takeaway food only.
"As a precaution and for the safety of yourselves and our staff we have chosen to close until Thursday for a deep clean of the venue and for all of our staff to be tested," the operators of The Roosevelt posted on Instagram.
Fitness First gym in Kings Cross on Tuesday said it had been made aware a person who attended the gym for a class on July 20 has subsequently tested positive.
The person didn't use the gym floor or facilities and all gym members identified as close contacts have been contacted, a spokesman for the gym said.
The gym has undergone a deep clean and remains open.
Of the 14 recorded cases, six are linked to a funeral in Sydney's southwest and another four to Thai Rock in Wetherill Park.
NSW Health has also urged staff and patrons who went to Mounties club in Mount Pritchard on July 23, 24 and 25 and the nearby Pritchard's Hotel on July 23 to isolate for 14 days and get tested if ill. It comes after a patron who attended while infectious tested positive to COVID-19.
Mounties had recorded contact details of all patrons.
"In line with NSW Health's advice, Mounties remains open with hygiene and safety precautions and procedures in place to minimise risk," a Mounties spokeswoman said in a statement on Tuesday.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the coming weeks will be critical for managing the recent and renewed spread of the virus, which has been linked to a second wave outbreak in Victoria.
She said NSW authorities remain on high alert.
"There's a lot of things going right but there's a lot of things we can't control. It only takes one or two cases for there to be a ripple effect," Ms Berejiklian told the Nine Network on Tuesday.
"When you think about what you might have done in the past 14 days or what your friends might have done in the past 14 days, all the places you may have gone through, that's what each of our health detectives does."
Five COVID-19 patients are in intensive care, with one on a ventilator.
NSW Health on Tuesday also confirmed positive COVID-19 cases on Sydney-bound flights - Jetstar flight JQ506 from Melbourne on July 25 and Garuda Airways flight GA712 from Jakarta on July 22.
NSW Health is contacting nearby passengers to those infected travellers and they are being placed into self-isolation.
Australian Associated Press
