New South Wales announced a record daily increase in COVID cases today, but Victoria and South Australia appear on track to end their respective lockdowns as scheduled.
Here’s what’s happening with COVID-19 across Australia by state and territory.
We’ll be updating this story throughout the day as case numbers are released and we hear from health officials. So don’t worry if you can’t see your state or territory yet.
New South Wales
New South Wales registered a record 163 new locally acquired today, including one death.
At least 45 of the cases were infectious while in the community.
The man who died was in his 80s and lived in Sydney’s south-west.
In a sometimes emotional press conference, Health Minister Brad Hazzard pleaded with other states to donate doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
States including Victoria and South Australia rejected the same plea yesterday.
“Last time I looked, we were a Commonwealth — we worked together, and it disturbs me that all we’ve ever done to work together has just seemingly been cast aside,” he said.
Sydney’s stay at home orders are being extended, with the Cumberland and Blacktown LGAs now included.
That means only authorised workers can leave those areas.
Mr Hazzard said the worst-hit areas were mostly in Sydney’s west and south-west.
“[It’s] transmission particularly as a result of family members getting together when they just should not be getting together. We also are seeing transmission in shops and in other workplaces, ” he said.
Earlier, more venues were added to the list of COVID-19 exposure sites across New South Wales. You can see the full list here.
Victoria
Twelve new locally acquired cases were recorded today, 10 of them were in quarantine for their entire infectious period.
Five cases are linked to the AAMI Park outbreak, three to Ms Frankie’s restaurant in Cremorne and two to an apartment complex in Richmond.
Health Minister Martin Foley said the decrease in daily cases was a positive sign the lockdown was working and could be lifted next week, if the trend continued.
Victoria has also introduced a travel permit system designating areas across Australia and New Zealand as green, orange, red or extreme risk zones.
The change came into effect at midnight, with New South Wales declared an extreme risk zone.
It means those entering Victoria under that classification without an exemption will be put on a return flight or placed into 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine.
Anyone who attempts to enter Victoria illegally faces fines of more than $5,000.
Another 400 exposure sites, mostly in Melbourne’s city centre and inner-east, were also added to the exposure site list overnight.
A full list of exposure sites can be found here.
South Australia
South Australia has recorded one new case of COVID-19 today, and it’s linked to other cases at a winery north-east of Adelaide.
The person was in quarantine, and it brings the state’s total in the current outbreak to 16.
Premier Steven Marshall said the state was on track to come out of lockdown next week.
“I’ve got to say I feel very proud to be a South Australian at the moment, a state that is taking this extraordinarily seriously,” he said.
A further two coronavirus testing sites will open this weekend to help authorities cope with massive demand.
Over the past week, some people have waited in COVID testing queues for more than 10 hours before being turned away as sites shut for the day.
A testing clinic will open at the Netball SA centre at Mile End today, while the Australian Defence Force is also setting up a clinic at its barracks at Warradale to provide extra capacity for priority testing for emergency service workers.
The government is also trialling a new online booking system at the Ridgehaven Waterworld testing site.
Mr Marshall said repatriation flights scheduled to arrive in Adelaide on Monday and Tuesday would be cancelled.
Queensland
Queensland has recorded zero new locally acquired COVID-19 cases today, although contract tracing will continue amid an alert involving a flight attendant.
The Brisbane woman in her thirties tested positive on Thursday and was potentially infectious while working on QantasLink flights to-and-from Longreach, Gladstone and Hervey Bay on the 11th and 12th of July.
The woman has the Delta strain which is circulating in Sydney.
While the exact source of her infection isn’t known, authorities say she had been on board some regional routes into New South Wales.
Late yesterday, public health alerts were issued for the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast, as well as locations at Banyo, Sandstone Point, Virginia and Caboolture.
ACT
The Australian Capital Territory also recorded zero new locally acquired COVID-19 cases today.
The ACT currently has zero active cases.
ACT Health reported that in the 24 hours to 11:55am Saturday, 939 tests were conducted in the ACT.
The ACT has gone more than a year without a locally acquired case of COVID-19 — longer than any other state or territory.
Western Australia
Western Australia has recorded no new COVID-19 cases today.
WA Health are still monitoring 9 active cases: eight cases remain aboard the BBC California currently berthed at Fremantle Port and one case is in hotel quarantine.
The BBC California is the latest of several ships to dock in Indonesia before coming to WA.
Premier Mark McGowan says state and territory transport ministers will work with major shipping companies to address the risk of ships coming to Australia via Indonesia with COVID-19 positive crew on board.
WA is also expanding its COVID-19 vaccination rollout with two new mass vaccination clinics coming soon to Perth CBD and Centrepoint Midland.
The current clinic at Claremont show grounds will be expanded from 40 to 60 booths, allowing for an extra 2,400 doses to be administered each day.
Northern Territory
There have been no new cases of COVID-19 reported in the Northern Territory today.
Two people feared missing in Central Australia since Monday have been found and face hefty fines for failing to abide by health directions.
Police say the two tourists were told to quarantine in Alice Springs after visiting a Victorian hotspot, but they never arrived.
Police said the missing tourists were found at a Kings Canyon camp site and have been taken to quarantine.
Tasmania
No news is good news in Tasmania, with no new cases reported today.