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Every state and territory is on alert for a national outbreak of the highly contagious Delta strain of COVID-19 as 37 new cases of community transmission were recorded in four separate jurisdictions on Sunday.
The federal cabinet’s national security committee is due to meet on Monday morning with a specific COVID-19 agenda, particularly to consider the outbreaks, a government spokesman said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will also reconvene the national cabinet to meet as soon as possible this week.
Acting Premier James Merlino flagged further border restrictions.
Credit:Simon Schluter
Senior Victorian cabinet ministers were actively considering shutting the border to New South Wales entirely, as well as parts of Queensland and Western Australia, where new COVID-19 cases were recorded over the weekend.
The Andrews government is actively considering shutting the border to New South Wales entirely, as well as parts of Queensland and WA, with a national security meeting to discuss the spread of COVID-19 on Monday.
NSW Health has not ruled out the Wollongong local catching the virus in quarantine.
“Several returned overseas travellers in the same quarantine hotel returned positive COVID-19 results while the case reported today was undertaking quarantine,” NSW Health said in a statement.
“NSW Health is investigating any potential links between these cases and today’s case.
“Comprehensive testing is under way to assist NSW Health understand the timing and nature of the case’s infection, including whether their infection is a known variant of concern.”
Contact tracers are contacting all travellers who stayed on the same floor at the Sofitel at the same time as the new case to request they get tested.
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Residents of dozens of NSW suburbs are being urged to monitor any possible coronavirus symptoms after viral fragments were detected at two wastewater plants.
It comes as all states and territories on Saturday recorded another day of no new locally acquired cases.
Seven cases were recorded in hotel quarantine - three in Victoria, two in Western Australia and one each in NSW and the Northern Territory.
The National Incident Centre has just advised an 8th day in the last nine of zero cases of community transmission w no lives lost Australia wide & thankfully we are back to zero cases in ICU. Sadly there have been 16,400 lives lost & over 650,000 cases globally today. Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) January 23, 2021
Australia marks seven days without a local case skynews.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from skynews.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.