Pubs, clubs and parties drive upswing in Sydney cases By Mary Ward
December 8, 2021 — 12.01
Pubs, clubs and end-of-year parties are driving an upswing in coronavirus cases in NSW, the state’s Chief Health Officer says, as authorities investigate a possible second Omicron cluster linked to a cruise last week.
The state reported 403 new local COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the highest figure since October 14.
Although case numbers are usually slightly higher on Wednesdays – reflecting a bump in people presenting for testing after the weekend – the state is also seeing an increase in its test positivity rate.
“NSW Health is seeing an increased number of cases over the last couple of days, and what we’ve been observing is increased transmission in larger social venues such as pubs, clubs and party settings,” Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said.
“This is [then] contributing to the increase in cases, and they’re predominantly occurring in vaccinated individuals.”
The increase in case numbers has particularly been seen in the South Western Sydney Local Health District and the Sydney Local Health District.
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