Covid 19 coronavirus: Infected nurse sparks Covid crisis at NSW hospitals

The nurse's infection has sparked ward lockdowns.

Multiple NSW hospital wards have been sent into lockdown after a student nurse tested positive to Covid-19.

The 24-year-old is believed to have worked at the rehabilitation wards at Fairfield Hospital and a cardiology and a general abdominal surgery ward at the Royal North Shore Hospitals during her infectious period.

Those wards have now been locked down as authorities rush to conduct contact tracing.

It is not clear if the student nurse was vaccinated.

"We know that the student nurse worked whilst infectious on a number of days, and obviously immediately our health team swung into action," chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said.

"So the wards that that staff member worked at have been locked down, so that's not taking any additional patients.

"We have also followed up any patients that have been discharged from those wards. We are also arranging testing for any staff that may have come in contact.

"I'm pleased to say that to date the tests have been negative, but it's much too early to tell, whether we will have any transmission and we have taken a very broad, infectious period because of our concern about the vulnerability of health care settings."

NSW has recorded 22 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in the outbreak to 171, with 160 of those linked to the Bondi cluster.

Of today's 22 cases, 11 were in isolation throughout their infectious period and a further five cases were in isolation for part of their infectious periods.

Six cases were infectious in the community.

NSW recorded 22 new locally acquired cases of #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, all of which are linked to previously confirmed cases. pic.twitter.com/q1N2eEtTiz

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 30, 2021

Premier Gladys Berejiklian offered some good news for NSW residents, saying today's numbers show the state hasn't seen the sharp surge in cases authorities were anticipating.

As a result, it is looking like locked down areas are set to have restrictions eased as planned on July 9.

"What we want to see moving forward in terms of positive trend is a higher proportion of people in isolation for the full time of their infectiousness. That is something our health experts will be looking at. Dr Chant advised us that that is one of the key things that Health looks at when talking about the success of a lockdown," Berejiklian said.

"So what is really important for all of us to keep doing the right thing because if we keep doing the right thing, everything we hope to achieve can be achieved in the time-frame that we've discussed.

"Please know that if all of us continue to work hard together, we can achieve what Health wants us to achieve, what all of us want to achieve in the time-frame that we've discussed.

"That is our assured way of seeing this lockdown end when we would like it to end, and also our assured way of dealing with this very infectious strain of the Covid-19.

"But I just want to urge all of our citizens to keep doing the right thing because it is working."