Abel Tuamasaga and his family were tested for COVID-19 at their Campbelltown apartment block on Wednesday morning.

Abel Tuamasaga and his family were tested for COVID-19 at their Campbelltown apartment block on Wednesday morning.Credit:Kate Geraghty

“All residents of the building have been determined to be close contacts and are required to undergo repeat testing and isolate for 14 days,” the spokesperson said,“Testing will be provided to residents in their apartments,as they cannot leave during their isolation period.”

Resident Abel Tuamasaga,who lives in the block with his wife and four children,aged 11 to 23,said they received an email from building management on Tuesday night before “all of a sudden,there’s police everywhere”.

“They sent an email[that said] about five people upstairs,on the fifth floor,contracted the virus,” he said. “Now they’re trying to test everybody,and they’ve locked the whole building down.”

Police and private security will patrol the building while food and other services,including daily welfare checks,will be provided,the spokesperson said.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said NSW Health was “concerned about how quickly the virus is spreading in apartment complexes”.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said they were instituting further testing and control measures in relation to the Campbelltown complex,“as we understand how transmission occurred”.

Advertisement
Residents on their balcony at Warby Street,Campbelltown.

Residents on their balcony at Warby Street,Campbelltown.Credit:Kate Geraghty

“We are responding to nine cases across seven units,” she said.

“Some of the transmission events clearly occurred between family groups or friends,but we are interviewing a number of cases that were detected overnight through swabbing of that entire premise,and we will make those decisions after that.”

Dr Chant urged people living in apartment buildings to get tested as early as possible and minimise contact with others in common areas such as stairwells,foyers,shared laundry facilities and lifts.

Mr Tuamasaga is not worried about his health,but is “really frustrated” as he can’t complete his community work,delivering food to families in need.

Police are assisting NSW Health at the scene.

Police are assisting NSW Health at the scene.Credit:Kate Geraghty

His adult children are also unable to go to work and the family were already trying to keep the younger children occupied during Sydney’s sixth week of lockdown.

“Now we actually can’t even go outside,” Mr Tuamasaga said. “We’re basically all grounded.”

He and his wife are not vaccinated and he holds a number of concerns about the risks.

He said the family were tested for COVID-19 on Wednesday morning but have not been given any indication as to how long they will be locked inside.

Loading

“They haven’t communicated that at all,” he said. “We’re still in the dark. I guess,awaiting results.”

He said that,fortunately,his dog lives with a relative nearby and the family had already stocked up food in their freezer in preparation as they did not know what was going to happen.

“Everybody’s in good spirits,” he said. “If anything,it sort of brings us closer as a family.”

Police on Wednesday said officers were assisting health authorities at the scene.

“The NSW Police Force is currently providing support to NSW Health in their initial assessment of reported cases of COVID-19 within an apartment block in Campbelltown,” police said.

Loading

Last week, a Blacktown social housing complex was forced into a 14-day lockdown after six residents across three households tested positive for COVID-19.

People living in Canterbury-Bankstown,Fairfield,Liverpool,Blacktown,Cumberland,Parramatta,Campbelltown and Georges River must limit their shopping and exercise to no more than five kilometres from home,carry proof of address at all times and wear a mask in outdoor public areas.

Across Greater Sydney,masks must be warn in indoor areas of common property in residential buildings.

Of the 233 local cases of COVID-19 reported in NSW in the 24-hour period to 8pm on Tuesday,93 were from the South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD) and 65 from Western Sydney LHD.

Our Breaking News Alertwillnotify you of significant breaking news when it happens.Get it here.

License this article

Most Viewed in National

Loading