What time is the Gladys Berejiklian NSW COVID-19 press conference today with update on Sydney lockdown decision?
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is staring down the barrel of a potential Sydney lockdown as school holidays get underway. The NSW government will hold a crisis meeting on Friday morning to review the states response to a growing number of COVID-19 cases across Sydney, which has so far avoided a lockdown. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is expected to provide a COVID-19 update on Friday. This article will be updated with the time as soon as its confirmed. Click here watch the press conference LIVE. So far, there are 36 cases linked to the so-called Bondi cluster that erupted in the citys east last week. The coalition government has held off declaring a lockdown, instead preferring to restrict the movements of residents, increase mask wearing and limit social and other gatherings. Its the detail, the information we have behind the scenes that our expert health officials look at, that gives us the confidence to the make a decision and the advise at this stage is not to lock down, Deputy Premier John Barilaro told Nine Network on Friday. Well see what the numbers are like this morning when the crisis cabinet meets again at 9.30am.  But the advice could change in the next few hours, and it could change over the weekend.  Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday warned the state was facing its scariest period since the pandemic began. NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has warned that lockdown is not off the cards. Credit: AAP  NSW Health added several exposure sites including two cafes in Potts Point, two cafes in Alexandria and a health club in Bondi Junction to its list of venues of concern on Thursday evening and Friday morning. Despite widespread speculation Sydney was on the brink of another lockdown, Berejiklian held her nerve but flagged a police blitz to nab anyone defying the restrictions announced on Wednesday. Since the pandemic has started, this is perhaps the scariest period that NSW is going through, she said on Thursday. It is a very contagious (Delta) variant but at the same time we are at this stage comfortable that the settings that are in place are the appropriate settings, but that is so long as everybody does the right thing.  NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Credit: AAP  Berejiklian on Thursday warned the state was facing its scariest period since the pandemic began. There were 18 new cases recorded from 48,402 tests in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, 13 of which were announced previously. Another six cases were detected after the 8pm cut-off - which will be included in Fridays official tally - adding to the five new cases confirmed on Thursday for a tally of 11, for an overall total of 36. All but one of the new cases are linked to a known case or cluster.