COVID NSW: All 21 beaches from Manly to Palm Beach close

Avalon residents are bracing themselves for Christmas in isolation as Surf Life Saving NSW make the call to close all 21 beaches along the peninsula.

Northern Beaches Council and Surf Life Saving NSW have made the call to close all 21 beaches along the peninsula, from Palm Beach to Manly.

The decision comes as a further 10 cases were announced overnight, bringing the state’s total to 28, with 25 of those linked to the Avalon cluster.

“We are backing the Government’s call for residents of the northern beaches to stay at home for the next few days,” said Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steven Pearce.

“Please don’t go to the beach, both to limit the risk of spreading the virus, along with staying safe because beaches will not be patrolled, however, lifeguards are maintaining surveillance capability.

A surfer looks on as residents line up at Mona Vale Hospital for a COVID-19 test on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

The Surf Life Saving Sydney Northern Beaches Branch has also said that clubs will not be conducting surveillance over the weekend, but it will be boosting its Support Operations resources to respond to emergencies,” said Branch President Tracey Hare-Boyd

“We will have additional volunteer capability using our jet skis and drones if required to respond to incidents.

“Our network of Duty Officers will also be actively patrolling and can respond to incidents, co-ordinate assets and call-out teams,”

Avalon has transformed into a ghost town, with shops and cafes closed, Woolies almost deserted and even the local post office shut down as terrified locals either staying home or join the long queues for COVID testing.

Avalon, a usually laid-back surfing mecca has suddenly turned into a seething mass of fear, anger and frustration as it got ready to say goodbye to Christmas.

In the close-knit community almost everyone knows someone who was at the Avalon RSL on Sunday night dancing to the band called Nothing Too Serious, whose drummer tested positive on Thursday to the virus, along with an elderly couple who had hit the dancefloor.

Or they know someone who was at Avalon Bowlo on Sunday afternoon, where the elderly couple joined dozens of other grandparents and parents for a Christmas party for preschoolers. They are all now self-isolating.

The man is a keen surfer who meets up with his mates at the Sneaky Grind Cafe after hitting the beach. His mates have all been tested.

Or, if they had not been there themselves this week everyone knows one of the hundreds of tradies who have made Oliver’s Pies one of the suburb’s most popular cafes until it closed yesterday after the same couple lined up there on Monday morning.

Exclusive, private Trappers Way at Avalon Beach was in virtual lockdown after at least one of the positive cases ­attended the street’s Christmas party of around 30 people on Sunday afternoon, which doubled as the annual general meeting of the committee in charge of maintaining the roadway.

A note posted at the street’s entrance by the local committee said residents, ­“especially those who atten­ded the TW AGM last Sunday, should get tested”.

The sign warning Trappers Way …

… residents to get tested. Picture: Toby Zerna

Another father who lived on the street but did not ­attend the party said it was a deeply frustrating time, particularly for his young children who needed to be tested and isolate.

“Very frustrating mate, very frustrating … I can’t go to my (work) Christmas party, my Christmas party’s today,” he said.

Also farewelling Christmas are the members of the Nothing Too Serious band.

Guitarist Tony Le Bars said they were all ­really health conscious and did not think they had been the cause of the outbreak.

He said the drummer told them yesterday morning that he had tested positive.

“He’s very sad, he is so conscious of his own health and of those around him,” Le Bars said. “We have told him he is not to blame.”

The queue for the pop-up COVID testing clinic at Avalon on Thursday. Picture: Tim Hunter

Le Bars said other band members were getting tested and self-isolating, but none of them had symptoms.

“The crowd is very local and very supportive. There is no blame game.”

He said he had planned to visit his children in Queensland over Christmas but had now had to cancel. His father had suffered a fall and he could not help him.

“But everyone has their problems, it’s not just me or us,” he said.

He said Nothing Too Serious, a rock’n’roll covers band, had been so careful during the pandemic that they had not even been practising and had just started doing gigs again.

They have cancelled a planned concert for this Sunday at Avalon Bowlo.

With mayhem at testing facilities across the northern beaches, a pop-up centre opened in Avalon where a local, who asked to be named as Sam, said he was in one of the clubs the couple had visited at the weekend.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

“There goes Christmas,” Sam said. “It’s buggered.

“Even if I get a negative ­result I still have to self-isolate for 14 days, and that takes us right over Christmas.”

Sam and his partner said they had invited seven guests for Christmas lunch, as well as a bunch of friends popping in and out on Christmas Day.

Also waiting in line to be tested at the Avalon Recreation Centre was Liam Mitchell, of Clareville, who said he worked as a part-time bartender at the RSL.

“It sucks,” he said. “I don’t want to miss out on Christmas. I’m supposed to be going to Byron Bay on Boxing Day. And I don’t want to miss beers with the boys.”