COVID NSW: Sydney restrictions ease on guest limits, face mask rules

The Premier has announced an easing of restrictions in Sydney but there’s a question mark over the immediate future of the New Zealand travel bubble.

Detailed test results from a “rapidly” evolving COVID-19 outbreak in New Zealand will determine if Australia decides to extend its current pause on quarantine-free travel on Thursday.

New Zealand health authorities reported two new “weak” coronavirus cases on Wednesday, forcing Australia to delay a ruling on the future of “green zone” travel from the previously COVID-19 free country.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd said Australian health experts were expecting more information from their New Zealand counterparts before the original 72 hour temporary suspension on “green zone” travel was due to expire at 2pm.

“The situation is evolving rapidly,” he said.

“We will be following up the details of both of these cases with the New Zealand authorities once further details, including the results of additional testing, are known.

“The Australian Government has not made a decision about whether to lift the pause on green zone flights at this time.”

The two new cases of COVID-19 were detected among people who had finished hotel quarantine in New Zealand on Wednesday afternoon.

The New Zealand Ministry of Health is carrying out “urgent testing” after they tested positive after staying at the same facility where a first community case stayed.

It is yet to be confirmed if the two new cases are recent or historical infections.

Relief for Sydney: COVID restrictions eased

Harsh restrictions introduced during the Avalon COVID-19 cluster will be eased from Friday after 10 straight days without a locally acquired case of the virus.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian met with her COVID-19 committee this morning before announcing a raft of changes.

The Premier will meet with her COVID-19 committee to discuss restrictions today. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

Up to 30 visitors will be allowed in homes, outdoor gatherings of 50 people will be permitted, and caps on weddings and funerals will be lifted to 300 people from 12.01am on Friday.

Hospitality venues will operate without caps under the four square metre rule.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has suggested that if we continue to see “zero to low” case numbers and testing remains high, settings where the four square metre rule applies will revert to the two square metre rule within two weeks.

Masks will remain compulsory on public transport, at hair and beauty salons and for hospitality workers. They will no longer be mandatory in retail shops but are strongly encouraged.

The easing of restrictions comes just days after revellers celebrated Australia Day with mass gatherings and parties but the Premier maintained on Wednesday that outdoor gatherings were less of risk.

“You are more likely to get the virus in a household setting. The last couple of cases we have in the Berala cluster was six people in the one household got the virus,” she said.

“So we know that throughout households, through indoor settings where there is no ventilation the virus is more likely to spread very quickly. Outdoor settings are less contagious.”

Crowds at Bondi Beach on January 26. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty

No new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 were detected in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm Tuesday as the daily numbers of tests processed rose slightly to 9,723.

The state has now recorded 10 days in a row with no community transmission.

Fragments of the COVID virus have been detected in the Liverpool sewage treatment plant with anyone living or working in the area urged to get tested if they have any symptoms.

Two new cases were detected in returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

PARLIAMENT HOUSE GETS DEEP CLEAN

Parliament House in Canberra has undergone a deep clean following a COVID-19 border breach now under police investigation.

A group of about 25 tourists from the Cumberland Local Government Area in Western Sydney visited Parliament for a guided tour on Tuesday, in breach of current ACT border restrictions.

A Department of Parliamentary Services spokeswoman said they were “aware” a group of people “potentially from a designated COVID-19 affected area of NSW” visited Parliament House against ACT public health directions.

“DPS has been in contact with ACT Health and provided relevant information to authorities as well as undertaking cleaning in line with COVID-safe plans for the building,” she said.

In a statement ACT Health said the matter had been referred to the police for further investigation.

Several LGAs in Western Sydney are still not allowed into Canberra without an exemption due to a cluster of cases in recent weeks.

Authorities only realised the group were from a barred part of Sydney when they were asked for their postcode in the Parliament House gift shop at the end of the tour.

PREMIER’S SWIPE AT LIBERAL COLLEAGUE

Ms Berejiklian also took a veiled swipe at fellow Liberal Craig Kelly for sharing views about COVID-19 that some medical experts have labelled misinformation.

However she declined to criticise the federal MP, saying “he is not in my team”.

Pressed on the ABC about Mr Kelly’s views, including that “compulsory mask mandates” amount to “child abuse,” Ms Berejiklian said: “all of us should always follow the health advice”.

Craig Kelly. Picture: Mick Tsikas

However she said questions about Mr Kelly’s views should be put to others, as he is a federal, not state, MP.

Asked if she had a “view” on “the misinformation (Craig Kelly) is spreading,” Ms Berejiklian said: “you should always base the actions you take based on health advice”.

“I don’t think any of us should waste our time on people who express opinions not based on evidence,” she said.

Defending his opinions on masks on Facebook on Monday, Mr Kelly said he has argued that “FORCING (sic) children to wear masks for EXTENDED PERIODS (sic) causes them significant physical & psychological harm”.

Overnight the MP posted about a handful of articles promoting the use of anti-parasitic treatment Ivermectin to treat COVID symptoms.

A research study published in The Lancet last week found patients with non-severe COVID who received the anti-parasitic drug had a reduction in symptoms but there was “no difference in the proportion of PCR positives”.