Lunar Electric Music Festival cancelled as NSW records 1742 new Covid cases

A music festival set for Newcastle on Saturday has been cancelled due to rapidly growing Covid case numbers in the area. NSW recorded 1742 new cases on Thursday; and a Newcastle clubber has been fined $10,000.

The highly anticipated Lunar Electric Music Festival set for Newcastle on Saturday has been cancelled at the eleventh hour by health authorities in light of growing Covid cases in the area.

“NSW Health considered that the ongoing spread of Covid-19 in the Newcastle area, where the majority of a record number of cases are the Omicron variant of concern, presents too great a risk for the festival to take place this weekend,” NSW Health said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.

“NSW Health has advised the organisers of the festival this afternoon of the cancellation.”

It comes as NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty urged people to postpone social events in Newcastle until after Christmas.

Saturday’s Lunar Electric Music Festival in Newcastle has been cancelled. Picture Glenn Hampson

NEWCASTLE CLUBBER FINED $10K

The cancellation came as a man believed to have sparked a super spreading event at a Newcastle nightclub was fined $10,000 for twice breaching close contact isolation requirements.

Police allege 20-year-old Godol Latio was told by NSW Health that he was a close contact on December 8, and was required to self-isolate for seven days.

“It’s understood the man subsequently attended a licensed premises on Wharf Road later that evening, and also attended a private residence in Adamstown on Saturday (11 December 2021),” a NSW Police statement said.

It’s alleged that Latio received a text message informing him he was a close contact at about 7pm, before he went to the Argyle House nightclub.

Argyle House in Newcastle.

He has been served with two $5,000 fines for the alleged isolation breaches.

NSW Health on December 12 linked the Argyle House nightclub outbreak to a person who attended a harbour boat party on December 3.

Hundreds of Covid cases have been linked to the Newcastle exposure event between 9pm and 3am on December 9.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant on Wednesday said that more than 30 per cent of attendees have now tested positive.

CHRISTMAS COVID WARNING FOR NEWCASTLE

Officials have issued a blunt ultimatum to one area of NSW as case numbers continue to skyrocket across the state.

Thursday saw daily Covid figures reach 1742 new infections although there were no new deaths.

Twelve of today’s new cases were Omicron infections, meaning there are now 122 confirmed cases of the new variant in NSW.

NSW COVID-19 update – Thursday 16 December 2021

In the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm last night:

- 94.8% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 93.3% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/knbjCV5X8A

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) December 15, 2021

NSW Health officials wrote in a statement on Thursday that Newcastle locals should “seriously reconsider” their pre-Christmas plans- or risk missing out on Christmas Day with their loved ones if they are exposed.

“We urge the local Newcastle community to seriously consider deferring any social events in Newcastle until after Christmas in order to help keep family Christmas gatherings safe, and to help protect their loved ones, the vulnerable and our essential workers,” officials wrote.

“Several venues and events have now seen transmission of COVID-19, and NSW Health again asks everyone across the community to continue to be particularly careful and practise Covid-safe behaviours.”

NSW residents are flocking to Covid test clinics. Picture: Toby Zerna

Under the current isolation rules, a fully vaccinated close contact who is exposed on or after December 18 will miss out on Christmas Day, as they will need to do seven days of quarantine.

It comes as a third Newcastle pub was identified as an exposure site on Wednesday, with visitors to the Cambridge Hotel between 6:30pm December 10 and 2:30am December 11 considered close contacts.

But authorities want all NSW residents to stay alert.

“Omicron will quickly spread in other parts of the state,” the statement read.

There are currently 192 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 26 people in ICU including eight on ventilators.

Across NSW, 94.8 per cent of people aged 16 and over have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 93.3 per cent are fully vaccinated.

In Victoria, 1622 new cases were recorded and another nine people have died.