Northern beaches cluster: NSW hotspot resident travelled to Ulladulla

A regional community is on high alert after a northern beaches man, 70, broke strict coronavirus restrictions to go to a public pool three hours south.

A 70-year-old man who allegedly travelled from Sydney’s northern beaches hotspot into a regional community is being investigated and faces a hefty fine for flagrantly breaching strict coronavirus restrictions.

It’s believed the northern beaches man travelled more than three hours down the coast to Ulladulla in the Shoalhaven region and was busted trying to enter a leisure centre at about 4pm on Monday.

Staff confirmed the man had been in the hotspot zone during the time health authorities were concerned about community transmission, according to Shoalhaven City Council, meaning the man would have breached a strict public health order.

The incident was reported to police and the Ulladulla leisure centre will remain closed until officers have finished their investigation.

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Ulladulla Leisure Centre has been closed after a 70-year-old man from the northern beaches broke lockdown and travelled tree hours south. Picture: Ulladulla Leisure Centre/ Facebook

NSW Police confirmed to NCA NewsWire the 70-year-old is being investigated by local officers for breaching the public health order, which required anyone who had been in the hotspot zone to stay on the northern beaches or isolate.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said those failing to follow instructions from health authorities were a “small minority” and she wanted the rest of the state to view the 70-year-old’s disobedience as a reminder of what not to do.

“Remember, our health advice also was that if you’d left the northern beaches after December 10, you should be treating yourself as though you were living on the northern beaches,” she told reporters on Tuesday morning.

“So if you left on December 10 or 11 and you went to a regional community or you went to another part of Sydney where you’re staying with a friend or a relative, you have to assume that you are living in your home on the northern beaches and make sure that you are not leaving the home unless it’s for those essential reasons.

“We believe the policy settings we have in place at this stage are the right ones.”

Seven cases were added to the northern beaches cluster on Tuesday, taking the total figure to 90.

Health authorities have imposed restrictions across the state to halt the spread of the concerning outbreak, which grew to 83 on Monday.

Those orders include:

• Household gatherings will be limited to 10 visitors (until 11:59pm December 23)

• The one person per four square metre rule will be reintroduced for all indoor settings including hospitality venues and places of worship.

• A cap of 300 people will apply for hospitality venues and places of worship.

• Singing and chanting at indoor venues will not be allowed.

• Dance floors will not be permitted, except for weddings, when a maximum of 20 from the bridal party will be permitted.

Mr Hazzard delivered a spray on Monday, claiming people weren’t taking the deadly virus seriously. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The possible breach comes after NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard revealed “stupid” Sydneysiders were falling to take the deadly virus seriously by providing fake names at check-in facilities at pubs and other venues.

“We have world class tracers in health,” he said. “But they can only do their job if we as a community give them the information they need if and when it is needed.

“Now, what we are finding is that some of the visitors to various venues still think that it is funny to be caught putting in there that you’re Donald Duck or mickey mouse or a false phone number. That must stop.

“This is a worldwide COVID pandemic. And thinking it’s smart to call yourself Donald Duck or mickey mouse is about as stupid as it gets. So that must cease.”

Originally published as Northern beaches cluster: NSW hotspot resident travelled to Ulladulla