Coronavirus NSW: Six new COVID cases, Premier urges more testing
New coronavirus alerts have been released for venues in Wollongong, sparking fears for further community transmission south of Sydney.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
New coronavirus alerts have been released for venues in Wollongong, sparking fears for further community transmission south of Sydney.
NSW Health has this afternoon asked that anyone who attended the St Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church and The Holy Cross Greek Orthodox on Sunday, December 27 to get tested and self-isolate until they receive further advice.
Other venues of concern include the Figtree Grove Shopping Centre, Proust Optical in Figtree and Wollongong Central.
Pittwater Place in Mona Vale is also on the new alert list.
Click here to see the full list of locations, dates and times.
It comes as Premier Gladys Berejiklian this morning revealed there had been six new local cases of community transmission identified in NSW including a person in Wollongong who had been to Sydney, another from the inner west and one from the Central Coast.
The state officially recorded three new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday – all of which were already in isolation and linked to the Avalon cluster.
The further three infections were diagnosed overnight, after 8pm.
“I am not ruling out they are linked to the Avalon cluster but until those links are established all of us in Greater Sydney must be on high alert,” Ms Berejiklian said.
She also called for more testing after just 16,000 people came forward for swabs in the past day.
“We are really keen to elevate those testing numbers,” she said.
A statement from Central Coast Health said: “We are providing care and support to a third Central Coast resident who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
“As this person had been identified as a household contact of a previous Central Coast case linked to the Avalon cluster, they were already isolating at home before becoming infectious.
“There is therefore no risk to the community and no venues of concern to alert people to.”
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said contact tracers were working to establish the source of the three overnight cases.
“We have not ruled out that there are established links to one of those cases, but literally two of those notifications came in this morning, from the laboratory, and one came in at around 11pm last night.”
PREMIER HINTS AT RELIEF FOR NORTHERN BEACHES
The Premier also hinted at some relief for residents in the southern zone of the Northern Beaches.
Ms Berejiklian said the NSW Government was “considering its options” on how it can help businesses.
“As we see time move on, the threat in Greater Sydney is almost becoming as equal to part of the Northern Beaches and that is where we will be adjusting potentially some of our
restrictions,” Ms Berejiklian said.
She urged business to “keep trading”.
“We appreciate the frustration levels may be increasing but please know there is light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
“I know you are hurting.
“The government is considering its options on how to provide support to you. Please keep trading.”
POLICE MINISTER SLAMS LOCKDOWN BREACH
NSW Police Minister David Elliot has slammed the 12 Northern Beaches residents who attended a wedding at Pyrmont on Sunday, labelling the move a “bastard act”.
Mr Elliot said the group had the health and safety of Sydneysiders at risk.
“Well, it’s just a bastard act,” he told Nine.
“That’s the long and tall of it. You have been living in an area where there has been a cluster, putting the rest of the city in jeopardy.
“You are certainly putting the health and safety of your fellow man at risk because you are attending a wedding … and now everyone at that event has to worry if they have been exposed to COVID-19.”
Mr Elliot said it’s the type of behaviour that will send NSW back into a “fuller lockdown” and he said he had “no sympathy for the people that have been fined”.
POLICE GIVEN POWER TO FINE NYE RULE BREAKERS
In relation to New Year’s Eve, Mr Elliot said the Public Health Orders give police the power to fine and even jail people doing the wrong thing.
“Police (have) the power to not only move on but to fine and in fact, there is actually a provision there to incarcerate anybody for up to six months if they blatantly breach a public health order,” he said.
“The message … is you might want to spend New Year’s Eve at home this year.”
HUGS AND KISSES BANNED THIS NYE
Hugs and kisses have been forbidden when the clock strikes midnight and crowds banned from the harbour foreshore in a first-of-its-kind New Year’s Eve in Sydney thanks to COVID.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has urged people to keep their distance and their hands to themselves on Thursday night as the state bids farewell to a year most people are itching to put behind them.
“The more restrained we are at midnight, the better 2021 will be for all of us,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“As difficult as it is on New Year‘s Eve, mingling, singing, dancing … these are all highly contagious ways of spreading the virus.”
Household intimates aside, when it comes to making new friends on the night strict no-contact rules apply.
“I know that is a very emotional time, where we like to kiss and hug everybody around us,” the Premier said.
“Can I please ask for absolute restraint. As difficult as that it is, we ask people to refrain because that could be a super-spreading event … especially in the CBD.”
Even with only five new coronavirus cases reported in NSW on Monday, the Premier is still taking a cautious approach to controlling the pandemic.
Families have been encouraged to watch the fireworks on TV, with the foreshore closed to the public.
Ms Berejiklian warned that police would patrol hospitality venues for COVID compliance ensuring patrons were seated and there was only one person per four square metres.
In a bid to avoid overcrowding, the government withdrew its offer for frontline workers to view the seven-minute firework display from a prime vantage point in the CBD.
A NSW Health permit would be needed for residents along the foreshore and people entering the popular central venues.
“Australia, anywhere in the world for that matter, can enjoy the seven-minute display from home and that is the safest way this year to enjoy the fireworks,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“To all the frontline workers … unfortunately we‘ll have to pick a different time, a different way to thank you.”
Local councils will only be able to hold ticketed and seated events.
The fireworks crowd cancellation is a huge loss for the local economy, with the City of Sydney previously stating the annual display brings in more than $130m.
NORTHERN BEACHES LOCKDOWN EXTENDED
Northern beaches residents will be locked away until at least January 9 as the state government aims for zero COVID transmissions.
Five new cases linked to the Avalon cluster were detected in the 24 hours to 8pm Sunday night.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said tough stay-at-home restrictions for the northern peninsula zone will remain for another fortnight.
“That‘s because of the number of active cases we have (51), the number of people we have in isolation, the concentration of cases and also the fact that we still haven’t found the real root cause of how the virus actually got to the Avalon RSL,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We appreciate the frustration that many of you are experiencing, but if we ask you to do the hard yards now, we’re confident we’ll be able to regain normality much sooner than anticipated.”
Ms Berejiklian said current restrictions in the southern part of the peninsula will also continue until at least January 3.
“Our ultimate aim is to make that zone part of greater Sydney as soon as possible. There will be an easing of restrictions from the third, but what that looks like yet is yet to be determined,” she said.
This means restaurants, cafes, pubs, restaurants, except for takeaway, will be closed, including for New Year’s Eve.
US PASSES $3 TRILLION COVID RELIEF PACKAGE
The United States has narrowly avoided a national shutdown after President Donald Trump passed an emergency stimulus bill.
The bill passed the House and Senate on Monday evening and will see the US$2.3 trillion relief packages offer millions of Americans direct checks of $600 if they earn up to US$75,000 (AU$98,633) per year. People who make over US$95,000 (AU$124,935) will not receive a check.
The bill also included a new US$300 weekly unemployment benefit, and additional funding for vaccine distribution across the nation.
Over the weekend, Mr Trump tweeted his interest in changing the bill, saying individuals should receive checks of US$2000 per person, an increase of US$1400.
“As President, I have told Congress that I want far less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $2,000 checks per adult and $600 per child,” Mr Trump said in a statement.
On Saturday night, Mr Trump tweeted, “$2000 + $2000 plus other family members. Not $600. Remember, it was China’s fault!”
Had Mr Trump not signed off the on the bill, the US could have seen a shutdown similar to that of 2018, when the government entered a 35-day-long shutdown that lasted well into January 2020 and ultimately cost US$11 billion.
Join the conversation
Soaring ticket sales for Everest Day see extra police drafted as King set to make a cameo
More than 40,000 race goers are expected to attend the races in what will be the biggest crowd in modern history at the Sydney racetrack as excitement builds the king will make an appearance trackside.
Read more
Kidman farewells mother at private memorial
Actress Nicole Kidman has farewelled her late mother at a private memorial held in Sydney on Tuesday.
Read more