Coronavirus NSW: Weddings, junior sport restrictions eased
Bridal parties of up to 20 people will be allowed to dance at weddings and both parents will be permitted to watch school sport this weekend, under a loosening of COVID-19 restrictions announced by the NSW government.
NSW
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Bridal parties of up to 20 people will be allowed to dance at weddings and both parents will be permitted to watch on the sidelines at school sport this weekend, under a loosening of COVID-19 restrictions announced by the NSW government.
And some regulations for schools will also change for term 4, with a return to regular school sporting activities.
However parents will be prevented from attending school sport during the day.
Singing and choirs will be back on for up for five people and music ensembles will return to normal however social distancing will apply.
It comes as NSW recorded just one case of COVID-19 in the last 24 hour reporting period, with no community transmissions reported once again.
“Till 8pm last night we only had one cases in quarantine and no cases of community transmission,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
“However, since 8 o’clock last night and not included in today’s numbers, we have had one case which is still under investigation.
“There is a possible known link and investigations are underway.”
The case is believed to be a man aged in his 50s who is in ICU at Campbelltown Hospital.
Sport Minister Geoff Lee said all parents will be able to attend their child’s sports games from this weekend.
“It is great news today that both parents can watch their kid from this weekend, score a try or kick a goal,” he said.
“In fact, more than both parents can go as long as they practice social distancing and follow the COVID plan.
“It’s welcome news, we know that finals start this weekend, this will allow more than two parents to actually watch their children play.
“Following your venue’s COVIDSafe plan is important but most of all use common sense.”
Strict rules effectively prohibiting bands, choirs, and music groups have also been wound back.
Under dramatically reduced restrictions, music ensembles can now resume with no limits on numbers. However, players will need to be 1.5 metres apart.
People playing flutes and recorders must keep a three metre distance. Choirs can meet, limited to five people.
The reduced restrictions come after musicians lobbied the NSW government for change.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the new rules are “freeing up a lot more in relation to the opportunities for musicians in our community to enjoy more of what they’ve done in the past”.
Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said it was important that school music will resume next term.
“Music ensembles will be able to have unlimited numbers of students taking part … as long as they adhere to social distancing requirements.
“Music education is really important,” she said.
DYING DAD REFUSED ENTRY TO NSW
A dying Victorian man says he has been knocked back from entering NSW to attend his son’s wedding because he does not qualify for an entry permit on compassionate grounds.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard is now reviewing the permit application following inquiries from The Daily Telegraph.
Gary Willcocks, 49, has bowel cancer and was told in February he had up to two years to live.
He wants to come into NSW to complete two weeks of quarantine before attending his only son Nathan’s wedding in Coolangatta on October 10.
As a Victorian resident, he is prevented from entering NSW except in certain circumstances.
Mr Willcocks told The Daily Telegraph he was knocked back for a permit to enter NSW on compassionate grounds as he is not seeking to visit a dying person or attend a funeral.
To attend the wedding after compulsory quarantine, Mr Willcocks would need to travel to Sydney before Saturday.
Mr Willcocks questioned why he was prevented from travelling to NSW despite having been in effective isolation in Victoria since February amid his health concerns.
“I just don’t go out, or if I do like it’s only for chemo or to get my blood work done and I’m fully masked and all the rest of it,” he said.
The Daily Telegraph has contacted NSW Health about Mr Willcocks’ application.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard spoke to Mr Willcocks about his application this morning.
Mr Hazzard said the application was worth of reconsideration.
The Minister said he was calling for all the paperwork to personally make an assessment.
Mr Willcocks’ sister wrote to Labor Leader Jodi McKay last week about the situation, saying the NSW government should grant the permit amid easing restrictions in this state.
“This is a heartbreaking story and we are calling on the NSW Government to show compassion to this family and allow Mr Wilcock’s to be at the wedding of his only child,” Labor’s Health spokesman Ryan Park said.
VICTORIA’S LATEST
Victoria has recorded 12 new cases of coronavirus overnight, along with two deaths.
Metropolitan Melbourne’s 14-day rolling average has been driven down to 26.7.
It’s a further drop from Wednesday’s average of 29.4.
The tally, now firmly below 30, has exceeded the state’s 30 to 50 case range required to move to the second step on the government’s COVID-19 road map recovery plan from September 28.
That step will allow childcare to reopen, schools to begin a staged return to classrooms and outdoor gatherings of up to five people from two households.
The low figure also points towards a possible easing of lockdown restrictions before the scheduled date in late October.
SYDNEY NYE FIREWORKS TO GO AHEAD
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says Sydney Harbour New Year’s Eve fireworks will look very different to other years, with the “majority” of people staying home.
Ms Berejiklian confirmed on Thursday they will “go ahead in one form or another” after The Daily Telegraph exclusively revealed the news.
She said the government is looking into what was possible “in a COVID-safe way” but that most people would celebrate at home.
“The vast majority of us will be at home celebrating with family and friends but we do want to make sure there is some hope for the New Year.”
The NSW government resolved yesterday to push on with the event in the face of resistance from Lord Mayor Clover Moore and her council., saying it was willing to pay for the display.
Senior ministers and the Premier have held crisis talks for weeks after City of Sydney indicated it had major hesitations over putting on New Year’s fireworks due to pandemic concerns.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres were intent on finding a way to put on a safe event so that the Harbour City could send a strong economic signal that it was open for business.
The government will seek high level health advice to ensure the event is held safely, and remain aware that a dramatic outbreak in COVID cases or a major second wave could still scuttle plans.
The event will be different to previous years and the display will likely be limited or scaled down, but the Berejiklian government remains optimistic it can pull it off.
“This has been a challenging year,” Ms Berejiklian said. “We want to offer the people of NSW — and people around the world — a sign of hope.”
The government hopes to work with City of Sydney on the project and remains in discussions over the event, despite Ms Moore indicating her reluctance to proceed as recently as Friday.
Mr Ayres will take the plan to a meeting with Ms Moore today.
It is understood other Sydney local governments, including the Inner West Council, have privately expressed an interest in supporting the fireworks.
OFFICIALLY OPEN: SA WELCOMES NSW RESIDENTS
The South Australian border was flung open at midnight after NSW recorded a second consecutive day with no new locally-acquired coronavirus cases.
NSW has so far recorded 14 days without a mystery case with Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant declaring the last mystery case was recorded on September 7.
“While we have had cases reported recently, we have been able to identify the source of those,” she said.
If NSW continues to record no mystery cases for another two weeks, the border to Queensland could also be opened.
According to Queensland health authorities, the border to NSW could be opened if we record no cases “where the contact tracing and testing is unable to identify how the person was infected” for 28 days.
Queensland’s Deputy Premier yesterday attacked Scott Morrison following talks about Australian Defence Force troops pulling out of the Queensland border patrol operation.
“There’s no secret that the Prime Minister doesn’t like our strong border protections, but they have kept us safe,” Steven Miles said.
Mr Miles said Queensland is under ongoing political attack from Canberra.
“Our policies have worked and they should back off.”
It came as Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall hit out at the Queensland government‘s exclusion of some NSW regions from the border bubble as “extraordinary and illogical”, warning that it could put farmers’ livelihood at risk.
Mr Marshall said it was “a crying shame” some regions surrounding Byron Bay, such as Inverell and Warialda, were not included in the latest border bubble exemptions. He also hit out at the Sunshine State’s refusal to sign up to a new agricultural code that will allow farmers to move freely through borders for the spring harvest as “bitterly disappointing”.
“My obvious question is: What health risk is presented by people who live in Inverell, Warialda and Baringa that is not presented by people that live in Ballina and Byron. The inconsistencies in the approach of the Queensland Government is extraordinary and illogical.”
There were six new COVID cases reported by NSW Health on Wednesday, and all were returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
Dr Chant said “levels of transmission in the community appear to be extremely low” but urged for more people to get tested ahead of the school holidays.
The next two weeks are critical in keeping community transmission low, with school holidays leading to more movement and interaction in the community.
“Our population will be more mobile than we’ve been since probably February in the next fortnight,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
“And that poses some risk as well.”
ANDREWS RESISTED REQUESTS FROM PM
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews had to be convinced to accept Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s offer of 1000 extra Australian Defence Force troops to help the state fight the deadly second wave of COVID-19, according to a series of letters released through Freedom of Information laws.
The letters, obtained by Sky News Australia, were sent from Mr Morrison directly to the Victorian Premier and detail the pressure the PM had to place on Mr Andrews to accept any outside assistance, and came after the Victorian government rescinded a previous request for assistance.
In one letter, sent on July 11, Mr Morrison said the help might include “an estimated 1000 ADF (personnel)”.
In an earlier letter dated July 4, Mr Morrison wrote that he was worried the state might need assistance as the number of cases, writing: “I note with concern that the Victorian COVID-19 case numbers have escalated to 108 cases today, as part of an increased trend of cases during the past week.”
On June 26, before these letters were written, the Prime Minister revealed in a press conference that a request for 850 ADF officers made by the Victorians as the state’s second wave gathered steam had been rescinded.
The Commonwealth submission to the Victorian government’s hotel quarantine inquiry tabled this month said that on June 24 Victoria’s emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp sent an email to Emergency Management Australia and the ADF attaching three requests for assistance, one of which sought up to 850 ADF personnel.
The next day, June 25, Mr Crisp sent an email withdrawing the request “based on changing operational and resourcing requirements”.
DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR COVID PATIENTS
An infectious diseases expert has said it is possible Australia has seen COVID-19 patients reinfected more than once with the virus.
Fears are growing globally that COVID-19 reinfections are on the rise with experts weighing in on the probability of getting coronavirus twice as numbers soar again overseas.
Australian National University infectious diseases physician Dr Sanjaya Senanayake told News Corp Australia it is possible we have had cases of reinfection that we don’t know about.
“Is it possible that someone had a very mild infection the first time and then the second time they got a mild infection, got tested and it was positive? Yes, it is possible,” he said.
“But I’d hope in most cases you’d get a bit longer immunity than three or four months.
“In other coronaviruses you’d get a year to two years immunity,” he said.
Dr Senanayake said we need to learn to live with safety guards in place.
“Where there is uncertainty on whether every person that has had it can get it again I’d exercise on the side of caution and continue what we have been doing: physical distancing, good hygiene, wearing masks where it is required where we can’t safely physically distance,” he said.
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