Coronavirus NSW: Four new cases, Woolworths Campbelltown alert
NSW Health officials have issued an alert for a Woolworths in Sydney’s southwest after four new coronavirus cases were diagnosed in the past day. Meanwhile, a dying Victorian man has been allowed into the state to see his son.
NSW
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Four more people have been diagnosed with coronavirus NSW in the past day as the state government continues to ease restrictions in the lead up to school holidays.
Of Friday’s new cases, three are returned travellers in hotel quarantine and the fourth is a man in his 50s who contracted the virus locally, with no known source.
Anyone who attended Woolworths at Campbelltown Mall on Thursday September 17 from 1.30pm to 2.30pm is considered a casual contact of this case, and urged to monitor for symptoms and get tested if they develop.
On Friday, the state government announced theatres, cinemas and concert halls would be able to increase their COVID-safe capacity to 50 per cent, up to 1000 guests, and corporate events at function centres would be able to welcome up to 300 attendees from next week.
VICTORIA RECORDS 14 CASES, EIGHT DEATHS
Victoria has recorded 14 new virus cases and eight more deaths on Friday, the state’s Department of Health has confirmed.
The low figures recorded consistently across the week means Melbourne’s crucial 14-day average remains firmly below 30, standing at 25.1.
The drop in cases also points towards a possible easing of lockdown restrictions before the scheduled date in late October.
Metropolitan Melbourne’s 14-day average has achieved the state’s 30 to 50 case range required to move to the second step on the State Government’s COVID-19 road map recovery plan from September 28.
That step will allow childcare centres to reopen, schools to begin a staged return to classrooms and outdoor gatherings of up to five people from two households.
DYING VICTORIAN ALLOWED IN NSW FOR SON’S WEDDING
A dying Victorian man has been granted an exemption to travel to NSW in time for his son‘s wedding after earlier being knocked back by our state’s health authorities.
Gary Willcocks, 49, will still complete hotel quarantine at his own expense before attending the wedding – but he has now been granted permission to enter NSW, something Victorians are granted only in certain circumstances.
The travel permit – which was granted on the proviso of a negative COVID test – was granted after The Daily Telegraph raised the issue with Health Minister Brad Hazzard.
Mr Willcocks has been diagnosed with bowel cancer, and in February was told he only had up to two years to live.
Earlier this month he sought an exemption to travel into NSW to attend his only son’s wedding, on October 10.
He planned to travel to the wedding after completing two weeks in hotel quarantine.
However, a Victorian resident, he is prevented from entering NSW except in certain circumstances.
Mr Willcocks said he did not qualify for a permit to enter NSW on compassionate grounds as he is not seeking to visit a dying person or attend a funeral.
His sister raised the matter with Opposition Leader Jodi McKay, saying NSW Health should show some compassion and allow him to enter the state.
Following inquiries from The Daily Telegraph about Mr Willcocks’ case on Thursday, a travel permit has now been granted.
Gary Willcocks said he received a call from Mr Hazzard yesterday afternoon to tell him NSW has granted him an exemption to travel.
“I just have to go and get a COVID test and hopefully get the results back before I fly out,” he said.
He said he was “stoked” at the outcome.
Mr Willcocks’ son, Alan Logue, was delighted his dad will now be able to attend his wedding.
“Him being sick is the reason I didn’t postpone the wedding in the first place, because if I postponed it I didn’t know if he was going to be there or not,” Mr Logue said.
“The thing I wanted the most was for dad to be there, and now he’s going to be.”
Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park welcomed the decision to give Mr Willcocks an exemption.
“I am really pleased that common sense has prevailed,” Mr Park said.
NSW/VICTORIA BORDER RULES EASED TODAY
A new agriculture permit will be available from today, which will allow workers to travel through NSW and Victoria as the states’ border zone is expected to be expanded soon.
The permit, now on the Service NSW website, contains strict conditions including self-isolating when not working and wearing PPE equipment.
“There’s quite a few requirements of that permit, so please, if you get a permit, be right across your requirements,” Murray River Police District Commander Superintendent Paul Smith said on Friday morning.
Supt Smith said there were now 50,000 daily movements across the NSW-Victoria border, up from 20,000 before restrictions were eased and the border zone expanded to a 50km radius earlier this month.
He said with help of residents choosing to travel “off peak times”, the queue times at the Albury checkpoint were now no longer than 20 minutes.
Discussions have also continued around the expanding the NSW-Victoria border zone, after some towns missed out.
“I’ve spoken directly to the [NSW] Health Minister on this one and I understand I can confirm that they are working on that,” Justin Clancy, member for Albury said.
Mr Clancy said arrangements for southern NSW families who would like to be sending their children to boarding school in Melbourne and for Murray River access for Victorian residents were also being worked through.
“I’m also having conversations about making sure the government is thinking through the steps in terms of removal of the border full stop,” he added.
HOLIDAY HOT SPOTS FULLY BOOKED FOR LONG WEEKEND
The state’s sleepy beachside towns will surge to full capacity in just over a week’s time as cashed-up Sydneysiders explore NSW.
Holiday hot spots of Byron Bay, Port Macquarie and Yamba are effectively at capacity for the October long weekend, with less than one per cent of available holiday homes still available for rent, according to bookings platform Stayz.
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It comes as caravan parks in the northern parts of the state have recorded a surge in bookings for the upcoming school holidays compared to the same time last year.
Fire-ravaged communities are also reaping the benefits of moneyed city slickers who normally jet off to Europe for their holidays, with towns like Pambula Beach recording a 300 per cent rise in holiday home bookings compared to the same time last year.
Jervis Bay has less than one per cent of its 1282 holiday houses left available to rent for the upcoming long weekend, while Nelson Bay in Port Stephens has less than 2 per cent of its 1345 homes still vacant.
Those chasing a last-minute booking should consider the Snowy Mountains region, where there are still a significant number of lake and mountain homes for rent.
Discovery Holiday Parks and G’day Parks chief executive Grant Wilkins said bookings in the 40 parks his company operates in NSW were up, with northern NSW bookings almost double what they were this time last year.
“I think caravan parks are regarded as a safe environment, where you’re not walking through corridors and shared airconditioning,” he said.
While parks in the state’s north were in demand, he said those on the state’s south coast, including at Pambula Beach, still had plenty of vacancies because of the lack of Victorian tourists who normally frequent them.
“The biggest challenge is the border parks — Pambula Beach is 400 metres of oceanfront — it is an amazing holiday but it historically has been more (popular with people from) Melbourne.”