COVID NSW: Byron Bay Bluesfest cancelled by NSW Health
Health Minister Brad Hazzard has signed a public health order cancelling the planned Bluesfest over the Easter period.
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Health Minister Brad Hazzard has signed a public health order cancelling the planned Bluesfest over the Easter period.
A statement from NSW Health said: “This action is being taken to minimise the risk of the highly infectious COVID-19 variant of concern being transmitted in the local area, as well as across states and territories.
“Infectious Queensland travellers attended a number of venues in the Byron Bay area and the new locally acquired case was infected at one of these venues.
“NSW Health acknowledges that the cancellation of Bluesfest is disappointing for ticket holders and event organisers, however while urgent investigations and contact tracing are ongoing, NSW Health is adopting a cautious approach to keep everyone safe.
“NSW Health wishes to acknowledge the outstanding co-operation of Mr Peter Noble and his organising team, who were working hard to ensure Bluesfest would be conducted in a COVID-safe manner.”
Mr Hazzard said it was understood Bluesfest organisers were working on a new date as son as possible.
Bluesfest organisers said they were heartbroken over the decision to cancel the annual festival for the second year running.
“We are heartbroken that COVID-19 has spread into our local community,” a spokeswoman said.
“The Bluesfest team has worked day and night for a year to achieve the approved COVID-19 Safety Plan — the first of its kind in the music industry and have been told by the NSW Health that it exceeded other major sporting events in its depth and ability to protect the public.”
Bluesfest was to have been the first major festival to occur in Australia and possibly the world since the summer of 2019/20.
It had the capacity to hold 16,500 people daily over its five days.
Bluesfest director Peter Noble said: “This is one of the most difficult statements I have ever had to make. We really wanted to be at the forefront of the return of live music at Pre-COVID-19 level.
“We feel deeply for everybody affected, the fans, the artists, and the hard-working Bluesfest team. But in the end, the health of our community must come first.”
It comes after NSW today recorded one locally acquired coronavirus case linked to Queensland’s new outbreaks.
The new case is a man in his 20s who was sitting with three friends close to an infected hen’s party from Queensland at the Byron Beach Hotel.
His three friends have returned a negative test however health officials have issued new venue alerts after the man visited several locations not knowing he was infectious:
– BALLINA: The Henry Rous Tavern on Sunday March 28 between 1.20-2.20pm.
– BALLINA: Golf and Sports Club Pro shop on Sunday March 28 between 2.25 and 2.35pm
The following venue alerts were also issued this morning:
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced that new restrictions will be put in place in four local government areas due to the local case.
The restrictions will apply in the local government areas of Byron, Ballina, Tweed, and Lismore.
Household gatherings will be limited to 30 people. All venues will revert to 4sq metre rule and drinking while standing will be banned.
Masks will be compulsory in settings including public transport and retail.
The Premier also said people in those four local government areas should not travel to other parts of the state.
“Feel free to travel within those four local government areas but we would ask you to reconsider your plans if you’re planning to go to other parts of the state,” she said.
QUEENSLAND RECORDS TWO CASES
Queensland has recorded just two new locally acquired coronavirus cases in the past day.
Both cases have been linked to an already existing cluster, a development Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said was “encouraging”.
“We now have a total of 71 active cases in our hospitals … This is fantastic news that over the past 24 hours, there have been 33,408 tests,” she said.
“That is a massive, massive number. I think that’s probably our highest.
“The fact that we do not have any unlinked community transmission in the southeast or in our state is absolutely encouraging news.”
The two new cases have both been tracked back to the cluster linked to a nurse at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra hospital.
Ms Palaszczuk said she will give an update about greater Brisbane’s lockdown tomorrow morning.
“Fingers crossed, all will be looking good for Easter. Like I said, it depends on the testing rate again. If we see very good testing rates across Queensland and we don’t see any unlinked community transmission – the signs for Easter are looking positive,” she said.
BLUESFEST WILL GO AHEAD
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said Bluesfest will go ahead over the Easter weekend but admitted he wished a woman’s hen’s party in Byron Bay did not.
“I have been in discussions this morning with the organisers because there is a high level of concern from our public health officials that, with these new cases that have come from Queensland and then the newest case that we have heard about just overnight, that we all need to be on high alert,” Mr Hazzard said.
“What I would say is that if it were absolutely safe, then we wouldn’t be making this comment. At this stage, we do have concerns, the government has concerns, I have concerns as health Minister.
“It is difficult, it would have been better if the Bluesfest had been perhaps in another few months instead of right now. Or it would have been better if we didn’t have a hen’s party in Byron Bay that appears to have brought down our more secure north coast area into a highly suspect area now.”
NEW POP-UP TESTING CLINICS NEAR BYRON
NSW Health has created pop-up testing clinics in Northern NSW to help cope with an increased demand for testing:
- Byron Bay QML Pathology Drive-Through, Cavanbah Sports Ground, 249 Ewingsdale Rd, Byron Bay. Open from 8am to 8pm Monday – Sunday.
- Byron Bay Walk-in Pop-Up Clinic; Byron Bay surf club, Bay St, Byron Bay. Open from 9am – 5pm.
- Lennox Head QML Pathology Drive-through clinic, Lennox Community Centre, Cnr Park Lane and Mackney Lane, 8am – 8pm Monday – Sunday. No
- Tweed Heads QML Pathology Drive-through clinic, Cnr Wharf and Florence Street, Tweed Heads, 8am – 8pm Monday -Sunday. No GP referral required.
- Lismore QML Pathology Drive – through clinic, 354 Keen Street, Lismore 8am – 7pm, open from this afternoon.
BRISBANE HOSPITAL IN LOCKDOWN
A Brisbane hospital has been placed into an emergency lockdown as the city grapples with a serious COVID-19 outbreak.
The Princess Alexandra Hospital was locked down on Tuesday afternoon, following an alert to staff.
Patients are being diverted to other hospitals but Princess Alexandra Hospital will still accept critical and category one elective surgery patients.
Staff were told in an email that if they had worked at the hospital campus from noon on Tuesday to not work at another Metro South Health facility until the lockdown was removed.
The hospital is the source of two cases that forced Greater Brisbane into a snap three-day lockdown.
An unvaccinated Princess Alexandra Hospital doctor – along with two others – tested positive to COVID-19 earlier this month.
The doctor was infected by a hotel quarantine guest who had the UK strain. That person is also believed to have infected another hotel quarantine guest, even though their rooms weren’t adjoining.
Meanwhile, Mater Mothers’ Hospital has sent staff home, including midwives and doctors, after a recent visitor tested positive to the virus.
It is understood the person visited the private maternity section and a nearby cafe that staff frequented.
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