Northern beaches cluster: NSW chief health officer provides benchmark for Christmas easing of restrictions

With Christmas looming in four days, health authorities have outlined what needs to happen in NSW for Christmas to go ahead.

Health authorities have provided a glimmer of hope for Sydney residents desperate to spend Christmas with family and friends.

Just 15 new infections were added to the Avalon cluster in the city’s northern beaches on Monday morning, taking the total number of cases linked to the outbreak to 83.

Despite a number of venues being linked to the cluster, NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said the list of patients has so far been contained to the northern beaches.

Health authorities are buoyed by the number of new cases given 38,000 tests were conducted, providing a chance the tough social distancing restrictions may not be extended past the Wednesday midnight deadline.

“The key things we’re looking for is whether we have any evidence of community spread outside the northern beaches,” Dr Chant told reporters.

“We would expect within the local area where there’s many venues, that there would have been some community spread within the northern beaches.”

She said while there have been cases of people who have tested positive returning to other parts of Sydney, so far no cases have gone beyond a direct link to the northern beaches, meaning community spread remains manageable.

The northern beaches has become the epicentre of the country’s virus woes. Picture: Jeremy Piper

The restrictions currently in place until 12.01am Thursday morning 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.

Christmas plans have been ruined for many Australians. Picture: David Crosling

The update comes as Sydney residents spend the second day of their five days in lockdown.

On Friday, NSW Health implored residents on the northern beaches to wear masks at all times in indoor areas.

It also recommended avoiding public venues it described as “high risk”, including pubs, clubs, restaurants, places of worship and gyms.

The areas where masks should be worn include shopping centres, workplaces, supermarkets, public transport, healthcare facilities, and aged care facilities, NSW Health said.

But it said people are not expected to wear masks in their homes or when they have a medical condition.

“While this is currently only a strong advisory from NSW Health, we will continue to monitor the evolving situation and compliance with this advisory,” the department said, declaring the advice in place for three days from Friday afternoon.

“Failure to adhere to the advice puts the wider community at risk and may result in a mandatory order.”