Live breaking news: Images of unmasked Sydneysiders showing city still not getting it

New pictures from Sydney show that despite the highest number of cases in the outbreak people in the city's are still out unmasked. 

A month into lockdown and on the day of the highest number of cases of this outbreak Sydneysiders are still apparently flouting the rules meeting up for coffees unmasked.

Tightened rules in the state mean that while masks don't have to be worn outside,  they do have to be worn in crowded areas and if exercising up with someone from outside the household. 

Snaps coming out of the well-to-do eastern beachside suburb of Bronte apparently showed busy streets, some people without masks and groups of more than two chatting.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has apologised to Australians for the slow pace of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout. 

"I take responsibility for the vaccination program," Mr Morrison said today. "I'm sorry that we haven't been able to achieve the marks that we had hoped for at the beginning of this year. Of course I am. But what's more important is that we're totally focused on ensuring that we've been turning this around.

NSW has been delivered a fresh blow in the state’s fight against Covid-19. There were 124 new locally acquired cases today, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian saying the Delta strain was spreading like "nothing we've seen before".

Follow our live national updates below. 

Updates

12:16 pm August 12, 2021

Covid is creeping up the NSW north coast and has now reached Byron Bay, on the doorstep of Queensland according to sewage tests.

NSW Health has said the discovery is of "great concern".

In addition, a Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and Big W are new exposure sites in Sydney following a late night drop of information from NSW Health.

NSW Health’s sewage surveillance program has detected fragments of covid at the sewage treatment plant at Byron Bay.

The sewage treatment plant serves about 19,000 people in Byron Bay, Wategos, Suffolk Park, Sunrise, and Broken Head.
"There are no known cases in this area, which is of great concern," NSW Health said in a statement.

"Everyone in the area is asked to be especially vigilant for symptoms, and if they appear, to immediately come forward for testing and isolate until a negative result is received. If symptoms appear again, please be tested and isolate again".

In addition, NSW Health has listed new sites in Sydney where people who were there for certain periods must test and isolate for 14 days. These are in: Croydon Park, Lakemba, Belmore, Green Valley, Parramatta and the Woolies in Glenrose.

⚠️PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT – SEWAGE DETECTION
AND VENUES OF CONCERN⚠️

NSW Health has been notified of a number of new and updated venues of concern associated with confirmed cases of #COVID19, and a sewage detection in the Byron Bay area. pic.twitter.com/OBSHSKjxL3

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 22, 2021

There are also alerts to test and isolate until a negative result is delivered for locations in Burwood, Belmore, Wetherill Park, Bonnyrigg, Roselands and Harris Park. These include the Woolies in Wetherill Park, Big W Bonnyrigg, Aldi Roselands and Coles Burwood Westfield.

Read more at NSW Health

12:10 pm August 12, 2021

SA Health has released a new covid exposure location of Regency Park TAFE and updated information for Service SA Modbury.

For times and further details head to SA Health.

⚠COVID-19 HEALTH ALERT 22 July 2021 – 8.15pm⚠
SA Health has identified exposure locations associated with positive cases of COVID-19.
Action is required by the community.
ℹ Check the exposure locations and what you need to do at https://t.co/4sJYadglJu pic.twitter.com/I3Rf66VWum

— SA Health (@SAHealth) July 22, 2021

11:58 am August 12, 2021

A worrying rumour that supermarkets in Greater Sydney were to be closed to get on top of the lockdown down has been scotched by NSW Health.

A fake press release has been doing the rounds on social media claiming that from next Tuesday, and for the following three days, all supermarkets would be closed.

Supermarkets are considered "critical" in NSW and have not been closed in any Australian lockdown.

The fake NSW Health press release.

Tonight, NSW Health released a statement (a real one!) saying the reports were "false".

"NSW Health has been made aware of false reports circulating on social media, suggesting supermarkets are closing for four days next week.

"NSW Health can confirm this is not the case, and reminds people to only use trusted and credible sources for information on Covid-19."

2:50 pm August 11, 2021

The Prime Minister was asked if Australia needed to rethink how it managed the Delta strain given the chaos it's caused in recent weeks.

"Can I tell you, there is not a country in the world that has cracked it," he said.

"Not a country in the world has been able to be successful so far in such missing the Delta strain.

"So it is a big challenge for all of us around the world and we have now and to work together to find the most effective responses to be able to suppress this while we remain in this suppression phase.

"That is why it is so important that people, particularly older people, go and get that AstraZeneca vaccine."

10:09 am August 12, 2021

Nine new locations have been singled out by NSW Health as being close contact locations.

They're spread out in Sydney's south west and inner west including Smithfield, Lakemba, Campise, Marrickville and Alexandria.

A Woolies in Belrose is listed. If you were there on Tuesday or Wednesday this week at any time during the morning you have to isolate for 14 days.

A Woolworths in Bonnyrigg, another in Hinchinbrook and Aldi Fairfield are locations where you must test and isolate until you get a result.

Read more at NSW Health.

8:48 am August 12, 2021 Highlight

Victoria records 21 new cases

Sydney saw the most cases of the current outbreak today but, yet again, questionable photos have emerged from Sydney’s ritzy eastern suburbs.

The images apparently show groups of people – some unmasked –
mingling.

Photo agency Getty snapped the seaside suburb of Bronte today, which is just down the coast from Bondi.

The images showed the shopping strip thronged with locals.

Locals walking up and down the main strip at Bronte Beach. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

The pictures were not dissimilar to those on the weekend showing people strolling along the Bondi boardwalk.

There was a difference in the Bondi and Bronte images however – those from today showed far more people masked-up out outdoors.

Nonetheless, there were still some chatting away without a mask on, a few in groups of more than two.

There was a visible police presence.

Coffee and chats overlooking the ocean in Bondi. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

Beach-goers make the most of an early morning walk along the promenade as surfers enjoy a large swell along Bronte Beach in Sydney's East. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper.

NSW regulations do not stipulate masks outdoors. That's because outdoor transmission is so incredibly low and even then is only likely to happen in crowded areas.

There have been no recorded instances in NSW of outdoor transmission with most cases happening in homes, workplaces, care homes and smaller indoor settings like bank or GP surgeries.

However, tightened up rules do dictate that masks should be worn outdoors in crowded areas or if people are exercising with someone who is not of the same household.

What is "crowded" however is left up to Sydneysiders to decide. The government has given examples of markets and coffee queues.

It should also be noted that those in groups or without masks may not be flouting the rules if they live together.

7:57 am August 12, 2021

There's a "better than even money chance" Victoria's lockdown will end on July 27 an epidemiologist has said.

The Burnet Institute's Brendan Crabb said he found the fact most people were in isolation encouraging.

"Notwithstanding the fact that we are dealing with this greatly increased transmissibility of the Delta virus. But it is looking good, all bar two of the new cases were in isolation for all their infectious period."

Victoria would still need a "bit of luck" though Prof Crabb said.

"But I guess I'm more concerned about the incursion that's going to keep happening, both in our borders because we don't take airborne transmission seriously enough, which is a failing, and of course if New South Wales don't get things under control."

7:28 am August 12, 2021 Highlight

Interesting comparison between Vic and NSW

The New South Wales Government got two major things wrong with its handling of the current outbreak which it now seems inevitable will go on beyond July 30 with 124 new cases reported today.

Burnet Institute epidemiologist Brendan Crabb praised the NSW Government and said its efforts had saved lives and stopped huge spikes in case numbers.

But it made major errors, he told the ABC's Patricia Karvelas.

"The first is Delta. Delta is a very difficult challenge.

"When you factor in the compounding nature of logarithmic growth, it
means something like one case translates to 50,000 cases in a month. The original viruses would have translated into 1000 cases in a month," said Prof Crabb.

"Like a 50 times worse virus if you had no mitigation. It's an explosively more difficult virus to contain."

The second error was, you guessed it, a late and lacklustre lockdown.

"It didn't go into any lockdown for 10 days and then it was locked down light and medium and now a bit harder than lockdown medium.

"From my perspective that's the reverse of how things are done in the pandemic. You go very hard, very early. And then you ease off as you get things under control."

Professor Brendan Crabb of Melbourne's Burnet Institute. Picture: Hamish Blair

But he said he still believed NSW could control the outbreak.

"Where they are is not a disaster. It's not out of control. A lot of people are alive because of the actions of the New South Wales Government and people. And this still can be reversed."

However, he advocated for even tougher lockdowns.

6:17 am August 12, 2021 Highlight

Victoria already looking at extending lockdown again

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has said Australians will have to get used to the fact that "people will die" once borders open.

And the deliberately unvaxxed will have to take their chances.

Speaking to the ABC's Patricia Karvelas, Mr Joyce said that eventually Australia would have to reopen its economy and borders once enough people were jabbed.

"We have to have an honest conversation with the Australian people.

"People will get sick and tragically some people will die. The alternative is a continuous lockdown and our problem is we'll go broke."

He added that people who didn't want to get the vaccine would have to, at some point, live with the higher risk of getting covid and suffering from it.

"People who don't want to get innoculated, you have to make a decision and explain to them the risks they are therefore taking.

"Remember, if you're inoculated it doesn't mean you don't get covid, and it doesn't mean you can't pass it on, it just means it's highly unlikely that you'll die from it or get seriously sick from it.

"We can't keep the whole economy shut down because some people will make up their own choice not to get innoculated because otherwise we just can't open the show up."

6:23 am August 12, 2021 Highlight

Dozens of protesters arrested

Australia could begin opening borders by the end of the year, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has said.

Talking to the ABC this afternoon, Mr Joyce said Australia would "go broke" if borders remained closed.

He was asked by Patricia Karvelas if mid-2022 was when Australia should reopen. But the Nationals leader pondered maybe earlier.

"I'd say as we get to the end of this year, the vast majority of people will have received one shot and a large section of the population two.

"And I think that's when you have consideration whether it is still the speed of more people getting inoculated or starting to peter off," he said.

"The vaccines will be there in abundance at that time."