Partygoer allegedly broke health rules to attend both Newcastle nightclub and Sydney Harbour cruise outbreaks

A nightclub in NSW has been linked to more than 200 Covid cases. One person there was allegedly in breach of the health rules.

A person allegedly ignored Covid health rules to visit a nightclub in Newcastle last week, potentially sparking a massive outbreak.

On Tuesday afternoon, New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard told 2GB radio it was his understanding that the person in question, having earlier been at a cluster event on a Sydney Harbour party boat, ignored advice to isolate for seven days and instead went to the Argyle House nightclub.

The club has since been linked to more than 200 positive cases, out of roughly 650-680 people who were there that night.

“I believe that person was asked to self-isolate for seven days, and that person apparently, on the face of it, may not have done that and went to a nightclub in Newcastle,” Mr Hazzard told the radio station.

“And what we do know is that around about — it’s only been told to me in in the last two hours now by Dr (Kerry) Chant — is that there looks as if there are more than 200 people now positive for Delta, or Omicron, I’m not sure which yet.”

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the person who ignored health rules to attend the Newcastle nightclub outbreak would be referred to police. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Mr Hazzard said if that was the case, he’d asked NSW Health to refer the individual to police.

The state recorded 804 new Covid cases on Tuesday, its highest figure since October 2. The health department said it expected further cases of the Omicron variant to be confirmed in the coming days as genomic testing results are returned.

The current spike in cases has been driven largely by the Argyle House superspreader event in the state’s Hunter region.

Notably, Mr Hazzard did not rule out imposing local lockdowns to quash any rapid spreads of infection going forward.

“The one thing I’ve learned as Health Minister in a pandemic, a one in 100 year pandemic, is never say never,” he told ABC radio.

“So I can’t guarantee it will always be that way,” he added, referring to a situation with no lockdowns.

Health officials are bracing for another steep rise in cases of Covid in the Newcastle area, suspected to be the Omicron variant.

In addition, Mr Hazzard said he was pushing for the federal advisory body on vaccines to change the eligibility advice for booster shots to three or four months after a second dose.

He reminded residents that immunity to Covid drops “rapidly” three to four months after one becomes fully vaccinated, especially for those over the age of 60.

“My view as Health Minister of NSW is that the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation should be looking at that very closely, with regard to in fact bringing on the boosters as early as three or four months,” said Mr Hazzard.

“Take it very seriously and get the booster shot,” he told residents.

“I’m very concerned that people are not actually understanding the benefit of getting the booster. A third shot of vaccine is going to make all the difference.”

Last night, NSW Health alerted the public to a fresh outbreak of the suspected Omicron variant at another Newcastle venue - Finnegan’s Hotel at 21 Darby Street.

Anyone who attended the venue between 6.30pm on Friday December 10 to 2.30am on Saturday December 11 is considered a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for seven days.

Meanwhile, a woman in her 60s from the Albury area has died at Goulburn Valley Health hospital in Victoria after contracting Covid. She was not vaccinated.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Hazzard confirmed NSW would move forward with easing restrictions from Wednesday, despite the jump in infections.

“My message to the unvaccinated is, you might be out and about now, but you are very vulnerable to what is a rapidly increasing number of Covid cases here in NSW,” he said.

“At the moment, our government here in NSW is very keen to get us all back to normality, to our previous life.

“But our previous life is best served by people being vaccinated.”

Of the population aged over 16, 94.8 per cent have had their first jab, while 93.1 per cent are fully vaccinated.