COVID-19 NSW, Vic, Qld live updates: UK strain in Brisbane, Sydney cluster, border closures

Cases continue rising in people coming here to try and make millions playing tennis, but one player had a message for all those complaining.

Russian-born New Zealand tennis player Artem Sitak has delivered some much needed perspective to his fellow players complaining about hotel quarantine arrangements ahead of the Australian Open.

 

"A lot of Australians right now can't get back home because of restrictions and all that, and we as foreigners, over 1000 people, are here in Australia. We're going to be competing in a Grand Slam earning a lot of money... we're still lucky to be here, unfortunate circumstances with the quarantine, but that's how it is."

In a series of Instagram stories, Mr Sitak revealed that "not a lot of players" were on a call he joined around a month ago with Tennis Australia, where they were warned they might have to go into hotel quarantine if positive cases were recorded on flights into the country, which has now happened.

"After that call, in my mind I knew that if someone tested positive on the plane, I'm going to have to be quarantined, so I was prepared to take that risk," Mr Sitak said. 

Earlier on Sunday, New South Wales recorded six new locally acquired cases of COVID-19.

Five of those are the spouse and children of a man who was the single community transmission case announced on Saturday.

"The sixth person is a very close contact of them in very close proximity," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Sunday. 

"The cases are all very close to Berala and investigations are underway. We'll have the genomic testing this afternoon to confirm that they are part of that cluster."

One of the new cases, now in isolation, is a staff member at Concord Repatriation General Hospital who worked three shifts in the cardiology and radiology wards "while potentially infectious" on January 12, 13 and 14, NSW Health said. 

"The person’s role involves minimal contact with patients. They wore a face mask during each shift," the department said. Close and casual contacts are being notified.

Health officials want to see testing numbers increase across the state but particularly in the areas of Bankstown, Lidcombe, Auburn, Berala and Wentworthville.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Greg Hunt says the Federal Government is seeking further information from Norway in regards to "possible consequences of the Pfizer vaccine".

The Norwegian Medicines Agency told Bloomberg 29 people have died after receiving their jabs. All were elderly people, over the age of 75, with serious underlying health conditions.

"We have immediately sought and I have been in contact with the Australian medical regulator, the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration), this morning, and requested that they seek additional information, both from the company, but also from the Norwegian medical regulator," Mr Hunt said on Sunday. 

Mr Hunt also confirmed there are no remaining hotspots, as defined by the Commonwealth. 

This is how a very big weekend unfolded.