Coronavirus Australia live news: Victorians scramble to beat midnight deadline to get across NSW border
Long queues form as Victorians are told they’ll be turned back if they turn up after midnight; NSW south coast put on alert.
- Victorians in border scramble
- NSW alert over Victoria travellers
- No plans for stronger NSW bans
- Morrison urges vigilance in 2021
Welcome to live coverage of Australia’s response to the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
Long queues are forming at the border with NSW as Victorians rush to beat a midnight deadline to get back into the state. The NSW south coast is on alert after two Victorians travelled through the area while Covid-positive. NSW has reported three new cases overnight in western Sydney while Victoria recorded no new cases.
Tens of thousands of people have had January holiday plans thrown into chaos, with borders closed as authorities scramble to control coronavirus outbreaks in these two states.
NSW Health has been notified of a number of new and updated venues attended by confirmed cases of #COVID19 in #Wollongong, #Berala and #Smithfield. pic.twitter.com/LSgQDhgcb5
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) December 31, 2020
Rachel Baxendale 9.50pm: Thousands coughed up over confusing border
Victorians holidaying in Queensland are concerned they will be forced to undergo long, dangerous drives without proper rest breaks to drive home through NSW.
The confusion arrived on the back of the Victorian government’s decision on Friday to close its border with NSW.
Despite assurances from the Andrews government that a “transit permit” in effect from midnight on Friday would simplify the process, some Victorians have already coughed up thousands while waiting in limbo.
Melbourne man Connor Jackson, 23, is currently holidaying with his partner Dylan Hulands, 28, on the Gold Coast.
The couple were due to drive back to Melbourne on Saturday, and had intended to share the driving and break the 20-hour journey with a stay in the central western NSW town of Parkes.
But when the Andrews government announced the impending border closure shortly before 4pm on Thursday, Mr Jackson and Mr Hulands realised their plans would have to change.
Mr Jackson made “about 40” attempts to call the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services immediately after the announcement, and finally had his call answered at about 7pm, he said.
Read the full story here.
Rhiannon Down 9.20pm: New ban restricts disability centre visitors
Visitors have been banned from entering residential disability care facilities across Greater Sydney, the central coast and Wollongong in a bid to protect the vulnerable resident from contracting COVID-19.
NSW Health on Friday announced the changes which restrict all visitors except essential care workers from entering disability care facilities until 11.59pm on Wednesday December 6.
Northern Beaches facilities are subject to tougher restrictions which exclude residents from leaving facilities except when attending essential appointments.
Please be aware there are new restrictions on visitor entry and resident movement in residential disability care facilities until 11.59pm on Wednesday 6 January 2021. This is to help protect the health, safety and wellbeing of residents in disability care facilities. pic.twitter.com/QnwYoU4tkL
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 1, 2021
Greater Sydney, Central Coast and Wollongong residents are permitted to leave their facility to visit family at home or outdoors, to go shopping for essential supplies and attend medical appointments.
Disability care facilities in regional areas have been advised to ban visitors from hotspot areas. Similarly care staff who have visited hotspot venues or listed transport routes are urged to stay home.
Mask is now mandatory for all staff working in care facilities.
Read more: Thousands coughed up over confusing border
Tessa Akerman 8.40pm: Covid lower road toll, but speed still a killer
A record low road toll of 213 in Victoria in 2020 is more likely due to the COVID lockdowns than improved driving behaviour, police have warned, with the number of fatalities per 10,000 cars “significantly” higher than previous years.
NSW also recorded a lower toll of 296 compared to 351 in 2019 by December 30, as did Western Australia which has a provisional road toll of 154 compared to 163 in 2019.
Victoria Police Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy said concerning behaviours such as speeding were over-represented in 2020, and described the number of cars travelling more than 145km/h as “staggering” in part because there were fewer cars on the road.
“We all know just that little bit over will kill people,” she said.
“The higher the speed, the more likely you are to kill someone.”
Read the full story here.
Agencies 8pm: What scientists know about coronavirus variants
Scientists around the world are scrambling to learn more about previously unknown variants of the coronavirus that seem to spread from person to person more readily than other versions of the COVID-19-causing pathogen.
One new variant, known as B.1.1.7, was identified in December in the UK, leading to travel restrictions and a widespread lockdown there. Since then, the UK variant has been detected in China and other countries, as well as in Colorado and California.
In South Africa, meanwhile, doctors and researchers battling a second surge of COVID-19 cases are studying another new variant and what role it plays in the rising tide of cases there. The variant, known as B. 1.351, has been identified in samples dating back to October. It hasn’t been detected in the US.
Here is what we know so far about the new variants and the genetic mutations that characterise them, as well as their potential impact on public health.
Read about scientists’ concerns, mutations and the rise of new COVID-19 variants here.
Jared Lynch 7.20pm: Whiskey upstart overcomes adversity in a pandemic
Ben Bowles is starting 2021 brimming with optimism — his whiskey brand has hit its first year sales targets and he’s about to enter the European market thanks to Donald Trump. But six months ago it was a different story.
His business initially looked promising after launching his marquee brand, The Gospel - not that it has religious connotations (this is not a story about turning water into grog) - but because it remains true to distilling rye whiskey, the first style of whiskey produced by US settlers more than 300 years ago.
Bowles, who is originally from South Carolina, was on track to launch The Gospel in the US after receiving a leg-up through Vintage Cellars and an impending deal with Dan Murphy’s in the Australian market.
Then Covid-19 hit.
Sales plummeted and The Gospel’s distillery, which Bowles built himself with business partner Andrew Fitzgerald in an old fruit and vegetable warehouse opposite Buffalo Sports in Melbourne’s inner north, threatened to call last drinks.
But Bowles — a former engineer who pursued his childhood dream of distilling his own whiskey after “seeing the writing on the wall” at the tail end of the mining boom almost a decade ago — seized an opportunity that kept his business afloat.
Continue reading here.
Richard Ferguson 6.50pm: PM hoping for new year resolution of China problems
Scott Morrison is hopeful for a reset of the China-Australia relationship in 2021 but warns it will not happen until Chinese President Xi Jinping and his officials answer Canberra’s calls.
After a year of escalating trade tensions and various stoushes over the conduct of Australian soldiers overseas and the origins of coronavirus, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said this week – at an event compered by former prime minister Kevin Rudd – that he wants Sino-Australian relations back on track.
The Prime Minister welcomed the olive branch from Beijing on Friday but said he wanted to see ministerial-level meetings restart as a first priority.
“I’m always optimistic, I’m always hopeful, I’m always positive. I would certainly welcome that,” Mr Morrison said in Canberra.
“That would begin with ministerial-level discussions, which we’re ready and open for, and I’m happy to do those. That’s not an obstacle at the Australian end.”
Mr Morrison and senior ministers have had no phone calls returned or meetings accepted by Beijing since the PM called for an independent global investigation into the origins of coronavirus – which was first reported in Wuhan, China – in May.
Since then, China has slapped tariffs, bans and port delays on a wide range of Australian exports including barley, wheat, beef, coal and wine. Australia recently took China to the World Trade Organisation over the barley tariffs.
Read the full story here.
Rachel Baxendale 6.10pm: Victorian venue warnings expected to spread
Tourist venues in Victoria’s east are expected to be confirmed as coronavirus exposure sites after two Victorians linked to the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant cluster in Melbourne’s east and southeast travelled through the area en route to the NSW south coast.
A spokeswoman for the Andrews government on Friday confirmed that two Victorians who had tested positive for coronavirus in NSW had eaten at the Thai restaurant in Black Rock in Melbourne’s bayside southeast on December 21.
A total of 10 COVID-19 cases, including those of the two travellers, have now been linked to the cafe.
The spokeswoman said the travellers had visited Gippsland’s Lakes Entrance in Victoria’s east on December 28th and 29th, before crossing the border into NSW and visiting Eden, Bega and Bermagui.
The Lakes Entrance visit coincides with coronavirus fragments which were detected in sewage samples taken from the town’s wastewater treatment plant on December 29.
A “small number” of exposure sites in Victoria were expected to be added to the DHHS website late on Friday, the spokeswoman said.
NSW Health meanwhile issued an alert early on Friday afternoon, listing two venues in summer holiday Meccas Eden and Bermagui.
Anyone who visited Eden‘s Great Southern Inn between 5pm and 6:30pm on Wednesday and anyone who visited Bermi’s Beachside Cafe in Lamont St, Bermagui on Thursday between 9am and 10am is urged to get tested immediately and isolate until they receive further advice from NSW Health.
The pair are also understood to have stayed at Eden’s Twofold Bay Motor Inn.
The Andrews government spokeswoman said the pair had already been in line to get tested at a NSW testing centre when Victorian health authorities contacted them on Thursday to notify them that they were close contacts of the Thai restaurant cluster.
They have since returned to Victoria and are quarantining at home.
The cases will be included in NSW coronavirus numbers on Saturday, because the pair got tested in that state.
Paige Taylor 5.50pm: Man arrested in WA for trying to breach quarantine
Bolstered security at quarantine hotels across Perth has thwarted a 25-year-old man’s attempt to bolt into the night on New Year’s Eve. The man left his room on Thursday night, four days after landing from Dubai and being put into hotel quarantine, and ignored instructions from private security guards in the lobby.
The man from South Australia was arrested by police in the lobby after refusing to go back to his room.
Police are currently on duty out the front all of WA’s quarantine hotels for international travellers after an extraordinary episode on December 26 that began when a woman who claimed that coronavirus was not real left her hotel room and went on the run for 12 hours. Jenny D’Ubios, from Rockingham south of Perth, had been living in Spain for about two years and flew home to WA on December 19. She grew angry and upset about her confinement and simply walked out. Private security guards watched her go.
The McGowan government responded by announcing that it would rewrite its contract with private security firms at the quarantine hotels to authorise a select few guards to manhandle people who try to leave.
While the details of the altered contracts are being finalised, police are stationed at quarantine hotels across Perth.
In a statement emailed to newsrooms on Friday, police said they arrested the man who tried to leave hotel quarantine about 10:45pm on Thursday.
“Police officers, who due to recent changes to security arrangements are now temporarily based at WA Government-managed quarantine hotels until appropriately qualified security guards commence duty, received information from security staff at the hotel that the man had left his allocated hotel room and was refusing to follow their direction to return to his room,” the police said.
“The man was intercepted by those police officers in the hotel’s lobby area on the ground floor of the building. The man was arrested and relocated to the Perth Watch House.”
He has been charged with failing to comply with a direction, a serious offence under the emergency management act that is in place while WA is in a state of emergency.
He is now in a high-security quarantine facility pending the court appearance, where he faces a fine of up to $50,000 or a jail sentence of up to six months.
Rachel Baxendale 5.05pm: NSW-Victoria border bubble to be set up again
A “border bubble” put in place when Victoria first put restrictions on people returning from NSW 11 days ago will continue to apply when the hard border between the two states comes down from midnight on Friday night.
Victorian testing commander Jeroen Weimar said residents of local government areas either side of the Victorian and NSW borders would simply need to show their driver’s licences or similar identification to prove their residency to cross at border checkpoints.
The causeway checkpoint at #albury #wodonga has been expanded to two lanes. Minimal wait times at the moment. Traffic is still heavy on the Hume Fway. I’ll have the latest live on @abcmelbourne @abcsydney and @abccanberra from 7pm #covidnsw #COVID19Vic #ABCNews pic.twitter.com/xRB7ISdZX8
— Ashlee Aldridge (@Ashlee_Aldridge) January 1, 2021
However, he said the “border bubble” area, which currently extends as far south as Bendigo and as far north as Wagga Wagga was under review.
“We’ve asked the cross-border commissioner to review the definition of that border zone at this point in time to see whether that’s an appropriate balance of enabling necessary movement but also managing risk,” Mr Weimar said.
“He’s undertaking that review over the next few days and I’m sure will announce an update on that if any changes need to be made.
“It is our intention to maintain the arrangements whereby border residents use driver’s license or any other formal version of ID to enable them to cross the border on each side, but I stress that is to enable border residents to go about their necessary business. It is not something for people who are temporarily in New South Wales.”
Mr Weimar said Victorian authorities had given “a huge amount” of consideration to the plight of border communities, many of which were impacted by bushfires this time last year, as well as by the 138 day border closure resulting from Victoria’s second wave of coronavirus.
“This is a very, very hard decision to make. We’ve made it with a very heavy heart and we recognise the implications it has for border communities, but also of course for for the literally thousands of people who are coming back right now and who came back last night who’ve had a long and difficult drive and who are now, particularly for those returning today, going into 14 days of home isolation,” he said.
Rachel Baxendale 4.35pm: Cross the border before midnight or be turned away
Victoria’s coronavirus testing commander Jeroen Weimar says anyone attempting to return to Victoria from NSW after midnight on Friday “will be turned back”, with hotel quarantine only an option in special circumstances.
“We’re not running a hotel quarantine scheme for convenience. We have been very clear for a number of weeks now around the risks of travel to New South Wales,” Mr Weimar said.
“If you attempt to cross the border after midnight tonight, you’ll be turned back by our Vic Pol colleagues at the border.
“There are extreme situations. We’ll deal on an exceptions basis for people who have nowhere else to go but into mandatory hotel quarantine, but I would again encourage people that that is not a ready option.
“We need to close the border because we do not wish to continue to import high risk COVID cases back into Victoria.”
Mr Weimar said Victorian authorities had 11 hotels set aside for hotel quarantine, but that the facilities were predominantly intended for overseas return travellers, not those coming from interstate.
“If you’re going to come home, come home today. If you’re not going to come home, that’s fine, but we’re not planning to provide alternative accommodation for you,” he said.
The Australian has been told a number of arrivals from regional NSW have been detained at Melbourne Airport on Friday, including some who have visited Sydney in the past 14 days and have therefore been told they may not quarantine at home and are being taken into compulsory hotel quarantine.
Rachel Baxendale 4.15pm: Victorians urged to get out and get tested
Victorian testing commander Jeroen Weimar said he was not satisfied with just over 13,000 coronavirus tests processed in Victoria in the 24 hours to Friday.
“No, I’d like to see more,” he said. “We know that there are hundreds of tests coming through overnight, so we saw a big surge late yesterday afternoon and last night.
“Many of the testing stations stayed open for extra hours last night to process those long queues, and again, they’ll be doing the same thing again today.
“So we’ve got a large number of people out there in the field working very hard when everyone would rather be enjoying these special days, and in the pathology lab, so I’ve got lots of tests coming through over the next few hours, but again, my encouragement to people would be this is not just a bayside issue, this is a wider Victorian exposure risk.
“We have literally thousands of people returning from New South Wales. We need the whole community to step forward and to make sure they get tested, if they’ve got any symptoms, or if they’ve had any risk of exposure.”
Rachel Baxendale 3.55pm: Long testing queues: ‘bring a book’
Victoria’s commander of coronavirus testing Jeroen Weimar acknowledged long wait times for people to get tested, encouraging them to bring a book or iPad to pass time in the queue.
“We need to ensure that anybody who is in Victoria who has the remotest symptoms and even if it takes two or three hours at a testing station, bring a book, bring your iPad and just wait in line to get tested,” Mr Weimar said.
The testing tsar acknowledged that it was a “challenging time of year”, both for those waiting for tests and for staff conducting and processing them.
“We recognise that all Melburnians just want to go on and enjoy themselves and have time off. That also of course applies to our clinical staff,” Mr Weimar said.
“So we are bringing back a number of hard-working clinical staff from their holidays in order to resource up these testing centres.
“There were three or four additional testing centres opened up yesterday.
“There are more testing centres being set up today and we’re putting whatever available testing (resources) we’ve got into some of those frontline testing centres in the southeast.”
Mr Weimar said DHHS was also establishing a pop-up testing site on Friday at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Doveton, to which positive coronavirus cases have been linked.
He said about 100 people had been registered as close contacts having attended the church.
Laine Sainty 3.15pm: New Year’s Eve ‘the quietest in years’
Revellers in COVID-free Brisbane have let loose as the clock ticked over into 2021 as police praised the mostly subdued crowds across the nation.
Crowds were down, most notably in Sydney and Melbourne, as Australians celebrated after a difficult year — some at parties, others enjoying more sedate gatherings with a handful of friends, and others still staying home.
Police largely praised the behaviour of those who were out and about, with arrests plunging in South Australia and Victoria, though doubling in Western Australia.
In Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley night-life district revellers took to the street to bring in the new year, with large crowds seen dancing and kissing as the clock struck midnight.
A number of people appeared to party a little too hard, with some captured vomiting into bins and gutters, while others were led away by police in handcuffs.
But despite a handful of arrests in Brunswick Street Mall, Queensland Police Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Stream said partygoers were largely “well behaved” on New Year’s Eve.
He said 71 people were arrested in the Brisbane region with most for public order offences in and around the entertainment precincts.
— NCA Newswire
Rachel Baxendale 2.30pm: Victoria’s cases likely have December 21 source
Victorian coronavirus testing commander Jeroen Weimar said authorities were concerned they had not yet identified a patient zero or index case for the state’s latest coronavirus cluster since it was first identified on Wednesday.
So far, all known cases have been linked to people who dined at the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant in bayside Black Rock on December 21.
“Until we identify the absolute index case and its connections to every other case, of course we remain concerned,” he said.
“We know that we have a likely starting point of the 21st of December. That is now, what, 10, 11 days ago? So that gives us great cause for concern that chains of transmission that go back to that point could go wider than what we’ve detected at this point in time. That is why the testing is so important.”
So far 170 primary close contacts of the cluster have been identified, with secondary close contacts also required to isolate until any potential links to the cluster have been eliminated.
READ MORE: Cruise ships can’t sail away from Covid
Rachel Baxendale 2.10pm: NSW alert issued over Victorian cases
Two Victorians who tested positive for coronavirus after visiting the NSW south coast via east Gippsland are close contacts of the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant cluster in Melbourne’s east and southeast.
NSW Health issued an alert early on Friday afternoon, listing two venues in summer holiday Meccas Eden and Bermagui.
Thanks to all who are getting tested #EveryTestHelps. There is currently high demand on testing sites & while we rapidly increase capacity most sites are experiencing longer than usual wait times. Thank you for your patience https://t.co/ogHDjd53AD pic.twitter.com/s7GGAXPglo
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) January 1, 2021
Anyone who visited Eden’s Great Southern Hotel between 5pm and 6:30pm on Wednesday and anyone who visited Bermi’s Beachside Cafe in Lamont St, Bermagui on Thursday between 9am and 10am is urged to get tested immediately and isolate until they receive further advice from NSW Health.
A spokeswoman for the Andrews government said the pair became aware on Thursday that they were close contacts of positive cases who are part of the Melbourne cluster, and got tested in NSW.
They have since returned to Victoria and are quarantining at home.
It is believed coronavirus fragments detected in a sewage sample taken at Lakes Entrance, in Victoria’s east, on Tuesday may be have been shed by the pair.
The cases will be included in NSW coronavirus numbers on Saturday, because the pair got tested in that state.
READ MORE: Yacht clubs, cinema among exposed sites
Rachel Baxendale 2pm: Victoria tracks their ‘patient zero’
A returned traveller from NSW who was thought to have sparked Victoria’s Thai restaurant coronavirus cluster has twice tested negative for the virus.
Victorian testing commander Jeroen Weimar said two other close contacts of the cluster who had also travelled to NSW were being investigated, but no index case has yet been confirmed.
Genomic testing to determine whether the cluster did originate in NSW is pending.
Mr Weimar said the original returned NSW traveller was undergoing serology testing.
“I’d hope to have that by the end of the weekend. That will determine whether they have already cleared their infection and stopped shedding the virus, whether they’ve previously had the infection, or whether they’ve been negative all the way through,” he said.
The other two possible index cases had visited Sydney for approximately 24 hours “a couple of weeks ago” before returning to Melbourne and having direct contact with members of the Thai restaurant cluster.
“Testing is undergoing with those individuals. We’ll also be doing serology on them and genomic testing,” Mr Weimar said.
Asked whether Victorian health authorities’ claims in recent days of a link to NSW were “speculative”, Mr Weimar said authorities would continue to explore all possibilities.
“Until we conclude the genomic testing, which will take a couple more days, which will give us a very clear understanding of what the relationship of our infection is to the ones that are happening in NSW, we have identified as we’ve said over the last few days, a number of potential linkages into NSW,” he said.
“We continue to keep an open mind about what other sources of infection might be, but that continues to be the most promising link.”
“At this time we have found no other connection to any other known area of infection. So there is no connection at this point in time to any aspect of the hotel quarantine program, to any of the staff members involved in that.”
READ MORE: Quiet night turns into a nightmare
Angelica Snowden 1.15pm: Returning Victorians forced to wait hours for tests
A pop-up COVID testing site in Victoria’s southeast has been temporarily closed after being inundated with people seeking to heed government advice and get tested for coronavirus.
A new clinic was erected in the car park of the Don Tatnell Leisure Centre in Parkdale in a bid to get as many Victorians tested as possible after a COVID-19 outbreak grew to eight cases in the state on Thursday.
Justine Blackman, 40, said she was “furious” after she still had not received a COVID test by 12pm, three hours after she arrived.
“It’s infuriating... we are trying to do the right thing and be good citizens,” Ms Blackman said.
“They think it’s treating us with respect to leave us here on a hot day in a car for three hours and still be a good half an hour away from being tested,” she said.
“I think it’s dreadfully reckless and completely unsafe for everybody.”
Pop up COVID clinic at Parkdale has been temporarily closed. Victorians sitting in a 600M queue along Warren Road have been told the wait for a test would be at least three hours. @australian pic.twitter.com/4HiyPEnT0r
— Angelica Snowden (@ang3snowden) January 1, 2021
There was a 600M queue with hundreds of cars on Warren Road about 12pm on Friday.
Victorians were being told the wait to get tested would be three hours.
Wan Lee, 39, had also been waiting three hours with her partner and two young kids after they cut their camping holiday in NSW short to scramble back into Victoria.
“They just need to man (this clinic)... just man it, get staff,” Ms Lee said.
“It’s not that hard — we have been through so much in the last six months and they are supposed to be better at this after six months.
“If that is what you want people to do (to get tested) you have got to have the resources to back up what you want them to do.”
READ MORE: Health department lists new Melbourne public exposure sites
Richard Ferguson 12.55pm: PM open to a reset of the Australia-China relations
Scott Morrison is open to a New Year’s reset of the Australia-China relationship, but says that will only happen when Chinese leaders begin talking to their Canberra counterparts.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said this week in an event with former prime minister Kevin Rudd that he wanted to get Sino-Australian relations back on track.
The Prime Minister and his senior leaders have been unable to get Beijing officials to take their calls or agree to meetings since the beginning of the pandemic when Mr Morrison called for an independent global investigation of the origins of coronavirus.
“I’m always optimistic, I’m always hopeful, I’m always positive. I would certainly welcome that,” Mr Morrison said on Friday.
“That would begin with ministerial level discussions which we’re ready and open for, and I’m happy to do those. You would see it being fulfilled.
“That’s not an obstacle at the Australian end.”
READ MORE: China-EU investment accord ‘is a positive outcome’, says Dan Tehan
JESS MALCOLM 12.40pm: States control their own borders: Morrison
On the issue of borders, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that while he understands it is “frustrating”, state governments and territories are responsible on how they each deal with outbreaks.
“State governments are elected by the people of their states to exercise their responsibilities when it comes to the public health of people in their state,” Mr Morrison said.
“As much as we would like there to be greater consistency across all of these things, we must respect their jurisdictional authority because they are ultimately responsible for what would happen in their state if there were to be an outbreak in their state.”
“I can have whatever view I may wish to have but ultimately they are responsible for those things. I have to respect the authority they have derived from their own electoral processes in making those decisions.”
READ MORE: Queensland holds fire on NSW border closures
JESS MALCOLM 12.25pm: PM won’t bring vaccine rollout forward
Prime Minister Scott Malcolm is refusing to bring the vaccine rollout forward in the wake of recent outbreaks in Sydney, saying they will not cut corners or rush the process.
“For the vaccine to be successful, Australians need to have confidence in it,” Mr Morrison said. “We’re moving promptly to do that, we’re moving swiftly to do that, but we’re not cutting corners. If there’s no tick, there’s no jab.”
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly reiterated that while the government has confidence in all three publicly available vaccines, none of them have received full approval from any single major regulator in the world.
“There have been particular emergency use authorisations, in several countries, in Europe, in the UK, and the US in particular, but they’re in an extremely difficult and different situation in relation to this pandemic compared to Australia,” Mr Kelly said.
The vaccination roll out will be given to priority groups first, based on the expert advice from the Australian Immunisation Committee, according to Mr Kelly.
While Mr Morrison is optimistic for its rollout, he said “it’s not a magic bullet” and will require time and patience for life to get back to normal.
“It won’t change everything else we’re doing in relation to the pandemic immediately. We need to roll it out through the whole community next year, and I really encourage people to come forward when it’s available to get that vaccine,” Mr Morrison said.
“Australia has a very good record on vaccinations. We’re one of the highest rates in the world. One of the reasons for is the system of regulations and approvals we put around vaccines themselves.”
“That’s why the government is being meticulous about following that process.”
READ MORE: Strains in AstraZeneca-Oxford partnership
JESS MALCOLM 12.15pm: Croydon, northern beaches and Wollongong clusters genomically linked
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly announced that there is a genomic link between all clusters in NSW including Croydon, northern beaches and Wollongong.
“In the news today that there is a definite genomic link between all of those clusters that they have seen in Wollongong, in Croydon and the Northern Beaches, as well as other parts of Sydney.”
Mr Kelly backed the states testing and tracing capabilities as well as the importance of wastewater and genomic testing.
“Genomic testing which this time last year we did not have the ability to be able to do so quickly and link in the laboratory.
Comparing Australia’s low case numbers relative to other parts of the world, he commended the response of public health units and the public.
“There were over 50,000 confirmed cases in the UK yesterday and when we think about our experience here in Australia through 2020, although it has been so difficult, it is so different from the rest of the world,” Mr Kelly said.
“We should really remember how well we have done as a nation but also with the public health response and the political commitment to really tackle this disease head on and we have done a great job.”
READ MORE: Tech leads ASX best performers as travel slammed
JESS MALCOLM 11.50am: COVID-19 hasn’t taken a summer holiday: PM
In his first address to the nation in 2021, Prime Minister Scott Morrison wished everyone a happy new year, before announcing that he is “proud” of changes to the anthem to reflect Australia’s rich history.
“I think we are maturing as a nation and acknowledging a long and proud history of Indigenous Australians,” Mr Morrison said. “We live in a timeless land of ancient First Nations peoples, and we draw together the stories of more than 300 national ancestries and language groups. How good is Australia?”
Mr Morrison said he is encouraged by the positive response to the changes to the anthem as a great way to start the new year.
However, Mr Morrison flagged serious challenges associated with the coronavirus pandemic heading into 2021. “COVID still hasn’t gone away, it hasn’t taken a holiday, it would be going anywhere, and as a result, we continue to deal with the very serious challenges.”
READ MORE: Scott Morrison writes | An anthem for a nation that’s one and free
JESS MALCOLM 11.40am: Border closures poor use of resources: Berejiklian
When asked about the recent border closure between Victoria and NSW, Gladys Berejiklian slammed the Victorian government saying it is a poor use of resources when NSW numbers are relatively low.
“When you do have a border closure, you are putting so many resources into a concentrated activity which then stops you from putting those resources elsewhere, whether its compliance, supporting the community,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“During the pandemic it’s not just about getting the settings right and ensuring health and safety number one, it is also about what is the best use of resources you have.”
“I don’t think at this stage closing the border between New South Wales and Victoria is a good use of resources.”
All Melbourne COVID testing sites temporarily suspended due to overwhelming number of folks who’ve returned from NSW. At least that’s according to the one I’ve just tried to access with the family after driving through the night.
— David Speers (@David_Speers) January 1, 2021
READ MORE: Wall Street ends 2020 with new records
JESS MALCOLM 11.35am: Chant issues plea for western Sydney residents to get tested
Dr Kerry Chant says there must be “a sustained effort” from people in Western Sydney to ensure there are no undetected chains of transmission.
“So again I call out to the Wollongong community. We have been amazing over recent days but my message to you is that it has to be a sustained effort, not just a one off,” Dr Chant said.
“Please continue to come out over the coming weeks so we can really be reassured that we have not established any other chains of transmission in that area.”
As we start 2021, we must continue to protect our loved ones & the community by having COVID safe celebrations. If you feel unwell today please don’t attend gatherings. Get tested immediately & self-isolate.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) December 31, 2020
Find your nearest clinic visit: https://t.co/LmeATJ8ltz pic.twitter.com/374RlcpbYh
“It’s good to see those numbers up at 32,000. Can I say, can we really get them higher, as high as possible. I really want people particularly in that area of Berala, Lidcombe, Greystone to come forward and get tested.”
She emphasised that she has faith in the Wollongong community which has responded well to calls to testing in previous outbreaks.
“I am keen that we will continue to work with the community, make testing easier and I am hoping that we will get that response over the coming days.”
READ MORE: 2021 — The year of open societies
JESS MALCOLM 11.15am: New NSW venues of concern added to list
Dr Kerry Chant said the three new cases today are not linked to the Avalon cluster, which now sits at a total of 146 cases.
She said at this point the Western Sydney cases are not linked to anywhere, flagging that results from genomic sequencing will be available this Sunday.
“We will be very interested in whether that sequence matches the Avalon cluster and we will also keep an open mind as we have obviously also had the patient transport workers. So like all things, it is important we don’t close off any avenue of inquiry,” Dr Chant said.
Dr Chant urged people in the Wollongong area to come forward for testing after a series of new locally acquired cases have visited a large number of venues in that region.
“Investigations have revealed that a case from the Croydon cluster and a case from the Wollongong cluster both attended the Swallowed Anchor restaurant in Wollongong on December 19,” Dr Chant said.
“It may turn out to not be the case but for the abundant caution, everyone at that venue on the 19 December needs to immediately get tested and isolate and we will get back to you with the advice once we have those tests to hand.”
“There may have been a person at that restaurant who unknowingly had COVID at that time who then had exposures or links to the northern beaches venues or site. It is critical we get to the bottom of this.”
Anyone who attended The Swallowed Anchor at 156/160 Crown St, Wollongong NSW, at any time of the day on Saturday December 19 must get tested immediately and self-isolate until they receive further advice from NSW Health.
She also flagged BWS at Berala, Ashfield Bunnings, Berala Woolworths among others in the area, urging everyone who visited these locations to check the NSW Health website and act accordingly.
READ MORE: Northern beaches bride Diana Falasca speaks out
JESS MALCOLM 11.02am: Sydney records three new cases from 32,000 tests
Gladys Berejiklian says there were three new cases of COVID-19 reported in the last 24 hours after 32,000 tests were conducted yesterday.
The NSW Premier said the three new cases were all in Western Sydney with all three still under investigation.
“We are really keen to make sure that everybody in the areas of Berala, Auburn and Lidcombe come forward to get testing even if it is the mildest of symptoms,” Ms Berejiklian said.
She also flagged news that had just came in today about cases from Victoria who visited two venues in the Bega and Bermagui area.
NSW recorded three locally acquired cases of #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, with an additional two cases in returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 1, 2021
This brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in NSW to 4,739 since the beginning of the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/0AohqQAQQQ
“There were a couple of cases from Victoria that came in two venues in Bega and
Bermagui area and those venues will be uploaded as soon as possible to give people information.
“We understand that two cases from Victoria came up and have gone to venues and events in Bermagui.”
Ms Berejiklian congratulated Sydneysiders for listening to the health advice and staying home last night for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
She said the CBD was “as quiet as we’ve ever seen it” and thanked everyone for people respecting the rules and staying at home.
JESS MALCOLM 10.35am: NSW primary line of inquiry for Victoria outbreak
Following the announcement of zero new cases of community transmission today, health minister Martin Foley says there are 18 cases being treated in Victoria.
Of the 18 cases, nine of the cases are locally inquired. This is an increase of five which were cases that the health authorities indicated yesterday. These numbers come after more than 13,000 tests were conducted in the state yesterday.
Mr Foley said the NSW link is the “primary line of investigation for the outbreak”.
Testing chief Jeroen Weimar said there are 8 cases linked to the Mentone and Mitcham cluster and authorities are continuing to work through close contacts.
There are also 170 primary close contacts connected to this wider cluster, and Mr Weimar flagged that there is a high chance of more positive cases in the days to come.
“That’s been a phenomenal piece of detective work and research work by our contract tracing teams and by our colleagues in our regional Public Health Units,” Mr Weimar said.
He also highlighted several locations as potential risk areas, encouraging anyone who has visited these places to get tested and isolate.
The Black Rock cafe, Smile Buffalo Thai Cafe, The Royal Brighton Yacht Club, the Holy Family church, the Woodlands golf club and the Village Cinema in Glen Waverley were among some of the venues he listed.
Yesterday there were 5 new local cases reported. 0 cases acquired interstate, 3 international and in hotel quarantine. 13,108 test results received. Got symptoms? Get tested #EveryTestHelps. More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W #COVID19Vic pic.twitter.com/5nbYTgsqKf
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) December 31, 2020
Mr Weimar said Victoria is “going hard and going early” and prioritising getting back to 62 days of COVID-free cases as “quickly as possible”.
With reports of long queues of cars backed up as people scramble to get back home to Victoria before the hard border to NSW comes down tonight, Mr Weimar thanked people for their sacrifice.
“We are determined to get back to that status as quickly as we possibly can,” Mr Weimar said.
“I appreciate, of course, that that involves sacrifice for many people, a sacrifice in terms of holidays cut short, time with family cut short, or people suddenly being asked to quarantine in the case of coming up in a close contact investigation.”
“Unfortunately, collectively, that’s what we have to do to make sure we stop this thing in its tracks and get back to zero days and go forward from here and enjoy 2021 as we look forward.”
READ MORE: Health department lists new Melbourne public exposure sites
RACHEL BAXENDALE 10.30am: Virus fragments detected in Lakes Entrance
Coronavirus fragments have been detected in sewage taken from the inlet to the Lakes Entrance wastewater treatment plant in Victoria’s east on December 29.
Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services is urging anyone in the Lakes Entrance area with any coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms to get tested and stay home until they receive their result.
If you live in or have recently visited Lakes Entrance, watch for any coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms. If you are experiencing fever, chills or sweats, a cough, sore throat, runny nose, loss of taste or smell or shortness of breath, get tested and stay home. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/frhdTKkI5S
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) December 31, 2020
The coastal area is extremely popular with holidaymakers over the summer period.
The nearest testing facility is 40km from Lakes Entrance at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service, where a drive-through testing site will be open from 9am to 5pm on New Year’s Day and over the weekend.
DHHS said there would be an increase in wastewater samples taken from Lakes Entrance following the unexpected result.
A full list of all Victorian testing sites, including operating hours, can be found at: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/where-get-tested-covid-19
JESS MALCOLM 10.25am: WATCH LIVE | Victorian health minister at 10.30am
In Victoria, Health Minister Martin Foley will be joined by testing chief Jeroen Weimar for a press conference at 10.30am.
NSW Gladys Berejiklian will provide a coronavirus update at 11am this morning, alongside Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant and NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing.
You can watch both press conferences live above.
JESS MALCOLM 10.15am: AMA slams ‘ridiculous’ NSW masks decision
Australian Medical Association Vice President Dr Chris Moy says Gladys Berejiklian’s refusal to mandate masks is a “ridiculous decision” saying it is a policy which could lower the chance of COVID-19 spreading by 30 per cent.
Dr Moy emphasised the importance of the state doing everything in its power to stop the growing spread of the cluster originating on Sydney’s northern beaches. He is the latest in a host of people criticising the NSW Premier for not mandating masks.
“In a game of chance and odds against COVID, you would have to do everything in your favour and this just doesn’t make sense why masts are not mandatory,” Dr Moy said.
“We have heard the arguments about bus drivers and so forth not monitoring it, and the problem with mandating it in places like supermarkets where they are not directing their staff to wear masks at the moment.”
“There’s a chance against an enemy which is out there lurking and you don’t know where it is.”
When asked about the vaccine rollout, Dr Moy said Australia is “on-track” but emphasised the need to go through proper medical approvals to ensure the vaccine’s safety.
READ MORE: Deja vu as Victorian tourists evacuate NSW south coast en masse
JESS MALCOLM 9.20am: Good news to start 2021: Victoria records no new cases
Victorians can breathe a sigh of relief: there were no new locally acquired cases in Victoria overnight.
Ahead of Friday’s daily coronavirus announcement from the Department of Health, chief COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar told ABC Radio Melbourne the state has recorded no new cases.
There are still eight cases announced yesterday, and three people with the virus in the state’s hotel quarantine. Five cases will appear in the coronavirus update later as a carry on from yesterday.
Mr Weimar also said there are 200 people in isolation after being named a close or casual contact of a positive case.
READ MORE: Holiday turmoil as borders shut
JESS MALCOLM 9am: Barilaro backs Berejiklian’s cluster response
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro says he backs the leadership of Gladys Berejiklian in response to the growing Sydney cluster, saying at no point would the government react in a “knee-jerk” fashion.
Ahead of the NSW Premier’s announcement on the latest COVID-19 case numbers at 11am this morning, Mr Barilaro emphasised that it is still “very early days” in relation to contact tracing and community transmission.
NSW Deputy Premier @JohnBarilaroMP responds to backlash over the state's refusal to bring in tougher COVID-19 restrictions and to allow the third Test to go ahead at the Sydney Cricket Ground. pic.twitter.com/tHUBMpwcU9
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) December 31, 2020
“At no point in the year have we had a knee-jerk reaction to bring in restrictions or lockdown borders. We have done it in a very balanced and measured way and that is the same approach we have for now,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Yes, the numbers are there and it is volatile and we know about the cluster in Avalon and we have some new clusters, but the reality is that we trust our medical officers and the contact tracing and the information and the data we have been receiving.”
He said NSW residents had done the right thing staying home last night. This comes after health experts warned that NYE could be a super spreading event.
READ MORE: Gladys Berejiklian stares down Sydney lockdown call
JESS MALCOLM 9am: NSW police happy with NYE crowd behaviour
NSW Police say they are happy with crowd behaviour during New Year’s Eve celebrations across the city last night.
NSW Police handed out seven $1000 fines to individuals and another five fines to businesses for breaching COVID rules. In Sydney’s west, NSW Police had to break up a gathering of more than 500 people multiple times.
Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing also said there were only 5000 people who entered the CBD, suggesting that most people listened to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian who had been for days urging people to stay home.
Across all of NSW police made a total of 219 arrests and 290 charges.
READ MORE: Kathy Lette — Eat. Drink. Spend. Don’t give up a thing
JESS MALCOLM 8.15am: Grim start to 2021: US sets another daily deaths record
The US has set another daily COVID-19 death record overnight for the second straight day this week.
More than 3740 coronavirus deaths were reported on Wednesday. Hospitalisations due to COVID-19 are also soaring, with the country setting another record yesterday for the number of patients in hospitals on a given day, at 125,200.
And the prediction is grim. As the country grits its teeth through a freezing winter the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has forecast that more than 80,000 Americans could die over the next three weeks.
In the United States, more people died from COVID-19 in 2020 than were killed in battle in World War II and Vietnam combined. In total, the pandemic has killed more than 1.8 million people around the world since late December 2019 out of nearly 83 million confirmed cases.
The United States continues to mourn the most deaths with 342,414.
READ MORE: Biden’s win for the American system
JESS MALCOLM 7.55am: China detects first case of UK strain
China has now detected its first case of the new, more infectious strain of COVID-19.
Chinese officials confirmed that the new strain has been found in a woman who arrived in Shanghai on December 14. She is a 23-year-old female student returning to China from the UK.
The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s publication CCDC Weekly said the case was “the first imported (U.K.) variant in China and poses a great potential threat to the prevention and control of COVID-19 in China”.
The strain, originating from South Africa, has been spreading rapidly across the UK triggering over 50 countries around the world cutting off flights to Britain in an attempt to slow the spread of the new variant.
In Wuhan overnight, where COVID-19 was first detected, thousands of New Year revellers packed into the town centre, cheering and releasing balloons to welcome in 2021. Police erected fences to try to prevent congestion around the city’s Customs House clock tower, but the measure was ineffective due to the large turnout of mainly young people.
READ MORE: Hunt for patient zero has become caught in a clash of great powers
JESS MALCOLM 7.30am: WATCH | Scott Morrison’s NY message: I have hope
Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised COVID-19 vaccinations for all Australians in 2021 in his New Year’s message calling them a “key step to our recovery”.
Filmed from the Lodge in Canberra, Mr Morrison emphasised the importance of staying vigilant as the global pandemic continues, but said he feels optimistic about 2021.
Mr Morrison also singled out healthcare workers and business owners and thanked all Australians who had sacrificed so much and served their country.
“From our health workers collecting test samples and tracing the contacts, tending to our elderly, counselling on our helplines and supporting our quarantine arrangements, ably assisted by our defence forces and our police and emergency service personnel,” Mr Morrison said.
“Even though I know there are a lot more challenges ahead of us in 2021, I have the hope, and I have the optimism and the confidence in my fellow Australians, in you, about our country.”
Mr Morrison also flagged Australia’s recovery, declaring the path ahead “stronger, safer, together”.
READ MORE: How one word change to Advance Australia Fair in ‘spirit of unity’ can make a difference
JESS MALCOLM 7.20am: Victorians rush to get home ahead of border closure
The Victorian border will close at midnight tonight to all of NSW. In a host of new restrictions, the state has also imposed mandatory mask wearing indoors, as well as reducing the number people can have in their home from 30 to 15.
The new restrictions sent millions of Victorians’ New Year’s Eve plans into disarray, with parties cancelled and people struggling to get home quickly. The last minute announcement yesterday afternoon triggered long queues of cars backed up on the highways forcing returning Victorians to celebrate the end of 2020 in traffic.
Acting Premier Jacinta Allan said this was a “necessary step” on the advice that health authorities have received including a growing list of exposure sites.
There were three confirmed cases on Wednesday increasing the total number to eight cases and they are suspected to be linked to the Avalon cluster in Sydney. There are also now 70 close contacts that have been identified.
The new outbreak has been traced to a Black Rock restaurant called Smile Buffalo Thai sending authorities scrambling to chase the chain of transmission.
READ MORE: Western Australia again closes its border to Victorians
JACQUELIN MAGNAY 7am: Boris Johnson’s NY message to a ravaged nation
It’s the grimmest of times in the United Kingdom, yet amid the oppressiveness of midwinter and raging coronavirus, Brexiteers are “pleased but not jubilant’’ the country has finally left the European Union.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to rally the mood, telling the nation in a New Year’s Eve address: “This is an amazing moment for this country. We have our freedom in our hands and it is up to us to make the most of it”.
But British New Year and Brexit celebrations were mute or non-existent, with just four per cent of people having pre-planned to meet up with another household, as dire warnings of the rampaging virus continue to cower a mightily fatigued population. Many went off to bed early to snore through the final hours of 2020. Yet finally, four and a half years after the 2016 referendum delivered the shock result (to some) and the furore claimed two prime ministers, just an hour before midnight, Britain is now a country in charge of its own destiny.
There will be plenty who will be only too happy to say goodbye to the grimness of 2020.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 31, 2020
But this was also the year when we rediscovered a spirit of togetherness, of community.
In 2021 we have our freedom in our hands and it is up to us to make the most of it. Happy New Year! pic.twitter.com/gDRXe2SuCb
The country’s emancipation was marked early on by an independent and world-leading decision to rollout the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on December 8, which was two weeks before the EU was embarrassed to bring forward a meeting to make the same choice.
Nearly a million of the over 80s in the UK have now already had their first jab. The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine will be unleashed on Monday and each week a million Britons will be inoculated.
The British government is extending its doom-laden messaging until the middle of the year, warning of many more months of continuing harsh lockdowns in various virus hotspot regions.
The mutant virus is spreading — one in 12 people in the nation’s capital currently have coronavirus, increasingly the mutant type. More than 55,000 people a day in the UK are testing positive to the virus.
Johnson said in his new year’s eve message to the nation: “We know that we have a hard struggle still ahead of us for weeks and months, because we face a new variant of the disease that requires a new vigilance. But as the sun rises tomorrow on 2021 we have the certainty of those vaccines.”
Read the full story here.
JESS MALCOLM 6.30am: More NSW venues added to exposure list
More NSW venues have been added to the growing list of COVID-19 exposure sites including a BWS, a Thai restaurant and a Bunnings. NSW Health urged anyone in NSW with the mildest symptoms to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.
Here is the list of venues added overnight:
■ Berala BWS Berala, 15-16 Woodburn Rd, Berala, NSW 2141;4:45pm to 9:06pm on Thursday 24 December 2020;9:55pm to 7:04pm on Saturday 26 December 2020; 12:44pm to 7:15pm on Monday 28 December 2020
■ Berala Pure Thai Berala 160 Woodburn Rd, Berala, NSW 2141;2pm to 4pm on Saturday 26 December 2020; 2pm to 4pm on Monday 28 December 2020
■ Smithfield Bunnings Smithfield, Corner Cumberland Highway and Sturt St, Smithfield, NSW 2164;1:15pm to 1:35pm on Tuesday 29 December
■ Smithfield TFO, Tile Factory Outlet Smithfield 107 Warren Rd, Smithfield, NSW 2164; 1:30pm to 3:30pm on Tuesday 29 December
■ Wollongong, The Swallowed Anchor, 156/160 Crown St, Wollongong NSW 2525, all day
NSW Health has been notified of a number of new and updated venues attended by confirmed cases of #COVID19 in #Wollongong, #Berala and #Smithfield. pic.twitter.com/LSgQDhgcb5
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) December 31, 2020
READ MORE: Nation well placed to grasp opportunities of a new year
JESS MALCOLM 6am: Pandemic mutes celebrations for billions of people
As the world ushers in the new year, the global pandemic muted celebrations for billions of people around the world.
The virus dominated traditional New Year messages from world leaders. Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of “difficult times” for Germany saying the “historic” coronavirus crisis will extend into 2021 even if vaccines bring some hope.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also acknowledged that a second wave of infections continues to batter the country but urged Russians “not to retreat in the face of difficulties, to preserve our unity”.
As New Delhi struggled to contain a rampant outbreak, residents suffered under lockdown for New Year’s Eve. In the capital, the curfew will run for two days from 11pm until 6am, with gatherings limited to five people even before the shutdown
In non-NYE related news, Tokyo reported over a daily record of 1300 new coronavirus infections overnight, triggering officials to warn that a state of emergency might be needed to tackle spiking cases.
Also, France detected its first case of the new, highly-infectious South African variant of coronavirus. The case is a man who had returned from the country to his home in the Haut-Rhin region which borders Switzerland.
In China, authorities have granted “conditional” market approval to a Sinopharm vaccine with a reported 79 per cent efficacy rate against COVID-19, a major stride towards inoculating the world’s largest population. — With AFP
READ MORE: Kissing goodbye to 2020 any way we can
Rachel Baxendale 5am: Holiday turmoil as outbreaks again close borders
Tens of thousands of people have had January holiday plans thrown into chaos and the nation is again divided, with Victoria and South Australia closing their borders to NSW and Western Australia locking out Victorians, as authorities scramble to control coronavirus outbreaks in two states.
Acting Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan closed the border along the Murray River to everyone in NSW on Thursday afternoon, sparking a rush of holiday-makers back to Victoria to avoid a fortnight of compulsory hotel quarantine, which will be imposed from 11.59pm on January 1.
The closures followed the discovery of a cluster, which by late Thursday comprised at least eight coronavirus cases, linked to a traveller from NSW. The cluster ended Victoria’s 61-day streak with no local virus transmissions.
The Victorian cluster emerged as NSW recorded 10 new coronavirus cases from almost 28,000 tests in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, down from 18 the previous day. These included five cases linked to the Avalon cluster on Sydney’s northern beaches, three linked to the Croydon cluster in the city’s inner west, one linked to a transport worker, and one that remained under investigation.
All of the Victorian cases were people who ate at the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant in Melbourne bayside suburb Black Rock on December 21, alongside the returned NSW traveller.
Read the full story here.
Max Maddison 5am: Berejiklian rejects calls for stronger Sydney restrictions
Gladys Berejiklian has stared down calls to impose more stringent restrictions on Greater Sydney, as NSW recorded another 10 new locally acquired cases.
The NSW Premier resisted renewed pressure from leading infectious disease experts who called for mandatory masks use and a short, sharp lockdown across Greater Sydney, after another cluster in the heart of the city emerged on Wednesday.
With nine locally acquired cases announced on Thursday directly linked to existing clusters — the tenth, a man from western Sydney, is believed to be an old case or false positive — Ms Berejiklian said she wouldn’t impose new restrictions lightly.
“Pleasingly, we have seen the numbers go down today but it’s very volatile. They’re going to bounce around,” Ms Berejiklian said on Thursday morning.
“This is a very unpredictable, contagious disease, but we also appreciate we don’t want to put more burdens on our citizens than we need to. It’s a very fine line.”
Read the full story here.
Angie Raphael 4.45am: Morrison urges Australia to be vigilant on virus
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he feels optimistic about 2021, but has warned Australians must remain vigilant as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
In his New Year video message, the Prime Minister said Australia had confronted its greatest challenge since World War Two.
“We’re a nation that prevails and we are making our way through this crisis in a very Australian way — guided by our own enduring principles and values that have served us so well, and together we have done better than almost any other country in the world,” he said.
Read the full story here.
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