Coronavirus Australia live news: Victoria closes border to NSW as cases grow
Victorians have until 11.59pm tomorrow to return to their state after yet more cases were reported today.
- Alerts for Melbourne venues
- Alerts for Greater Sydney venues
- Stakes raised as Vic records three cases
- UK approves Oxford/AstraZeneca jab
Welcome to live updates on Australia’s response to the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
Victoria will close its border with NSW from 11.59pm on Friday evening. Acting Premier Jacinta Allan made the announcement after revealing Victoria had uncovered a further two coronavirus cases today, bringing the state’s total to eight from the NSW cluster. NSW has recorded 10 new cases.
AFP 9.30pm: China confirms first case of UK variant
China has confirmed its first case of a new coronavirus variant that was recently detected in Britain, health officials said.
The new strain, which experts say potentially spreads faster than the original variant, has prompted travel restrictions on the UK by more than 50 countries — including China, where the coronavirus first emerged late last year.
The first patient in China with the new variant is a 23-year-old woman from Shanghai who arrived from Britain on December 14, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control said in a research note.
She was admitted to hospital on arrival as she showed mild symptoms. Health experts conducted a genetic sequencing of her test samples on December 24 “due to travel history from the UK and abnormalities in nucleic acid test results”, the China CDC said.
The patient was found to have a strain different to those found in Shanghai or Wuhan earlier, and further testing confirmed it was the variant known as B.1.1.7 that has been spreading in the UK since October.
Health authorities have carried out contact-tracing, the CDC statement added. China suspended direct flights to and from Britain indefinitely on December 24 because of the new strain.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the new variant “may be up to 70 per cent more transmissible than the original version of the disease”.
But there is no evidence so far to suggest that infection with the new variant is more likely to lead to a severe case of COVID-19 or increase the risk of death.
AFP 8.45pm: New Year’s Eve 11pm curfew in India
New Delhi and other major cities across India ordered curfews for New Year’s Eve as they stepped up efforts to head off a new coronavirus wave.
In the capital, the curfew would run for two days from 11pm until 6am, with gatherings limited to five people even before the shutdown, authorities said on Thursday.
Normally, tens of thousands of revellers pack central Delhi to see in the New Year.
But with frantic efforts being made to track thousands of people who have recently returned from Britain because of the new coronavirus strain, the city of 20 million people joined a growing number of Indian states that have imposed draconian restrictions on New Year gatherings.
The financial capital, Mumbai, and other major cities in Maharashtra state have ordered a night-time shutdown until January 5.
Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, which both generally draw large numbers of foreign tourists for end-of-year holidays, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka have all ordered curfews for New Year.
India has officially recorded more than 10 million coronavirus infections, the world’s second-highest caseload behind the US.
But with 150,000 fatalities for a population of 1.3 billion, the death rate is one of the world’s lowest and the number of new infections has slowed dramatically in recent weeks.
AFP 8pm: Emergency warning as Tokyo tops 1000 daily cases
Tokyo reported more than 1000 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, a new record, as local and government officials warned that a state of emergency might be needed to tackle spiking cases.
Japan’s Jiji news agency reported that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had called emergency talks with ministers on the virus situation later Thursday.
“We are still compiling precise figures today. It has been reported to me that it will be above 1000 and reach somewhere around 1300,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said.
“For the coronavirus, there is no year-end and no new year holiday. In this winter season, we are seeing the coronavirus spread and it is an extremely serious situation.”
Japan has seen a comparatively limited outbreak compared to some parts of the world, with fewer than 3500 deaths since it recorded its first case of the virus in January.
It has also avoided the harsh lockdown measures used in some countries, though the government imposed a “state of emergency” in the northern spring, calling on businesses to close and asking people to stay at home.
That measure carried no penalty for non-compliance and was lifted after several weeks when cases fell.
Infections stayed low during the northern summer, but in recent weeks a spike has alarmed officials and medical professionals, prompting calls for a new state of emergency, which the government has been reluctant to implement for fear of the economic fallout.
If cases continue to rise, the city “may have no choice but to request” the central government implement a new state of emergency, Ms Koike warned.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of the coronavirus response, also warned that a state of emergency would be needed to “protect the lives of the Japanese people” if infections continue to spike.
“The medical system will not be able to survive”, he said in a video message.
Tom Whipple 7.30pm: Search for patient zero mired in mystery
Twelve months ago today China revealed it was investigating pneumonia cases of “unknown etiology”.
For the coronavirus, that is when recorded history began, albeit against resistance. The first whistleblowers were silenced and the first Chinese scientists to publish the virus’s genome were investigated. Even so, we know with greater certainty what happened next: infections spread rapidly in the city of Wuhan and were soon found worldwide.
Before that, we have only a hazy picture. Peter Daszak, president of the US-based Ecohealth Alliance and an expert on the process by which diseases cross over from animals, has been asked by a Lancet commission to solve the riddle of the virus’s origins.
“Right now,” he says, “we can’t rule out any hypotheses.”
Sharpening the picture would be almost unimaginably hard in the best of times. But a question of virology has become one of geopolitics and for scientists in the field it is now impossible to separate their work from accusations and counteraccusations.
Patrick Commins 6.50pm: Victorians rush back from NSW
Victorians are clogging the streets of the NSW far South Coast town of Pambula as holidaymakers flood back to their home state ahead of border closures coming into force at 11.59pm on Thursday.
In scenes reminiscent of last summer’s bushfires, the announcement on Thursday afternoon from acting Victorian premier Jacinta Allan has triggered fear and panic and devastated the local tourism industry for a second Christmas period, locals say.
Rachel Baxendale 6.20pm: New detail on latest cases
Victoria’s five newest coronavirus cases include a woman and two men in their 70s, a man in his 40s and a child aged under 18.
The latest cases are all close contacts of two women in their 40s and a woman in her 70s who tested positive for the virus on Wednesday after eating at the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant in bayside Black Rock on December 21.
The five new cases bring the total number of cases in the cluster to eight, and will be counted in Friday’s coronavirus numbers.
“All positive cases are in self isolation at their homes and their close contacts are being contacted and tested. More than 70 close contacts have been identified,” Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services said on Thursday night.
There are now 16 known active cases of coronavirus in Victoria, including one case in a 15-year-old girl who returned to Victoria almost a fortnight ago after visiting Sydney’s northern beaches, and nine cases among returning international travellers in hotel quarantine.
READ MORE: Golf, yacht clubs join venues of concern
Rachel Baxendale 5.40pm: Victorian cluster timeline
December 17-19: Person who is believed to have sparked Victoria’s latest cluster was exposed to the virus in NSW. They arrived in Victoria on December 19.
December 21: At least two separate groups of people who later test positive for COVID-19 attend the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant in Black Rock in Melbourne’s bayside southeast. Among them are the traveller from NSW, who attended the venue in a group that included a woman in her 40s from Mitcham in Melbourne’s outer east. The other group included a woman in her 40s from bayside Mentone, and a woman in her 70s from Hallam, in Melbourne’s outer southeast, who are part of the same family.
December 26: The woman in her 70s attends Fountain Gate shopping centre in Narre Warren in Melbourne’s southeast, taking advantage of Boxing Day sales at stores including Kmart, Big W, Target, Millers, King of Gifts and Lo Costa between 9am and 11am. The same day, she attends a Spanish mass at Holy Family Catholic Church at nearby Doveton.
December 27: The Mentone woman goes to the local Mentone/Parkdale beach from 10am to 4:30pm.
December 28: A positive case has lunch at the Royal Brighton Yacht Club restaurant in Melbourne’s bayside southeast between 12pm and 2pm. Positive cases also attend Mocha Jo’s Cafe in Glen Waverley in Melbourne’s southeast from 1.30pm to 1.45pm before seeing the 2.45pm showing of Wonder Woman in Gold Class and the nearby Century City Walk cinema. A positive case also briefly visits the Katialo restaurant in Oakleigh between 7pm and 7.10pm that night.
December 30: A positive case visits the golf shop and clubhouse and plays golf at Cape Schanck’s National Golf Club on the Mornington Pensinsula between 11.40am and 1:30pm. Late on December 30 Victorian authorities confirm the three women from Mitcham, Mentone and Hallam have tested positive for coronavirus, ending a 61-day streak with no community transmissions in Victoria.
December 31: Victorian health authorities reveal a further five people, all of whom are close contacts of people who attended the Smile Buffalo restaurant, have tested positive for coronavirus. More than 70 close contacts are in quarantine. From 5pm on New Year’s Eve private gathering sizes are limited to 15 people (down from 30) and wearing of masks becomes mandatory indoors. Victoria closes the border with NSW, effective from 11:59pm on January 1.
Patrick Commins 5.10pm: PM’s New Year’s tribute to ‘indomitable Australian spirit’
Australians enter 2021 “stronger, safer,” and “together” after finding the “grit and ingenuity” to confront, in the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s “greatest challenge since the Second World War”.
In his New Year’s message, Scott Morrison said that “in a period of unprecedented isolation we have once again found each other and turned to each other (and) as a result we are getting through this together”.
“Like the generations before us, in this past year we have found that same indomitable Australian spirit,” the Prime Minister said.
Paige Taylor 4.50pm: WA closes border to Victorians
Western Australia will again close its border to Victoria from midnight on Thursday.
And thousands of people who are in WA but arrived from Victoria on or after December 21 have been ordered to self quarantine immediately and get a coronavirus test. Their self quarantine ends 14 days after they arrived in WA.
WA acting premier Roger Cook, who is the Health Minister, said only people with an exemption could enter WA from Victoria after midnight Thursday. This would apply to West Australians who went to Victoria for Christmas and are still there.
The McGowan government intends to deal with West Australians stranded in Victoria on compassionate grounds, indicating they will be allowed to come home provided they self-quarantine for two weeks and get a test.
Mr Cook announced the decision after the discovery of cases of community transmission in Victoria.
“The timing is terrible but COVID-19 doesn’t respect dates or celebrations,” Health Minister Roger Cook said.
Mackenzie Scott 4.20pm: Traces found in Queensland sewage
Queensland Health has found traces of COVID-19 in sewage samples at two sites in the state’s southeast, heightening concerns over community transmission.
Fragments of the virus were found at Bundamba in West Moreton and Merrimac on the Gold Coast through routine testing undertaken since Christmas Eve.
Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said continued positive sewage results were particularly concerning given the NSW cluster and new cases in Victoria.
“Both of these treatment plants collect wastewater from large urban populations,” Dr Young said.
“These positive test results are concerning as they may indicate either a recovered case or undetected active cases living in or visiting the area.
“With the New South Wales cluster growing and new cases in Victoria, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Recent wastewater tests have revealed positive results for COVID-19 across seven sites across Queensland, including Victoria Point, Oxley Creek, Goodna, Fairfield, Cairns North, Redcliffe and Nambour.
Dr Young encouraged anyone with minor symptoms to get tested.
Rachel BAxendale 3.28pm: BREAKING: Victoria to close border to NSW
Victoria will close its border with NSW from 11.59pm on Friday evening.
Acting Premier Jacinta Allan made the announcement after revealing Victoria had uncovered a further two coronavirus cases today, bringing the state’s total to eight from the NSW cluster.
Victorians currently in NSW “green zones” have until 11:59pm on Friday January 1 to return home or face a fortnight of compulsory hotel quarantine.
Ms Allan confirmed there had been two positive cases of coronavirus in Victoria since Thursday morning, bringing the total number of cases linked to the Smile Buffalo Thai cafe in the bayside Melbourne suburb of Black Rock to eight.
The first three cases were identified late on Wednesday, with a further three identified on Thursday morning.
Ms Allan said both of the latest cases were close contacts of people who had already tested positive.
There are now more than 70 close contacts in compulsory isolation.
Angelica Snowden 3.07pm: Church cancelled after positive case attended mass
New Year services at the Holy Family Church in Melbourne’s southeast have been cancelled after someone who contracted COVID-19 attended a Spanish mass on Boxing Day.
The mass was held in the hall at the precinct in Doveton but has prompted the church to close as well after a positive coronavirus case joined the 4pm service on December 26. The hall is separate and is smaller than the church.
All parishioners were notified by the church in an email about the case.
“The church has not been affected but, for safety sake, please be advised that all New Year Services scheduled for 31 December and 1 January are CANCELLED,” the email read.
A note stuck to the front of the church also urged anyone with symptoms who attended the mass to isolate and get tested.
Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne chancellor Annie Carrett said she could not confirm how many attended the mass, but said the Spanish mass is a service the parish offered in addition to the church’s usual curriculum and a guest priest delivered the sermon.
“The Doveton community in general are a very lively, thriving parish but they were not the ones attending this particular worship,” the 56-year-old said.
“The testing commander and health minister both praised not only the parish community management but also the particular parishioners ... they acted very swiftly,” she said.
A parishioner who moved to the neighbourhood about a year ago said the church kept track of everyone who attended mass.
Rachel Baxendale 2.56pm: Victorian leaders to hold second update about border
Acting Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Health Minister Martin Foley are due to hold their second press conference for the day on Thursday afternoon.
The Australian understands the Andrews government is preparing to make further announcements regarding the NSW border.
Ms Allan and Mr Foley are expected to be joined by testing commander Jeroen Weimar and deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng at the press conference which will take place some time after 3.30pm.
Since this morning’s press conference at which authorities revealed at least six community transmissions of coronavirus had been detected in Victoria, Professor Cheng has attended an AHPPC meeting with his federal, state and territory health counterparts at which an update was provided regarding the coronavirus situation in NSW.
Andrews government sources said Victorian health authorities were on Thursday afternoon discussing how to respond to that advice.
Anyone entering Victoria from greater Sydney or the central coast is currently required to complete 14 days in hotel quarantine, while those returning from the Blue Mountains or Wollongong have until midnight on Thursday night to return without having to complete hotel quarantine. Blue Mountains and Wollongong returnees must still get tested immediately and quarantine in their homes for a fortnight.
People entering Victoria from other parts of NSW currently require a permit but do not have to quarantine.
Any announcement which further tightens border restrictions between NSW and Victoria is likely to have a significant impact on Victorians, tens of thousands of whom have flocked to the NSW coast for beach holidays.
Staff writers 2.42pm: 2020 losses almost wiped out as ASX closes
In a tumultuous year, the S&P/ASX 200 has ended 2020 by almost wiping out the year’s losses, while the Aussie dollar has gone beyond US77c.
Australian stocks slipped in a shortened session on the last trading day of 2020 amid growing concerns about coronavirus cases in NSW and Victoria, which outweighed optimism following gains on Wall Street.
The S&P/ASX 200 closed down 1.4 per cent, or 95.3 points, at 6587.10, only a little lower than at the start of 2020, after a stunning recovery from the global market shocks inflicted early in the year by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The benchmark ended down 8 per cent from its record closing high on February 20, but up 45 per cent from its Covid-hit low of 4546 points on March 23.
The All Ordinaries closed on Thursday for the year at 6850.60, down 1.3 per cent for the day, or 92.30 points lower.
READ the full ASX report here
Tessa Akerman 2.14pm: Mariners face $11,000 fine for Pittwater escapes
Offshore escapes to Pittwater’s sheltered bays in the northern beaches Covid-19 hot zone could cost mariners up to $11,000 with the NSW Health department confirming boat entry into the area is restricted.
Scores of boats have been moored in popular Pittwater retreats and up the Hawkesbury over the past week, including a number from outside the restricted zone.
The Australian reported on Wednesday that boats from as far as Batemans Bay had anchored at The Basin, as well as a $100,000-a-week charter superyacht from Sydney.
A NSW Health spokesman said boats should only enter the northern beaches if they had an essential reason.
Essential reasons include going to your place of residence, attending a funeral and buying food, or accessing goods or services that are not available outside of the Northern Beaches.
“Taking a holiday in the northern beaches is not a reasonable excuse,” the health website states.
“Officers from the Marine Area Command are monitoring the activities of boaters across the state, which includes engaging and conducting boating checks in areas such as the Northern Beaches,” a spokeswoman for the NSW police said.
READ MORE: Yachties at sea over restrictions
Ellie Dudley 2.08pm: Eight Sydney suburbs on alert after sewage test results
Eight northern Sydney suburbs have been put on alert after a fragment of the coronavirus was found via sewage surveillance in Hornsby Heights, sparking concern for undetected cases in the area.
Residents of Berowra, Cowan, Berowra Heights, Hornsby Heights, Mount Colah, Mount Kuring-Gai, Asquith and Hornsby are being asked to monitor symptoms and get tested if any arise.
“NSW Health is aware of recent cases in this area, but is concerned that there may be undetected cases,” a release read on Thursday.
“Everyone in the area is asked to be alert for symptoms and to get tested immediately if they appear.”
NSW Health is aware of recent cases in this area, but is concerned that there may be unknown cases.
READ MORE: Meet the poo sleuth on virus front line
Ellie Dudley 2.01pm: Fish market, more shopping centres added to NSW list
NSW Health has revealed a list of new venues which have been visited by confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Anyone who visited any of the venues at the below times should monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately and self-isolate until you receive a negative result.
Most of the venues are located in south-west Sydney, with one also located in Shellharbour on the south coast.
Chullora: Chullora Fish Market, December 23, 6.40am-7.10am
Liverpool: Liverpool Westfield, December 23, 1pm-3pm
Belfield: Mancini’s Pizza @ Belfield, December 24, 7pm-7.15pm
Greenacre: 7 Eleven 301-305 Hume Highway, December 26, 4.30pm-5pm
Shellharbour: Myer Stockland Shellharbour, December 27, 12pm – 12.40pm
Figtree: Coles Figtree Grove Shopping Centre, December 28, 4.45pm-5.20pm
Ellie Dudley 1.21pm: ‘Why must we have a crowd at the cricket?’
NSW opposition leader Jodi McKay has slammed Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s decision to have crowds at the cricket test at the SCG, urging her to make masks mandatory in certain settings.
“Why are we now progressing with a crowd at the cricket?...It just doesn’t make sense to me,” Ms McKay said.
“I’m urging the Premier to make sure the cricket goes ahead...but there is a general feeling there should not be people at the cricket.
“We shouldn’t have people attending the cricket. We need to make that call now.”
Masks have not been mandated in NSW, while in Victoria all people gathering indoors will have to wear masks from 5pm on Thursday.
“I think it’s important that if masks can reduce the risk of transmission, that we’re doing everything we can,” Ms McKay said, adding that Ms Berejiklian hasn’t given a “proper answer” to questions relating to a mask mandate.
Rachel Baxendale 1.16pm: Positive case visited Melbourne yacht club
The Royal Brighton Yacht Club in Melbourne’s bayside southeast has confirmed a coronavirus positive person visited their restaurant for lunch on Tuesday.
Although the venue is yet to be added to the Department of Health and Human Services’ list of public exposure sites, the restaurant’s general manager said early on Thursday afternoon DHHS had confirmed that the case sat outside between 12 noon and 2pm on Tuesday December 29, and did not use the club toilets or visit any other area of the club.
“The Club has had to close immediately to undergo deep cleaning and will be strictly following all Department of Health instructions,” restaurant management confirmed on the club’s Facebook page.
“If you were in or around the club since the 29th you are advised to stay at home and seek guidance from the DHHS as to whether you need to isolate.”
Angelica Snowden 1.08pm: Bad luck, says owner of infected Thai restaurant
Owner and manager of Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant in Black Rock Navara Kingtada said she could not “believe” her shop was visited by a Covid-19 positive case which has prompted her to close the store down until January 4 and cancel New Year’s eve bookings.
“It’s New Year’s Eve … everybody was disappointed because they were waiting for a party,” Ms Kingtada said.
“We were booked out because we have outdoor seating and we had footpath seating too so we were fully booked for two rounds but we had to cancel (everything),” 37-year-old she said.
That traveller is being tested as a matter of urgency today. They returned from NSW prior to Victoria’s border permit system being instigated. We’re working closely with NSW Health and with the restaurant and contact tracing is underway.
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) December 31, 2020
(3/4)
“We got good feedback (from our customers) that they understand… they said it was just bad luck but they will come back … they are waiting for us to reopen and rebook.”
Two sittings of 40 people each - one at 5.30pm and another at 7.30pm had to be cancelled.
After the state’s latest three cases were all linked with the venue in Black Rock - a wealthy bayside suburb southeast of Melbourne CBD - Ms Kingtada said none of her staff reported symptoms.
“All the staff are okay because nobody has got symptoms or anything and we always get tested,” Ms Kingtada said.
Smile Buffalo Thai also closed due to latest Covid cases in Victoria. Owner says she is “shocked†and had to cancel two sittings of dinner bookings tonight. @australian pic.twitter.com/rc6Cm5Zv4J
— Angelica Snowden (@ang3snowden) December 31, 2020
“And today we are all going to get tested again … nobody has symptoms and nobody is sick and we still have masks on and hand sanitise all the time,” she said.
Ms Kingtada said the restaurant is cleaned and sprayed every day, but professional cleaners would visit the store in the next few days for a “deep clean”.
Owner of the restaurant for five years, she said she found out the Covid-19 positive person — a returned NSW traveller — visited her restaurant on the news on Thursday and of all the stores they could have visited, it was “bad luck” they chose hers.
She said there was no party or big event at the restaurant on December 21, just “normal dining”.
“We just know from the health department they came here, we can’t know who or which table,” she said.
“(We know) they got it from NSW and have been to the shop after they came back. It kills me.”
Rachel Baxendale 12.41pm: Exclusive Victorian golf club exposed to virus
An exclusive golf club on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula has become the latest venue to be listed among the state’s coronavirus exposure sites.
Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services has on Thursday listed the National Golf Club at Cape Schanck as an exposure site, with anyone who attended the course between 11.40am and 1.30pm a day ago on Wednesday December 30 ordered to get tested for COVID-19 and isolate until they receive a negative result.
The Cups Drive golf club wrote to members on Thursday morning, alerting them that a member who attended the golf course on Wednesday had tested positive for COVID-19.
“The member was in the clubhouse and golf shop between 11.38am and 11.42am and as far as we understand did not come in close contact with any other member,” the National Golf Club said in its letter to members.
“The member did not utilise the bar or restaurant facilities, including the toilets or locker rooms.
“There were two touch points in the golf shop which have been subsequently thoroughly disinfected (the touch screen for golf registration and the golf shop counter).
“The affected area of the clubhouse and golf shop was also deep cleaned by an external contractor last evening.
“Any member who was in the clubhouse or golf shop on Wednesday between 11.38am and 11.42am is advised to self-isolate, be alert to any symptoms of Covid-19 and get tested if symptoms arise.
“As the member played a number of holes on the Moonah course prior to leaving the site, a further touch point has possibly been identified in that the member retrieved his ball from the first three holes. Any person who played on the Moonah course from noon onwards should be aware of this and take the required precautionary measures, including self-isolating and getting tested.
“The flagsticks and golf holes have all now been thoroughly disinfected.”
READ MORE: Full list of Victorian venues affected by virus
Mackenzie Scott 12.30pm: Queensland to add new checkpoint to ease traffic
An additional checkpoint will be added to the Queensland border in the new year to improve the flow of traffic coming from NSW.
The latest checkpoint at Nerang Murwillumbah Rd will be opened on Saturday by Queensland Police on reduced hours from 8am to 4pm AEST.
Chief superintendent Mark Wheeler said the new stop will relieve pressure on some of the Gold Coast’s busier roads, adding that emergency services will be given a code to access the road outside of operational hours.
“At the moment, we have an extremely high volume of traffic across all road networks,” he said.
“There will be times when ambulances and other emergency vehicles will get caught up in traffic, that is not unusual.
“I can reassure everyone that at each and every checkpoint... there are methods in place to get people through.”
In the past week, 375 cars carrying 840 people have been turned around at the border. Most had attempted to enter from Greater Sydney or were unable to prove they had not been in a hotspot in the past 14 days.
Chief superintendent Wheeler said that police would not be enforcing the chief health officer Jeannette Young’s advice to not kiss or hug during New Years Eve celebrations, instead impoloring people to act responsibly.
Ellie Dudley 12.26pm: NSW adds to list of western Sydney affected venues
New venue alerts where confirmed cases had been have been issued for five venues in western Sydney.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant has urged anyone who visited any of the following venues at the listed times to get tested immediately and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
Monkey Mania Bankstown Sports Club on Monday, 28 December, from 10am to 12pm
Bankstown La Piazza on Monday, 28 December, from 12pm to 2:00pm
Bass Hill Hair Management on Thursday, 24 December, from 11.15am to 12.30pm
Venus nail salon in Bass Hill on Thursday, 24 December, from 12.30pm to 1pm
Anytime Fitness at Kings Park on Sunday, December 20, from 9.30am to 11.45am
Ellie Dudley 12.13pm: Police clear Tony Abbott of lockdown breach
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has been cleared for leaving his home in the southern region of the northern beaches.
At Church Point post office in Northern Beaches red zone to get our mail & a coffee today (because I live here). My neighbours & the cafe owner told me they spoke to @HonTonyAbbott here 2 days ago. People are not happy. #lockdown rules only work if everyone follows them Tony. pic.twitter.com/hPrqbgVwBr
— Kristina Keneally (@KKeneally) December 30, 2020
Labor Senator Kristina Keneally brought Mr Abbott’s alleged indiscretion to light on Twitter. In a tweet on December 31 in which Ms Keneally is pictured at Church Point in the northern region of the northern beaches, she said she was told by neighbours and a cafe owner that they spotted Mr Abbott in the area two days earlier.
As it currently stands, both the north and south of the peninsula are in lockdown and residents can only leave their home for essential reasons.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing said the matter had been investigated, and Mr Abbott was found to have not broken public health orders.
“Police responded to that, spoke to the former prime minister and formed the view that he was not in breach of the health order as it applied at the time.”
“He was out for a lawful excuse exercising with another individual.”
Ellie Dudley 12.05pm: SA slams border to NSW shut
South Australia will reimpose a hard border with New South Wales from 12.01am January 1 in response to the state’s growing COVID-19 outbreak.
People from NSW will be banned from entering SA, unless they are returning South Australians, permanently relocating or essential travellers.
A 100-kilometre buffer zone will apply for people living in border communities, including Broken Hill and Wentworth, SA Premier Steven Marshall announced this morning.
People travelling to SA via NSW will also have an exemption, provided they do not stop in NSW.
“This morning we have received advice that would suggest we need to strengthen our border restrictions with New South Wales,” Mr Marshall said.
“As of midnight tonight, in fact one minute past midnight tonight, we will be putting a hard border back in place.”
“This will have very few exceptions … only South Australians returning, people relocating permanently or essential workers will be exempt from this arrangement,” he said.
Mr Marshall also said South Australians returning or people relocating permanently will need to do 14 days of mandatory self-isolation.
State Coordinator and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the hard border would be imposed from 12.01am on New Year’s Day.
“That will require New South Wales residents to essentially cease all travel into South Australia,” he said.
Mr Stevens also said patrols along the borders have been bolstered to ensure permits are properly monitored for those allowed to enter the state.
“Several days ago we reintroduced personnel to the borders at Yamba, Pinnaroo and Oodla Wirra and also Wentworth,” he said.
“We have police officers stationed there, and they will continue to provide that border checking process.”
Ellie Dudley 11.46am: Berejiklian: We stand by our decision on cricket
Gladys Berejiklian says the NSW government stands by the decision to host the SCG cricket Test from January 7.
“We stand by our decision to make sure we’re able to provide COVID-safe event,” the Premier said.
“If we need to reevaluate some of our settings, update the compliance, the compliance measures and the safety plan, we won’t hesitate to do that.
“But if there is an opportunity for us to hold events then we should also proceed on that.”
Ms Berejiklian said while safety comes first, the cricket is an opportunity to improve the morale of citizens.
“Yes, community safety always comes first and I hope we have demonstrated during the course of this year that we have always put community health,’’ she said.
and safety first. But we also have to keep jobs going, we don’t want to see more people out of their job, out of their livelihood.’’
Ms Berejiklianalso defended the government’s approach to the pandemic, after being questioned on why NSW has not yet mandated masks.
“It’s been evident during the course of the pandemic, that every state leader, every territory leader has had their own policies in place,’’ she said. “Every state and territory is different, every government is different.
“Here in New South Wales, we always try to strike the right balance. This is a very unpredictable, contagious disease, but we also appreciate that we don’t want to put more burdens on our citizens than we need to. It’s a very fine line.
“Our approach in New South Wales is cautious and we believe proportionate to the risk that’s there.”
Ellie Dudley 11.41am: Lockdown question looms over NSW
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant says the state’s health authorities are working to provide an update on whether a state-wide lockdown will be necessary.
When asked if there was a certain number of cases the authorities need to get to before a lockdown is enforced, she said the state is “pleasingly” getting to a stage where “a number” of the state’s cases are non-infectious.
“If you’re not a hospitalised patient, if you’re not a very sick patient, if you’re not immunosuppressed, generally you’re clear of being infectious 10 days after,’’ Dr Chant said. “That is if you remain symptom-free for three days and it’s been at least 10 days since your onset of illness.
“We are pleasingly getting to the period where a number of our cases will be now non-infectious and we are working through that to better update the community on the infectious burden.”
Ellie Dudley 11.22am: Update coming on genomic links later today
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant says an update will be given this afternoon on genome tests that should indicate links between transmission chains.
“What concerns me is when I have those missing chains of transmission because it means that we haven’t effectively stopped it,” she said.
Dr Chant said if the first Croydon case had not come forward for testing, the nine cases now reported from the cluster would have remained unknown.
“We would have potentially had further chains of transmission in the community amongst their close contacts and an escalating number of cases,” she said.
“I think it illustrates the point we’re trying to make - everyone who’s got symptoms needs to come forward and get tested.”
Dr Chant also said NSW was not mandating the wearing of masks, but has asked the community to “double” their efforts.
“If you’re going into indoor venues, when you’re anywhere that you can’t social distance, wear a mask,” she said.
Ms Berejiklian said the health authorities will have a clearer understanding of Wollongong’s coronavirus numbers over the next couple of days.
“I think we’ll have a better picture over the next 24 to 48 hours but we can’t give the all clear until we have a significant period of time where we are absolutely confident that there’s been no community chains of transmission,” she said.
“So everyone down there needs to be vigilant but please come forward and get a test.”
Ellie Dudley 11.03am: NSW records 10 new virus cases
Gladys Berejiklian has announced 10 new cases have been recorded in NSW over the past 24 hours after 27,894 tests were conducted.
Five cases reported in NSW in the past 24 hours have been linked to the Avalon cluster, three were members of the Croydon cluster, one is linked to the transport worker cluster and one is still under investigation.
The case still under investigation is potentially an old case or a false positive, but the NSW Premier has said serological testing will provide further information on that.
Ms Berejiklian has again thanked those on the northern beaches for their patience, with a reminder that the state health authorities will provide an update on the conditions for the southern part of the region on January 2.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant also thanked New South Wales residents for the increase in testing numbers overnight, urging residents to keep the trend moving upwards.
“Testing numbers were increased to 27,894 tests to 8.00pm last night and that compared with 17,267 in the previous day,” Dr Chant said.
“It does reflect the community response to that callout for testing. But can I urge the community to even strive for higher testing rates.”
Dr Chant said people have been “very forthcoming” and there had only been a small number of cases for which health authorities had to use additional powers to discover positive cases.
“I would just like to say that our experience is that in the main people are very cooperative,” she said.
“There have been only a handful of cases where we have had to use other means, but we also do cross-verify information.
“We cross-verify information from people around the case and their workplaces and other information sources and if we have a reason to question the validity of the information, we use other mechanisms.”
Ellie Dudley 11.01am: Victorians in NSW told to come home
Health Minister Martin Foley has urged all Victorians in New South Wales to return to the state immediately.
“To be really clear - do not go to New South Wales,” he said.
“If you are a Victorian in New South Wales, well beyond Wollongong and the Blue Mountains, come back. You do not want to be caught on the wrong side of a rapidly evolving situation.”
Mr Foley said the “public health advice will be the public health advice”.
“We are ahead of this. We need to stay ahead of it. If that means the public health advice is to move further on border restrictions, that is what we will do,” he said.
Ellie Dudley 10.56am: 52 close contacts of infected women in Melbourne identified
Victorian health authorities have identified 52 close contacts of the three women who tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday.
“Those close contacts are across a wide area of Melbourne,” Chief tester Jeroen Weimar said.
The three new cases reported today in Victoria are a part of the close contact group.
Mr Weimar said the large group of close contacts is a result of increased socialisation over the holidays.
“This shows that at this holiday time how widely we all travel, how widely we all beat, and we have seen a number of significant private gatherings involving these individuals over the last week, as many of us have enjoyed,” he said.
Mr Weimar identified a number of exposure sites, including the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant in Black Rock, and the Holy Family Parish Church in Doveton.
“Both of those facilities have good contact systems in place, we will be working with them over the coming hours to extract the information and contact the parishioners and congregation members of the church, and anyone
who has dined at the cafe in that period of time,” he said.
“We expect the number of close contacts to continue to rise over the course of the next few days as we continue contact tracing work.”
Angelica Snowden 10.54am: Fountain Gate shopping centre staff told to isolate, get tested
Staff who worked at Fountain Gate’s Big-W on Boxing Day between 7am and 1pm have been asked to isolate and get tested for Covid-19, after news the shopping centre was identified as a “high risk” coronavirus site.
It came after three new locally acquired coronavirus cases were found in Victoria late on Wednesday.
Fountain Gate shopping centre in Melbourne quiet on New Year’s Eve after being identified as a high risk site for coronavirus. Most are wearing masks. Staff say the centre is normally buzzing this time of year. @australian pic.twitter.com/aj8QxQMLwE
— Angelica Snowden (@ang3snowden) December 30, 2020
The shopping centre - made famous in Australian TV show Kath & Kim - is open as normal after Target, Lacoste, BIG-W, Millers and Kong of Gifts were identified as exposure sites by the Department of Health and Human Services open on Thursday morning after one of the latest cases visited on December 26.
The Australian understands Big-W was deep cleaned on Thursday morning and a number of staff who worked on Boxing Day had their shifts cancelled out of precaution.
Kmart was also open as normal on Thursday.
Ellie Dudley 10.45am: Victoria records three additional virus cases
Acting Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said three further coronavirus cases have been recorded, after three were announced on Wednesday.
She said there are now 10 active cases in the state, with four cases in hotel quarantine.
She said the three cases announced yesterday all dined at the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant in Black Rock on 21 December, according to the state’s contact tracers.
Anyone who restaurant is being urged to get tested as soon as possible and contact authorities.
Ms Allan also announced tightened restrictions ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations tonight.
The limit of people gathering in private homes will be reduced from 30 down to 15, as of 5pm today.
“We do apologise to people who have put plans in place, who was looking forward to having events in their home, or in other people’s homes, but this is a necessary step,” she said.
Masks will also be mandated indoors from 5pm on Thursday.
Rachel Baxendale 10.30am: Thai restaurant linked to new Melbourne cases
Victorian health authorities have added the “Smile Buffalo” Thai restaurant in the southeastern Melbourne bayside suburb of Black Rock to the list of coronavirus exposure sites on Thursday morning.
Anyone who visited the restaurant on December 21 is ordered to get tested for COVID-19 and isolate until they received a negative result.
The full list of exposure sites is available on the Department of Health & Human Services website:
Evin Priest 10.04am: Pressure mounts on Berejiklian
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has come under fire from leading infectious diseases experts who say Greater Sydney should have had a three-day lockdown before Christmas.
University of New South Wales head of biosecurity and research Raina MacIntyre warned New Year’s Eve had the potential to cause a horror two-week period with the virus.
She said that would be accelerated by the cricket’s third Test match between Australia and India at the 48,000-seat SCG, which will go ahead with a 50 per cent capacity.
Prof MacIntyre questioned why up to 24,000 would be allowed to watch the cricket at the SCG in the wake of widespread cancellations of New Year’s Eve celebrations.
She also said the city should have been locked down before the super-spreading events of Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Prof MacIntyre said that instead of Ms Berejiklian’s gradual tightening of restrictions on gatherings at home and indoors, a brief shutdown would have been more effective. — NCA Newswire
READ the full story here
Ellie Dudley 9.37am: Victorian, NSW leaders to provide updates shortly
Acting Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Health Minister Martin Foley are due to address the media at 10.30am.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant and NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing will hold a press conference at 11am to provide COVID-19 updates.
Ellie Dudley 9.16am: Transmissions ‘hiding in asymptomatic young people’
Transmission chains of COVID-19 may be hiding among asymptomatic young people,
Professor of Child and Adolescent Health, at Sydney University’s Medical School Robert Booy says.
“It is a real concern right now,” Professor Booy told Sunrise this morning.
“NSW Health public health are working hard on contact-tracing. They are doing a good job but they are under stress.”
Professor Booy also said he is not worried about Victoria’s ability to get control of the virus.
“The community spread will be low,’’ he said. “I’m not too concerned the Victorians won’t be able to get on top of it quickly.
READ MORE: Covid’s window of opportunity
Rachel Baxendale 8.59am: Victoria confirms end to streak with three cases
Victoria’s 61 days with no local transmissions of coronavirus are over, with Thursday’s daily testing numbers confirming the three cases detected late on Wednesday.
Yesterday there were 3 new local cases. There are 10 active cases in quarantine or self-isolation. 0 cases acquired interstate, 0 international. 13,097 test results received. Got symptoms? Get tested. More later: https://t.co/2vKbgKHFvv pic.twitter.com/Jv7FOutJio
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) December 30, 2020
The new cases come after 13,097 tests were processed in the 24 hours to Thursday.
There are currently 10 known active COVID-19 cases in Victoria, including six in people currently in hotel quarantine who acquired the virus overseas, and one in a 15-year-old girl in home quarantine who acquired the virus in NSW.
The most recent three cases are in two women in their 40s and a woman in her 70s, who live in Mitcham in Melbourne’s outer east, Hallam in the outer southeast, and southeastern bayside Mentone.
Acting Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Health Minister Martin Foley are due to address the media at 10:15am.
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Ellie Dudley 8.45am: Queensland fortifies border with extra checkpoint
Queensland authorities have set up a fourth border checkpoint on the Queensland-New South Wales border at Coolangatta, with members from the state’s emergency services pitching in to patrol.
The state’s Police Superintendent Mark Wheeler said since opening the checkpoint, traffic has been “flowing really well”, with an additional 38 police patrolling the borders as well as members from the State Emergency Service and Rural Fire Service.
“We’ve got the M1, the Gold Coast Highway, Griffith Street and now Miles Street,” Mr Wheeler said.
“We’ve actually sought resources from around the state to come in and assist. There’s an additional 38 police on the ground now in conjunction with the resources we already have.
“Also really importantly, we have 30 people from the State Emergency Service and also the Rural Fire Service, and we have our partners from Transport and Main Roads assisting.”
Mr Wheeler confirmed 12 infringement notices have been issued since the border between the states closed earlier this month. A total of 288 have been issued since the borders closed originally on March 26.
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Ellie Dudley 8.15am: Genomic sequencing key to Victoria-NSW link
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said Victoria will not know if the state’s new cases are linked to New South Wales until genomic sequencing is complete.
“I hope it will be complete soon and they will have clarity because that helps them manage their cases,” said Mr Hazzard.
He said NSW was working hard to contain the coronavirus while also keeping the economy stimulated.
“In NSW we’re striking the balance between trying to make sure people have jobs, the economy stays open but also keeping people safe,” Mr Hazzard told Sunrise this morning.
This extended to decisions regarding the third cricket Test set to be played on January 7 at the SCG, he said
“Outdoor ticketed environments where people are seated is amongst the safest places to be,” Mr Hazzard said.
“It is more the homes, restaurants, clubs and pubs where the disease has spread and we need to remember that because there will be people in Greater Sydney tonight in restaurants, and in pubs.”
Meanwhile, NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said an additional 3000 police will be patrolling Sydney today ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations tonight.
“We’re on the waterways and the trains and the roads.,” Mr Thurtell told the Today Show this morning.
“In terms of going to houses, we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that people are abiding by the health order, but as a rule, it’s a matter for individuals to understand how the health order applies to them and make sure that they comply.”
Mr Thurtell said the police will not hesitate in reprimanding those caught doing the wrong thing.
“We’re prepared to do what is necessary,” he said.
“If people are deliberately disobeying the health order, we will make sure that we seriously consider giving them infringement notices.”
READ MORE: Wrong lessons in Covid response
Ellie Dudley 8.07am: Five Melbourne venues on ‘high-risk’ list
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services have identified five locations as “high-risk” for infection of the coronavirus, after three cases were found in Melbourne yesterday.
People who attended the following venues at the stipulated times should get tested immediately, and isolate until a negative result is received.
Doveton: Holy Family Parish Doveton Catholic, December 26, 4.00pm-6.00pm
Fountain Gate Shopping Centre: Kmart, Big W, Target, Millers, King of Gifts, Lacoste, December 26, 9.00am-11.00am
Glen Waverley: Century City Walk and Mocha Jo’s December 28, 1.30pm-5.00pm
Oakleigh: Katialo restaurant, Eaton Mall December 28, 7.00pm-8.15pm
Mentone: Mentone/Parkdale Beach December 27, 10.00am-4.30pm
Black Rock: Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant, December 21.
READ MORE: Editorial - Old year ending and 2021 starting on a challenging note
Jacquelin Magnay 7.55am: British PM imposes harsher lockdown measures
British prime minister Boris Johnson has imposed harsher lockdown measures including secondary school closures for another fortnight across much of England as infections continue to surge.
The latest death toll of 981 reported on Wednesday approached the peak of the first surge back in April, but was an accumulation in delaying the reporting of some deaths over the Christmas break.
Much of the country will now have to face the rest of a dire winter in severe lockdown conditions, with social interactions banned and all but essential businesses closed. The government has warned the situation will not improve until March or April when the impact of the vaccination program will start to have an effect.
Mr Johnson said he ‘bitterly regretted’ the harsher restrictions. “We have to face the fact that we’ve got two big things happening at once in our fight against Covid — one’s working for us and one’s working against us,’’ he said. “On the plus side we have got two valid vaccines, and we’re racing to get them out — and on the bad side there is a new strain of the virus which is spreading much faster and surging across the country.’’
The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for rollout from Monday, adding to the stocks of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine that has been given to the vulnerable and elderly, as well as those administering the jabs, since December 8.
Mr Johnson’s move to delay the re-opening of schools, most of which will remain closed until at least late January on the back of rising infection levels, has added to the angst felt across the country.
Many are questioning the government’s handling of the crisis, the widespread economic, social and medical consequences of a hard lockdown and its focus on coronavirus treatment at the expense of cancer treatment and other urgent surgery.
National hospital vacancy rates are around 85 per cent, much better than the same time in previous years as surgeries are cancelled. However the ability to handle coronavirus cases is much lower because many staff are self-isolating.
READ MORE: UK Parliament approves Brexit trade deal, cementing EU exit
Ellie Dudley 7.30am: Play Test at SCG with no crowd, says Professor
Epidemiologist Professor Michael Toole says the safest way for the third Test to be played at the SCG would be to have no spectators.
Professor Toole highlighted New Year’s Eve and the Test match as superspreader events for Sydney.
“I think the risks tonight, New Year’s Eve, have largely been addressed except for pubs having up to 300 people,” Professor Toole told Sunrise.
Epidemiologist Professor Mike Toole has added his voice to the chorus of experts calling for crowds to be banned from the Sydney cricket test.
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) December 30, 2020
He says thousands of fans flocking to the SCG is "just too high a risk," describing Sydney's current COVID-19 situation as "delicate." pic.twitter.com/TYTWnyW6x3
In regards to the Test match set to be played in Sydney on January 7, the professor suggested there could be more risks than originally identified.
“Sitting outdoors is not high risk, but we know at Test matches people sing, they should and they chant, so there is some danger particularly when people go and buy food, when they go to the toilet,” he said.
Professor Toole said he would “feel more comfortable” if masks were mandated. “As they’re not, I would play it without spectators,” he said.
READ MORE: Test of cricket smarts as political yorkers fly in
Ellie Dudley 7am: Ireland returns to full lockdown until January 31
Ireland will return to a full lockdown initially until January 31 in an attempt to control the country’s latest spike in cases, Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin announced on Wednesday.
The National Public Health Emergency Team reported 13 COVID-related deaths and 1718 new cases on Wednesday, the most Ireland has seen since April 15.
The Level 5 restrictions, which will come into force on December 31, include a ban on household visits and the closure of nonessential shops. Schools will remain closed until January 11.
Martin described the situation as “extremely serious.”
“With the presence of the new strain and the pace of growth, this is not a time for nuance in our response,” he said. “We must apply the brakes to movement and physical interaction across the country.”
Ireland started its vaccine rollout on Tuesday with a 79-year-old Dublin grandmother on Tuesday becoming the first person in the Republic to be innoculated against COVID-19.
READ MORE: Britain to be Europe’s best friend after divorce, says Boris Johnson
Ellie Dudley 6.25am: US records highest death toll of pandemic
The United States has reported the country’s highest daily death count since the coronavirus began. On Tuesday, more than 3628 people lost their life to the virus.
The US also reported more than 124,600 COVID-19 patients nationwide, the highest number the country has seen, putting a major strain on hospitals.
In Los Angeles County, people hospitalised for the virus are at an all-time high and nearing 7200. This number is up almost 1000 per cent from two months ago.
In Los Angeles, at least five hospitals have been forced to turn patients away due to oxygen supply issues, state officials say.
While hope came when the country began vaccinations, the roll out of innoculations has been much slower than government officials expected. “The effort to distribute and administer the vaccine is not progressing as it should,” Mr Biden said in an address on Tuesday.
“A few weeks ago, the Trump administration suggested that 20 million Americans could be vaccinated by the end of December. With only a few days left in December, we have only vaccinated a few million so far.” Some 2.1 million vaccines have been administered in the nation so far.
READ MORE: Biden’s win for the American system
Ellie Dudley 6am: New venues added to NSW alert list
NSW Health added the following venues yesterday to the list of places where infection could occur, after a new cluster emerged in Sydney’s inner west.
It was announced yesterday that 18 locally transmitted cases had been recorded in Sydney, including six found in Croydon in Sydney’s inner west, and two in Wollongong.
Anyone who has visited the venues below at the listed time must get tested immediately and isolate until further notice from NSW Health.
■ Bardwell Park Earlwood Bardwell Park RSL, 18 Hartill-Law Avenue, Bardwell Park 2207: Monday December 28 from 6pm to 11.30pm
■ Bankstown: Monkey Mania, 8 Greenfield Parade: Monday, December 28, from 10am to 12pm.
■ Bankstown: La Piazza, Bankstown Sports Club, 8 Greenfield Parade: Monday, December 28, from 12pm to 2pm.
■ Bass Hill: Plaza #Hair Management, Shop 50, 753 Hume Highway: Monday, December 28, from 11.15am to 12.30pm.
■ Bass Hill Plaza Venus Nail Salon, Shop 51, 753 Hume Highway: Thursday, December 24, from 12.30pm to 1pm.
Visitors of the following venues are considered casual contacts and must get tested immediately and isolate until a negative result is received:
■ Rhodes Waterside Priceline, Shop MM1, 1 Rider Boulevard Rhodes 2138, NSW: Thursday December 24 from 9am to 12pm
■ Bass Hill Plaza BWS, 753 Hume Highway, Bass Hill NSW 2197: Thursday December 24 from 1.10pm to 1.30pm
■ Bankstown Priceline: Shop M1, 221 to 222 Moore Level, Centro Bankstown Square, Corner of North Terrace and Lady Cutler Avenue: Thursday, December 24, from 1pm to 5pm
■ Katoomba Greenwell and Thomas Pharmacy, 145 Katoomba Street: Saturday, December 26; Sunday, December 27.
■ Liverpool Westfield Priceline, Shop 1014, Macquarie Street: Wednesday December 23 from 10am to 5pm.
Visitors of the following venues are urged to monitor for symptoms and to get tested immediately and isolate should they appear:
■ Croydon Park Martin Reserve, Seymour St, Croydon Park NSW 2133: Sunday December 27 from 12pm to 12.40pm
■ Lidcombe Costco, 17-21 Parramatta Rd, Lidcombe NSW 2141: Thursday December 24 from 10am to 10.20am and 4.20pm to 4.45pm
■ Lidcombe Bunnings, 23-29 Parramatta Rd, Lidcombe NSW 2141: Thursday December 24 from 4pm to 4.20pm
■ Auburn BCF, Corner of Parramatta Rd and Rawson St, Auburn NSW 2144: Wednesday December 23 from 10.15am to 10.45am
■ Bankstown Sports Club, 8 Greenfield Parade: Monday, December 28, from 10am to 2pm.
■ Bass Hill Plaza, 753 Hume Highway Bass Hill: Thursday, December 24, 11am to 2pm.
READ MORE: High price for telling the truth
Max Maddison 5.10am: Sydney restrictions tightened; three cases in Victoria
The NSW government has imposed stricter restrictions across Sydney with authorities struggling to control an outbreak spreading across the city and into Wollongong and the Blue Mountains.
As Gladys Berejiklian restricted family gatherings for New Year’s Eve and beyond to just five and blocked visitors from aged-care homes, Victoria recorded three community coronavirus transmissions, bringing to an end a two-month run of no new locally acquired cases.
The mystery cases, a woman in her 70s and two women in their 40s living in Melbourne’s southeast and eastern suburbs, are believed to be linked to the NSW outbreak.
Victoria’s COVID-19 response co-ordinator, Jeroen Weimar, said more than 40 people had been identified as close contacts of the three women and were isolating.
Victorian health authorities have identified at least three locations where the coronavirus may have been transmitted: Mentone, Glen Waverley and Oakleigh in Melbourne’s southeast.
With 18 new cases in NSW on Wednesday, the highest number in 10 days, Victoria extended restrictions on Sydneysiders to residents of the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.
Read the full story here.
Joe Kelly 5am: Year of pandemic ends with 1.8 million lives lost
The COVID-19 pandemic will have claimed nearly 1.8 million lives in 2020 and infected about 82 million people as the virus continues to spread across the globe, with the 19.5 million cases in the US now equal to the total population of NSW, Victoria and Queensland combined.
A worrying new variant of COVID-19 was detected for the first time in the US and Latin America on Tuesday as president-elect Joe Biden vowed to ramp up a fledgling vaccination drive.
🔟Act in solidarity
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) December 30, 2020
Let's make 2021 the year when we all stand together in solidarity to end inequities and save lives.
‘We are all in this together & we can only stop it together’-@DrTedros pic.twitter.com/3c0qdsyYPS
More than 338,000 Americans have died from the virus — about the same number of people as the entire population of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland — while the new strain helped push infections in Britain this week to a daily record of more than 53,000.
Since the outbreak of the virus, Australia has had 909 deaths and experienced 28,350 cases. There are currently 189 active cases in the country, including 142 in NSW following an outbreak on Sydney’s northern beaches, with a new cluster emerging in the inner-west suburb of Croydon, the source of which has yet to be identified.
Read the full story here.
Agencies 4.30am: UK first to approve Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine
Britain has become the first country in the world to approve AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s low-cost COVID-19 vaccine, raising hopes it will help tackle surging cases and ease pressure on creaking health services.
The independent Medicines and Healthcare products and Regulatory Agency said the vaccine “met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness”, and a rollout was set for January 4.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who spent several days in intensive care with COVID earlier this year, called it “truly fantastic news” and “a triumph for British science”.
Britain has already approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for general use, and some 800,000 people have received a first dose in the country’s biggest ever vaccination drive.
Thread 1/2: Coronavirus data briefing slides (30 December 2020)
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) December 30, 2020
- COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca workstreams over time
- COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine – updated guidance
- Advice regarding Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines pic.twitter.com/xuG7hKvzko
Read the full story here.
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