Coronavirus Australia live news: State of anxiety over spreading cases
NSW health authorities are alarmed by a number of unconnected coronavirus cases outside Sydney’s northern beaches.
- Visas at risk after Christmas party
- Mystery cases puzzle officials
- NYE party ‘all but cancelled’
- Pfizer leads vaccine rollout race
Welcome to live coverage of Australia’s response to the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced three new cases of coronavirus were recorded in NSW over the past 24 hours after 16,000 tests were conducted yesterday.
A series of mystery cases emerging across Sydney has left health authorities struggling to find the missing pieces of the state’s coronavirus puzzle.
Joseph Lam 10.45pm: 15 Diamantina ship crew quarantine on board
Just 12 of the 28-man crew aboard the Diamantina cattle-export ship in which a Pakistani man tested positive for COVID-19 have been transferred to Darwin’s Howard Springs quarantine facility.
All members of the ship were ordered to quarantine after the man, 25, returned a positive test on Monday and was transfered to the Royal Darwin Hospital.
While international maritime law requires some members to stay with the ship, a Northern Territory government spokesman confirmed the remaining 15 members are serving out their quarantine aboard the ship.
Continue reading here.
Max Maddison 10.10pm: State of anxiety over spreading cases
Health authorities are alarmed by a number of unconnected coronavirus cases outside Sydney’s northern beaches — despite the city recording its lowest number of new infections in 13 days.
Three mystery cases not linked to the Avalon cluster have health officials scrambling to identify a connection between the infections, compounding fears the virus may have escaped the northern beaches containment line and is spreading across Greater Sydney in the busiest period of the year.
With positive cases dispersed across Greater Sydney – in Wollongong, Sydney’s inner west and in the city’s “northern area” – investigations were ongoing on Tuesday evening, as health officials raced to determine if there is a link between the infections.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant didn’t rule out a link between the cases, saying it appeared each had spent time in the CBD, but Gladys Berejiklian said authorities had moved into a “very critical phase of the response”.
“Ironically, as we see time move on the threat in Greater Sydney is almost becoming equal to part of the northern beaches,” Ms Berejiklian told a press conference on Tuesday morning. “So what we do not want people to think is we’re out of the woods.
“Until those links are formally established – if they are established – all of us in Greater Sydney and greater NSW must be on high alert. Especially because there was a case of a Wollongong person who was in Sydney and tested positive this week.”
Read the full story here,
Peter Lalor 9.25pm: Sydney will host the third Test
Sydney will host the third Test after a decision was made at 9pm on Tuesday.
It could not have been made a minute later. Until that last minute the MCG was in line to host back to back games ,
“We had a full court press from NSW, government the SCG, the media — everybody on the same team all pushing for the Test,” chairman venues NSW Tony Shepherd told the Australian.
Great batsmen play the ball late. Cricket Australia has taken that to ridiculous levels, waiting until the ball was almost in the keepers glove before making a call on where the third Test will be played when the first ball is bowled on January 7.
Broadcasters had trucks idling outside the MCG late last night after the end of the second Test, unsure whether they had to pack their equipment and drive north to Sydney or leave it in place for another game in Melbourne.
The decision does, however, pose a major conundrum from rights owners who have been concerned that their people could, if they travelled to Sydney, be locked out of Queensland for the fourth game and be blocked from covering the BBL.
Cricket Australia held a board meeting in the afternoon. The complications were immense. The Queensland government held the game to ransom, having pulled the rug out from under the Indian series a month ago. The move to Sydney from Melbourne depended on whether the caravan could continue to Brisbane.
The Indian board, two broadcasters, two radio stations, two stadia, two pitches and two teams were involved in a situation as complex as anything the game has ever faced.
The MCG has been preparing a pitch next to the one where India bounced back and drew level in the series on Tuesday. That had a knock-on effect to planned BBL matches. Broadcasters had to consider whether staff would be trapped in quarantines and unable to proceed.
Acting chief executive Nick Hockley consulted with all and held his nerve until the last minute.
Australia, who were beaten on Tuesday on a wicket that would traditionally favour them, will be privately anxious about travelling north to a wicket that helps spin bowlers.
Australia faces major problems with batsmen out of form.
David Warner has been in the nets all week but is struggling to recover from a groin injury. He has said he will play on one leg if necessary.
Steve Smith is in a batting slump and there is great concern about how to fix things, but India was in the same position after Adelaide.
Tessa Akerman 9.15pm: Yachties at sea over restrictions
High seas confusion has hit Sydney’s northern beaches, with mariners travelling to Pittwater from outside the lockdown and socialising with friends from other boats.
More than a dozen sail and motor boats were moored in The Basin, in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, on Tuesday, including Sydney superyacht Masteka 2, which charters for $100,000 a week.
Boat Owners Association of NSW president Chris De Jong said the regulations were “very clear” that people from outside the northern beaches were out of bounds if they came by boat.
AFP 8.30pm: More English in hospital than at April peak
England is “back in the eye” of the coronavirus storm, health chiefs warned on Tuesday, with as many patients in hospital as during the initial peak in April.
A new strain of the virus appears to be behind the recent upsurge in cases, heaping further pressure on the state-run National Health Service during its busiest winter period.
NHS England figures
showed there were 20,426 COVID-19 patients in the country’s hospitals on Monday, local time, compared to the 18,974 peak recorded during the first wave.
The number of positive tests recorded over a 24-hour period also hit a new high of 41,385 on Monday, according to government figures, although testing is now much more extensive.
However, case figures do not include Scotland and Northern Ireland, which did not report over the Christmas period.
“Many of us have lost family, friends, colleagues and — at a time of year when we would normally be celebrating — a lot of people are understandably feeling anxious, frustrated and tired,” said NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens.
“And now again we are back in the eye of the storm with a second wave of coronavirus sweeping Europe and, indeed, this country.”
Britain is pinning its hopes on its mass vaccination program, with the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab expected to receive approval shortly.
“We think that by late spring with vaccine supplies continuing to come on stream we will have been able to offer all vulnerable people across this country Covid vaccination,” said Mr Stevens.
“That perhaps provides the biggest chink of hope for the year ahead.”
Health trusts have been told to begin planning for the use of Nightingale field hospitals, the temporary facilities created during the first wave that have largely gone unused.
London and southeast England are bearing the brunt of the outbreak, with paramedics in the capital saying they are receiving up to 8000 emergency calls each day.
London Ambulance Service said Boxing Day — December 26 — was one of its “busiest ever days”.
A further 357 people testing positive for the virus were announced on Monday to have died, bringing the UK total to 71,109, the second worst toll in Europe.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been under fire for his government’s handling of the pandemic, and is now under pressure to introduce even more social restrictions, including school closures after the Christmas break.
More than 24 million people — 43 per cent of England — are already living under the tightest level of regional restrictions.
The outbreak has hit Premier League football giants Manchester City, leading to the postponement of their game with Everton on Monday night.
Jess Malcolm 7.45pm: ‘Intense’ display lets us see off 2020 with a bang
A crowdless foreshore at Sydney’s Circular Quay will be an eerie scene this year, where revellers are normally packed in like sardines to watch the world-famous midnight fireworks display light up the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
While the event is still set to go ahead, it will look very different due to a decision by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to limit the number of people who can watch the fireworks in person following the COVID-19 outbreak on Sydney’s northern beaches.
This decision is another glitch in what has been a difficult year for event organiser Fortunato Foti. Last year’s bushfires veiled the Sydney night sky with thick smoke, and this year’s event is set to be lashed by torrential rain.
AFP 7pm: South Africa bans alcohol sales
South Africa has banned alcohol sales and made masks mandatory in public after a surge in coronavirus cases, as the World Health Organisation warned that pandemics far more deadly than COVID-19 may lie ahead.
Nations around the world are struggling with winter spikes in infections that have pushed the global caseload close to 81 million, even as the rollout of vaccines gathers pace in North America and Europe.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a ban on selling alcohol and said face masks would be compulsory in public from Tuesday after his nation became the first in Africa to record one million cases.
AFP 6.05pm: New York state passes anti-eviction bill
New York’s state assembly has passed tough laws to protect renters from eviction during the coronavirus pandemic, as rising unemployment and a weakened US economy make it difficult for many tenants to make rent.
The new laws, passed in a special session of the state legislature, came just days before existing bans on evictions were due to expire at the end of the year.
The latest measures bar most landlords from evicting tenants who are unable to pay their rent for at least another 60 days, The New York Times reported.
They will also protect many small landlords from the risk of foreclosure due to lost rental income.
“We want to make sure that homeowners are protected, that it doesn’t affect their credit rating, there’s no mortgage foreclosure,” the state governor Chris Cuomo said before the vote.
The bill also renews tax exemptions for elderly or disabled homeowners. The New York Times described the measures as “one of the most comprehensive anti-eviction laws in the nation”. It halts proceedings on existing evictions already in the courts for the next 60 days and stops any new proceedings until at least May 1.
“We want to get to May 1 and we’ll see what happens by May but we want to protect tenants,” said Mr Cuomo.
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Joseph Lam 5.20pm: Wollongong venues added to hotspot list
Two Greek Orthodox churches and a shopping centre in Wollongong, south of Sydney, are among the latest venues to join NSW’s list of hotspot venues.
NSW Health has advised anyone who visited the following venues to get tested immediately and wait for further information from NSW Health.
● St Nektarious Greek Orthodox Church, 39 Atchison Street, Wollongong, on Saturday, December 27, from 9am to 10.15am.
● Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church, 18 Stewart Street, Wollongong on Saturday from 10.30am to 11am.
Anyone who visited the following venues is considered a casual contact and advised to get tested immediately and await a negative result.
● Figtree Grove Shopping Centre, 19 Princes Highway on Monday, December 21, from 12.30pm to 1.30pm; Wednesday, December 23, from 8.45am to 9am; Thursday, December 24, from 6.46am to 9.30am.
● Figtree Proust Optical, Shop 49, Figtree Grove Shopping Centre, 19 Princes Highway, on Monday, December 21, from 9.30am to 5pm; Wednesday, December 23, from 9.30am to 2pm.
Close contacts of Proust Optical will be contacted by NSW Health.
● Mona Vale Pittwater Place, 10 Park Street: Any time from Sunday, December 13, to Saturday, December 19
● Wollongong Central, 200 Crown Street: Wednesday, December 23, from 3.30pm to 4pm
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Joseph Lam 5.05pm: Darwin port staff in isolation
Several Port Darwin staff are in isolation after coming into contact with crew from the Diamantina cattle export ship.
The ship, which docked in East Arm wharf, Darwin, from Indonesia on Sunday, was carrying a man, 25, from Pakistan who tested positive for the virus and is now in the care of Royal Darwin Hospital.
All of the crew are in quarantine but only half have been transferred to Darwin’s Howard Springs quarantine facility, about 17km from the wharf. The rest are in quarantine on the ship in accordance with international maritime law.
Northern Territory Health Minister Natasha Fyles Health has advised that the crew may be able to leave quarantine early.
“If the ship decided to sail back to international waters, the crew would be escorted from Howard Springs on to the ship, and the ship would set sail,” she said.
Ms Fyles also confirmed a pilot who boarded the Diamantina to guide it into the port is in isolation.
The Pakistani man at RDH will be able to rejoin his crew either at Howard Springs or back on the ship once he has recovered, Ms Fyles added.
The Northern Territory has recorded 75 cases since the pandemic began, all of which are linked to international or interstate traveller.
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Paige Taylor 4.45pm: Trained bouncers to control quarantine hotels
Bouncers employed to restrain and remove badly behaved people at football matches and nightclubs will staff the entrances and exits of quarantine hotels across Perth after a coronavirus conspiracy theorist skipped isolation and went on the run for 12 hours on Saturday.
Jenny D’Ubios, 49, embarrassed the McGowan government when she walked out of the front doors of the Pan Pacific hotel in the centre of Perth partway through her mandatory isolation and went on the run for 12 hours.
The self-described scientist of energy tells her social media followers that she studied metaphysics in Byron Bay, that human cells are rejuvenated by water that has had a silver tuning fork dipped into it and coronavirus is not real.
She had refused a coronavirus test on December 19 on arrival from Spain, where she had been living for about two years. On December 26 she made good on repeated threats to pack up her things and leave hotel quarantine. She caught a bus, went to the beach, visited friends and finally took her lawyers’ advice to present herself at Rockingham hospital, 50km south of Perth.
A review of what went wrong has found that the private security guards who watched Ms D’Ubios leave are authorised to restrain people but the McGowan government has not contracted them to do that.
The contract is being rewritten to allow certain guards with special experience to use force on people who do not comply.
WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson stressed that while hotel quarantine was difficult — he had received 2400 formal complaints — the vast majority of people were complaint and just got through it.
Mr Dawson said it was not possible to allow returned overseas travellers to have walks in the parks or even windows that opened. In the past, an interstate traveller used force on a slight opening on a hotel quarantine window to create a gap big enough to climb out of. He got a friend to bring a ladder. There were also concerns that people experiencing undetected mental illness could jump out of an open window.
Mr Dawson said so far more than 25,000 Australians had come home via hotel quarantine.
“We can’t treat them and we don’t treat them as prisoners,” he said.
Ms D’Ubios agreed to a coronavirus test on Sunday and it was negative. She is now at Bandyup Women’s Prison awaiting her next court appearance on January 4.
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Peter Lalor 4.25pm: Cricket authorities to make call on SCG Test
Cricket Australia is understood to be in discussion with the BCCI and expected to make a call on where the third Test will be played late on Tuesday afternoon.
A board meeting at Cricket Australia has concluded but the decision has not been relayed to the MCG, SCG or broadcasters.
Television crews are standing around wondering if they need to leave their equipment in place or pack it up to make the trip north.
Watch this space. Everybody else is.
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Joseph Lam 3.57pm: Central Coast resident tests positive to virus
A Central Coast resident whose household contact is linked to Sydney Avalon cluster has tested positive for coronavirus.
Central Coast Health said there is no risk of infection to the greater community as the person has been in isolation before becoming infectious.
More to come.
Jared Lynch 3.17pm: China slashes Australian wheat imports
China has slashed the amount of Australian wheat imports to a near decade low as Beijing ratchets up its attack on Australian farm commodities and threatens to disrupt international trade worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
China imported 880 tonnes of Australian wheat in November - the lowest since 2011 - according to customs data, as tensions between Beijing and Canberra show no signs of abating. Australia exports about $4.6bn worth of wheat a year globally, with China accounting for around 10 per cent of total international trade.
Beijing’s tightening on Australian wheat purchases comes amid a blockbuster crop for Australian farmers, with production forecast to more than double this season to around 31 million tonnes, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARES).
READ the full story here
Mackenzie Scott 2.02pm: First case of new S Africa strain found in Queensland
The first case of the new South African strain of COVID-19 has been detected in hotel quarantine in Queensland.
The woman, who arrived in Australia on December 22, was immediately transferred into hotel quarantine upon landing in Queensland, with tests revealing she was carrying the new virus strain.
She has since been taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital. All positive cases in the state are being transferred to hospital to ensure quarantine hotels are safe.
Queensland’s chief health officer Jeannette Young said the new strain is thought to be more contagious but not necessarily more severe.
“The risk has escalated and we are seeing more and more cases of travellers returning from overseas. The two new strains… increase that risk even more,” Dr Young said.
Health minister Yevette D’Ath said the virus mutation does reinforce the need for anybody coming from overseas to quarantine for 14 days.
Since October, 78 cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the hotel quarantine. The two new cases in the state on Tuesday were overseas acquired.
Ms D’Ath also warned that viral fragments of COVID-19 have been found in treatment plants around greater Brisbane and in the north of Queensland.
They have been found in five locations in Brisbane - Victoria Point, Oxley Creek, Goodna, Fairfield and Redcliffe, as well as Cairns North and Nambour.
“It is unknown if the positive results are as a consequence of new cases, cases that are still developing, or old cases where individuals are still shedding,” said Ms D’Ath.
“Given the positive results from New South Wales, it is important that people continue to go get tested if they are experiencing any symptoms at all.” — With Ellie Dudley
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Ellie Dudley 1.45pm: Entire crew on Darwin cattle boat in isolation
Northern Territory Health Minister Natasha Fyles has reported all crew members of a cattle export boat docked in Darwin from Indonesia have been put in isolation, after a 25-year-old onboard tested positive for COVID-19.
The man was tested on the boat upon arrival in Darwin and promptly taken to Royal Darwin Hospital where he was placed in isolation.
“Approximately half of the crew have gone to quarantine at Howard Springs, which is the quarantine facility in the Northern Territory, and the other half have remained [on the vessel],” Ms Fyles said.
“They are not permitted to leave the vessel and it is at the Port of Darwin, out in the East Arnhem.”
These crew members may be able to leave quarantine before the 14 days is over, if the ship chooses to leave the port.
“If the ship decided to sail back to international waters, the crew would be escorted from Howard Springs on to the ship, and the ship would set sail,” said Ms Fyles.
“Of course we’d make sure community safety was upheld and that they couldn’t change their mind and thus avoid that quarantine.”
Ms Fyles also addressed the issue of a pilot who boarded the ship to help guide it into the port, before the diagnosis was made.
“The pilot of that vessel is now in isolation because they are a contact of the person who’s tested positive,” she said.
“I’m advised they were wearing PPE when they boarded that vessel and did not come into contact with the infectious individual. But, of course, they have been in contact with the vessel and have become a contact and are now in isolation and have been tested.”
The Northern Territory has never recorded a locally transmitted case of COVID-19. The 75 cases diagnosed have been related to international or interstate travel.
Ellie Dudley 12.53pm: Queensland goes another day without local cases
Queensland has reported another day of no new locally acquired cases, and none transmitted interstate.
Two cases were reported that were acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine.
Tessa Akerman 11.59am: Victorians urged not to attend CBD for New Year
Victoria’s acting premier Jacinta Allan has urged people not to travel to the CBD on New Year’s Eve unless they have a booking at a hospitality venue.
Ms Allan said it wouldn’t be the NYE people wanted to celebrate: “but that’s because 2020 has been such a difficult year with the Covid pandemic.”
“We’ve had to change many many things about the way we live our lives and New Year’s Eve 2020 is going to be another example of that,” she said.
She said hospitality venues had strong Covid-safe practices in place including QR codes which were important for tracing and tracking if cases emerge.
“So that’s why we’re wanting to see only people with bookings come in and out of the city,” she said.
Ms Allan said movement of people, not just through use of public transport, increased the risk of transmission, particularly with the situation in NSW.
“We want to make sure that we can minimise the risk here in Victoria and in Melbourne,” she said.
Ms Allan said NYE was a “really important time” for people to practice Covid-safe measures, including staying at home if they had symptoms of the virus.
“Enjoy New Year’s Eve but please stay safe and do get tested with even the mildest of symptoms,” she said.
The state has recorded 60 days of no new community transmission cases of Covid and 6899 people were tested yesterday.
Ms Allan said New South Wales had recorded a “good set of numbers” with just three new community cases but refused to set out a timeline for reopening the border, citing the 14-day incubation period for the virus and the need for numbers to remain low.
“We just know based on the experience we’ve seen this year, that we have to follow the health advice,” she said.
“I’m sure New South Wales will be pleased with that result but there’s still work to be done.”
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Ellie Dudley 11.40pm: Berejiklian has fingers crossed for Sydney Test
Gladys Berejiklian says she hopes the third Test between Australia and India would remain at the Sydney Cricket Ground, as Cricket Australia prepares to announce its decision about whether the match will move to Melbourne.
“I don’t want to take words out of their mouth but they provided feedback to me to say that they’ve been very positive and very optimistic about the way in which we’ve been dealing with them,” the NSW Premier said.
Ms Berejiklian said she would be “extremely disappointed” if Sydney missed out on hosting the game.
“We have been advised that 50 per cent capacity is safe as long as people are ticketed and other COVID-safe plans are in place,” she said.
“We’re keen to see the test day in Sydney, obviously. But we can’t control what other state governments do. That’s outside our hands.”
The fourth Test is set to be held in Brisbane, which may cause problems for players unable to cross the Queensland border.
“We are at the behest of other state governments,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“It is out of our hands, and is really up to what the Queensland government determines.”
Ms Berejiklian again urged other states to open their borders to New South Wales.
“Our government prefers open borders throughout Australia for the duration of the pandemic, that has always been our position and as we have demonstrated to date, we have capacity in New South Wales to get on top of things,” the Premier said.
“I don’t want to speak too soon but certainly I hope we have been able to demonstrate that border issues shouldn’t really be there unless they absolutely have to be.
Ms Berejiklian said Australians have “suffered enough” through the Christmas and New Years period, and has asked the borders be open to reunite people with their families.
Ms Berejiklian refused to comment on whether there should be a royal commission into different state’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I am not going to talk about it,” the Premier said.
“That is a matter for others. Our job at the moment is to focus on protecting our citizens and keeping the economy open.
“We will allow others to comment on what we’re doing in New South Wales, it is not for us to comment on those matters, but we have always been very
open and transparent.”
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MacKenzie Scott 11.35am: Queensland busts five Sydneysiders on false passes
Five people have been busted for entering Queensland from Greater Sydney on false border passes, amassing more than $20,000 in fines.
Queensland Police will allege the three women and two men entered the state on Sunday with a declaration stating they had not been to a declared hotspot within the past two weeks. Further investigations into their claims led police to a unit in Surfers Paradise where each was charged $4003.
Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said “it has been a very expensive journey for those people.”
“Even if you think you have gotten through, don’t rest easy because police will be following up,” Chief Superintendent Wheeler said.
“There is always somebody trying to game the system. It is unfortunate, it is disappointing, and it diverts our resources.”
More than 533,000 applications have been received for border passes in the past week. Around 300 cars containing more than 700 people have been turned away at checkpoints, with 10 fines handed out.
An additional border checkpoint will open on New Years Eve, bringing the total number of entry points to four.
Traffic at the border is still an issue, with police filtering through up to 100,000 cars per day. Delays on Christmas Day and Boxing Day peaked 90 minutes during the busiest periods.
Chief Superintendent Wheeler said he was surprised at the number of people travelling into the state.
“We did (border checks) for 250 days straight… this time around we are dealing with one hotspot. It is incumbent on people to go online and make themselves familiar with the rules,” he said.
An additional 38 police officers have been called to the border from elsewhere in the state to help with processing, alongside more than 30 SES volunteers.
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Ellie Dudley 11.27am: NSW ‘acting as if there’s no vaccine’
The NSW government is acting as if there is “no vaccine available” while trying to contain Sydney’s infection numbers.
“We have to think about how we all live in a COVIDsafe way even when there is a vaccine available and we have it individually rolled out to everybody,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
“There is no doubt we should feel optimistic about the rollout of the vaccines and the protection it offers parts of our community but until such time that everybody is vaccinated (or the vast majority), and we know that it is effective in preventing transmission, including a quarantine system, we will maintain that.”
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Ellie Dudley 11.04am: NSW records three new cases out of 16,000 tests
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced three new cases of coronavirus were recorded in NSW over the past 24 hours after 16,000 tests were conducted yesterday.
Three cases are currently being investigated by NSW health authorities after they were reported once the 8pm cut off time has passed last night.
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant confirmed one case is in Wollongong, one from the Sydney’s inner west and another from northern Sydney.
Of these three cases, one was reported after the 8pm cut off last night, and two more this morning, which are yet to be linked to the Avalon cluster.
“We have not ruled out that there are established links to one of those cases, but literally two of those notifications came in this morning, from the laboratory, and one came in at around 11pm last night,” Dr Chant said.
“Our investigations are ongoing, and we may establish those links, but I think this highlights to the broader community of NSW that there should not be complacency.”
The best way to get on top of the virus is to continue high rates of testing, she said, urging people to come forward.
“Many weeks ago I would have been happy with more than 16,000 tests in a 24-hour period,” she said.
“For me now I would love to see those numbers pushed up well over 20,000 to 30,000.
“By having those really high rates of testing those people who have got symptoms, that will give us a greater assurance that we are not hosting transmission events, particularly outside the northern beaches area.”
Ms Berejiklian again urged Sydneysiders to come forward for testing after two cases were reported after 8pm last night that have not yet been linked to the Avalon cluster.
“I urge everybody to come forward and get tested no matter if you have the mildest of symptoms, no matter if you have not been to a hotspot, or have not been to a venue where someone is infected.”
The Premier reminded the southern region of the northern beaches that they will announce updated restrictions for the zone on January 2.
“There will be relief to you on January 3,” Ms Berejiklian said.
She also reminded those in the northern part of the peninsula that they will remain under stay-at-home provisions until January 9.
“We appreciate how frustrating that is for you,” she said.
Ms Berejiklian again urged Sydneysiders to “respect the rules” put in place for New Years Eve.
“The government can put in the rules, the police can enforce them, but it comes down to what each of us do,” she said.
“We know by now what is COVIDSafe and what is not. Hopefully everybody is very clear now as to what the restrictions are for New Year’s Eve, and what our expectations are.”
Ms Berejiklian said she was “absolutely aghast” at the actions of northern beaches residents who attended a Pyrmont wedding on Sunday.
“We appreciate that those milestone events are special times for people, but please consider the greater risk you are posing to every person in New South Wales and the broader community of our nation,” she said.
“I want to commend the police for acting swiftly in finding those people.
“Please know that if you do the wrong thing, you will get caught. Especially when it is so brazen as to do that.”
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing said police this year will be launching a “significant operation” to ensure New Year’s Eve celebrations will be safe.
“You will see large numbers of police officers out and about in uniform, and specialist commands patrolling the greater metropolitan area,” he said.
“Police officers will be equipped with the powers under the health order to move people on should they be congregated in numbers that are unsafe.
“I must stress, we need the community to abide by the current health orders, particularly in relation to public gatherings and household gatherings.”
Mr Willing asked people to use “common sense” this New Year’s Eve
“Understand the current health orders, do not come into the city unless you have too, unless you have a New Year’s Eve pass, and restrict your movement,” he said.
Ellie Dudley 10.17am: Dutch find 11 cases of new British virus strain
Dutch public health officials have confirmed 11 cases of the new, highly-transmissible strain of the coronavirus originating in Britain.
The count includes five cases linked to a primary school in Rotterdam.
“Information from Britain makes it clear this variant is more infectious,” health minister Hugo de Jonge said in a parliamentary briefing on Monday.
Mr de Jonge also confirmed Government advisors will meet on Wednesday to discuss the current situation in the Netherlands, as well as the 11 British cases.
All schools are closed until January 15 at the earliest, as part of a five-week lockdown aimed at lowering the country’s infection rates.
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Ellie Dudley 9.48am: Acting Premier steps in for Andrews
Victoria’s Acting Premier Jacinta Allan will address the media at 10:30am to provide an update on the state’s COVID-19 situation.
The address comes after Victoria reports no cases of community transmission for the 60th day in a row.
Ms Allan is stepping in for Daniel Andrews as he takes a short break for the holidays.
Meanwhile, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will provide a COVID-19 update this morning.
She will be joined by Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant and NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing.
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Ellie Dudley 9.42am: South Africa gets tough as cases hit a million
The South African government has announced tougher coronavirus restrictions, as the country’s case tally hits one million.
Indoor and outdoor gatherings will be banned, alcohol sales prohibited and a curfew imposed from 9pm to 6am.
“We have simply let our guard down,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa when announcing the country will move from level 3 restrictions to level 1.
They’ve recorded the highest number of coronavirus infections on the continent, with 1,004,413 cases reported and nearly 27,000 deaths.
These numbers are owed to a more highly-transmissible variant of the virus, which has caused
a number of countries, including Britain and Germany, to ban travelers from the country.
The new restrictions will be imposed with immediate effect. They include widespread cancelling of events, and mandating wearing a mask in public.
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Ellie Dudley 9.14am: Covid-positive cattle boat crew lands in Darwin
A crew member on a cattle export boat that arrived in Darwin from Indonesia has tested positive for COVID-19.
The man was tested onboard upon arrival in Darwin and promptly taken to Royal Darwin Hospital where he was placed in isolation.
He did not leave the ship, the Diamantina, prior to being admitted to RDH, Northern Territory authorities said.
“The majority of crew members have been transported to a separate section of the Howard Springs quarantine facility today where they will undertake 14 days of mandatory supervised quarantine. None of them left the vessel,” the Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet said in a release.
“Some crew members are required to remain on board the vessel in accordance with international maritime law.
“Testing will be undertaken and they are required to stay on board in self-isolation.”
The Northern Territory has never recorded a locally transmitted case of COVID-19, the 75 cases diagnosed have been related to international or interstate travel.
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Ellie Dudley 9.09am: Victoria hits 60-day mark with no local cases
Victoria has again recorded no new cases of community transmission overnight, marking the 60th day in a row for the state.
Yesterday there were 0 new local cases & 0 lives lost. 0 new cases were acquired interstate, 0 international. There are 7 active cases in quarantine or self-isolation. 6,899 test results were received. More information available later today: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco #COVID19Vic pic.twitter.com/DmVgHxO7Ds
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) December 28, 2020
The state also had no lives lost and no new cases acquired interstate nor internationally.
There are 7 active cases in quarantine or self-isolation.
“COVID-19 testing remains one of the best ways we can keep people safe and stay open and enjoy a COVIDSafe summer,” the DHHS said in a statement.
Victoria’s border with New South Wales remains closed. No one who has been in the northern beaches area, Greater Sydney or the NSW Central Coast from December 11 is allowed to enter the state.
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Ellie Dudley 8.44am: Shorter, more intense fireworks to welcome 2021
Sydney has been promised a shorter, but more intense New Year’s Eve firework display this year.
The usual 12 minute midnight show will be cut to 7 minutes this year, with no 9pm fireworks this year.
“It’s been a terrible year for everybody really and hopefully we can get rid of 2020 and move on to 2021 with a great fireworks display people will enjoy,” said creative director of the Sydney Harbour New Year’s Eve fireworks, Fortunato Foti.
Fireworks will launch from Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, four pontoons in front of the Opera House, and from a barge at Fort Denison.
“I can guarantee the intensity of the fireworks display is greater than it has been in previous years,” Mr Foti told the Today Show.
“It’s probably a little bit disappointing but we are glad that we are still able to put on a show for the people of Australia.”
READ MORE: At last, something to celebrate
Ellie Dudley 8.33am: Visas at risk for backpackers who breach public health orders
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said visitors to Australia breaking public health orders may lose their visa status, after backpackers gathered for a party at Bronte beach on Christmas Day.
Hundreds of revellers gathered in Bronte beach park in defiance of social distancing rules, with NSW Police quick to issue move-on orders to the crowd.
“Visitors to this country should be aware that disobeying public health orders during the pandemic jeopardises the health and safety of others, and may threaten their visa status and end their stay in Australia,” Mr Hawke told 2GB.
The crowd swelled to include hundreds of revellers at about 5pm, one eye witness said, as Sydneysiders sought to celebrate Christmas on the beach.
“At 5pm it was probably a couple of hundred or five hundred people, mostly backpackers,” the witness said.
Mr Hawke has instructed the Department of Home Affairs to work closely with NSW authorities to immediately bring to his attention any cases where temporary visa holders disobey public health orders.
“The great majority of Sydneysiders are doing the right thing during this outbreak and we ask that all overseas guests continue to do the right thing too,” he said.
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Ellie Dudley 8.15am: New checkpoint to open on NSW-Queensland border
A fourth checkpoint on the Queensland-New South Wales border will be established at the Gold Coast to help ease current three hour traffic delays.
561 people so far have been refused entry to the northern state, with major delays caused by border patrols.
Gold Coast Police Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler confirmed a fourth checkpoint will be put in place at Miles Street on the Gold Coast to keep traffic moving.
“That will help ease congestion considerably around the Tweed and Coolangatta back streets,” Mr Wheeler told the Today Show.
“We will have something a little bit later today in terms of the exact timing of that, but I can say it will be over the next few days.”
“We have up to 100,000 vehicles a day crossing just on the Gold Coast, and we are trying to prevent a cohort of about 5 million people from the greater Sydney area from coming into our state.”
Queensland Police have caught people telling lies to get across the border, including saying they aren’t from the Greater Sydney area.
“Their intentions are actually to travel to Airlie Beach for a holiday,” Mr Wheeler said.
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Ellie Dudley 8.06am: Police out to fine, incarcerate NYE law breakers
Police have been given the powers to fine and incarcerate anyone who is caught breaching public health orders on New Year’s Eve this year.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian yesterday announced the Sydney CBD will be off-limits to anyone without a permit to enter the area.
“You cannot come to the CBD on New Year’s Eve unless you have a booking from a hospitality venue, but even if you have a booking, you have to get a permit through Service New South Wales to prove you got that booking,’’ she said.
She also revealed that northern beaches residents in the northern area of the peninsula will remain under a stay-at-home order unless hosting 5 people from the same region, whilst those in the southern zone may host up to 10.
Those in Greater Sydney will also be able to host up to 10 people in their homes, and have gatherings of up to 50 outdoors.
Police Minister David Elliot said there would be “appropriate levels” of police resources patrolling the city on New Year’s Eve, with the power to fine and imprison anyone breaching the restrictions.
“There is actually a provision there to incarcerate anybody for up to six months if they blatantly breach a public health order. We don’t want to do that,” he told the Today Show.
“The message is, and looking at the weather behind me in Kellyville, you might want to spend New Year’s Eve at home this year.”
Mr Elliot also slammed the actions of those gathering in large groups over the past week including northern beaches guests attending a wedding in Pyrmont on Sunday.
“There have been disgraceful acts of what I believe is just blatant disregard for the health orders,” he said.
$1000 fines have now been issued to 12 people who attended the wedding.
READ MORE: Front row seats for midnight spectacle are still available
Ellie Dudley 7.20am: Highly-infectious UK strain reported in South Korea
The United Kingdom’s highly-infectious strain of COVID-19 continues to infect the nation and spread around the world, with new cases being reported in South Korea.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency confirmed cases of the variant on Monday in a family of three people who came to South Korea on December 22.
They arrived a day before South Korea stopped air travel from the UK until December 31 to protect against the new strain.
The family are currently under quarantine.
On Monday South Korea registered 808 new coronavirus cases, raising its national total to 57,680, along with 819 deaths.
The UK infection rate has risen above 40,000 a day as the more infectious variant of the coronavirus spreads beyond London and Kent. The UK hopes to vaccinate two million people in the next fortnight.
As the virus spreads across the UK, the country is experiencing its worst recession in 300 years according to the British government.
The country has recorded over 2.29 million cases since the pandemic began, along with 70,752 deaths.
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Ellie Dudley 7am: Shorten condemns actions of Sydney wedding guests
Bill Shorten has condemned the actions of more than a dozen northern beaches residents who attended a Sydney wedding. At least nine penalty infringement notices were issued to guests of the Pyrmont wedding on Pirrama Road at about 5pm on Sunday.
The individuals were fined $1000 each, with a further three PINs expected to be issued.
“Some people just don’t think the rules apply to them,” the Shadow Minister for Government Services told the Today Show.
“They obviously don’t take COVID seriously. Small businesses are doing it hard. Like, everyone is making the sacrifices, so no-one should think they are above the rules.’’
The former Leader of the Opposition also commented on cuts to the JobKeeper and JobSeeker subsidies set to be made in January, saying it is “too soon.”
“The problem is, in Australia, there is well north of 1 million people unemployed. There are just not the jobs out there at the moment,” he said.
“These cuts are just too tough. So I think the government should reconsider it.”
On January 1, JobSeeker will be cut by $100 a fortnight, with JobKeeper to be cut by up to $200 three days later.
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Ellie Dudley 6.45am: US toll rises, increase in deaths among homeless
The United States is continuing to be ravaged by the pandemic, with Las Vegas experiencing an increase in deaths among the homeless population.
The US recorded 152,102 on December 27, along with 1,230 deaths making December the deadliest month for the country since the pandemic began.
Local health officials in Clark County reported the number of fatalities on the street is up 16 per cent compared to the same time last year. 186 homeless people died from January 1 to December 4 in the Las Vegas area, which averages to a rate of 35 deaths per 1,000 - six more than in 2019.
Public health experts said the spike in deaths could be attributed to the pandemic magnifying the difficulty for the population to access health care.
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JACQUELIN MAGNAY 6.30am: Care home workers given vaccine overdose
Eight care home workers in Germany have been accidentally inoculated with a vaccine overdose. The seven women and one man, aged between 38 and 54, who worked at a care home in Stralsund, north east Germany, were each given an entire vial of the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine, when they should have received one-fifth of the vial.
The care home workers were offered the vaccine because of their frontline exposure to the virus working with elderly and vulnerable patients.
Four off the eight have shown flu like symptoms and have been sent to hospital for observation while the others have so far shown no symptoms.
Pfizer BioNtech said that during its research it experimented with higher doses of the vaccine without serious side effects.
Stralsund district administrator Stefan Kerth said: “I deeply regret this incident. I hope all those affected do not experience any serious side-effects.’’
Read the full story here.
Ellie Dudley 6am: New venues and transport routes added to virus list
A number of new venues in the Sydney CBD have been added to the growing list of places of potential coronavirus threat.
After five cases of COVID-19 were reported yesterday from 15,300 tests, the NSW government continued to urge Sydneysiders to come forward for testing if they experience symptoms.
David Jones in Castlereagh St is among the latest sites to be flagged with caution, with anyone who attended the department store on Sunday, December 20 between 2.10pm and 2.45pm asked to monitor symptoms and be tested if they appear.
Uniqlo in the MidCity Centre and Kinokuniya bookshop on George St were also listed.
Anyone who visited the following venues at the listed times are considered a casual contact who should monitor symptoms, and if they appear, immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received:
■ Bondi Beach: Woolworths Metro, 184 Campbell Pde, Sunday December 20, 5pm-6pm
■ Edgecliff: Coles, New South Head Rd and Ocean Ave, Sunday December 20, 7pm-7.30pm
■ Sydney: Kinokuniya Sydney, 500 George St, Sunday December 20, 3pm-3:45pm
■ Sydney: David Jones, 86-108 Castlereagh St, Sunday December 20, 2.10pm-2.45pm
■ Sydney: Uniqlo, MidCity Centre, Lvl 1, 197 Pitt St Mall, Sunday December 20, 4pm-4.15pm
Anyone we was on the following bus routes at the stipulated times are also considered casual contacts who should monitor symptoms, and if they appear, immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received:
■ 333: Monday December 21, 7.30pm-7.45pm. Started at Bondi Junction Station. Ended at Bondi Beach, Campbell Pde, Stand C.
■ 333: Tuesday December 22, 9.45am-10am. Started at Bondi Beach, Campbell Pde, Stand A. Ended at Bondi Junction Station.
■ 333: Wednesday December 23, 9am-10am. Started at Bondi Beach, Campbell Pde, Stand A. Ended at Taylor Square, Oxford St, Stand A.
■ 333: Wednesday December 23, 10.40am-11.30am. Started at Taylor Square, Oxford St, Stand D. Ended at Bondi Beach, Campbell Pde, Stand C.
Anyone we was on the following train routes at the below times are also considered casual contacts who should monitor symptoms, and if they appear, immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received:
■ T1 North Shore Line: Wednesday December 16, 1pm-1.09pm. Started at North Sydney. Ended at Wynyard.
■ T1 North Shore Line: Wednesday December 16, 8.16am-9.05am. Started at Waitara. Ended at Wynyard.
■ T1 North Shore Line: Wednesday December 16, 4.52pm-5.31pm. Started at Wynyard. Ended at Waitara.
■ T1 North Shore Line: Thursday December 17, 8.17am-9.01am. Started at Waitara. Ended at Wynyard.
■ T1 North Shore Line: Thursday December 17, 6.40pm-7.22pm. Started at Wynyard. Ended at Waitara.
■ T1 North Shore Line: Monday December 21, 7pm-7.30pm. Started at Redfern, via Town Hall. Ended at Bondi Junction.
■ T1 North Shore Line: Tuesday December 22, 10.05am-10.35am. Started at Bondi Junction via Town Hall. Ended at Redfern.
READ MORE: A new year challenge for all in pandemic control
Ellie Dudley 4.55am: Sydney mystery cases leave health officials puzzled
A series of mystery cases emerging across Sydney has left health authorities struggling to find the missing pieces of the state’s coronavirus puzzle.
Five locally acquired cases were recorded yesterday, four of which were linked to the Avalon cluster now responsible for 126 cases and one of which is linked to a case on the northern beaches yet to be linked to the Avalon cluster.
Those tested positive with unknown sources were a Belrose Hotel worker, a Crows Nest firefighter, a Manly commuter, a Bondi resident, and a man who visited the Sydney CBD.
The Belrose Hotel staff member, 20, was tested on December 23 but a serological examination traced his infection back to December 10, leaving health authorities questioning whether he was the earliest known case for the Avalon cluster.
Further up the northern beaches in Mona Vale, a firefighter tested positive for the virus on Christmas Day after he received an initial negative result on December 20. On December 11, he had spent an hour and a half at the Belrose Hotel.
Despite the apparent link, the young worker was not on shift the night the firefighter visited the hotel, and so far all his co-workers have tested negative. Contact tracers therefore concluded he could not have been the source of the firey’s infection.
Another positive case entered the Belrose Hotel bottle shop on December 17, however, Dr Chant said this case also could not be linked to the employee who wasn’t working at the time.
“What we’re looking for is the missing link,” NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said.
“Who else was present at the Belrose?”
Read the full story here.
Max Maddison 4.45am: New Year’s Eve harbour festivities all but cancelled
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has all but cancelled the country’s largest annual celebration, shelving plans for revellers along the Sydney Harbour foreshore on New Year’s Eve as the city tries to extinguish a slow-moving coronavirus outbreak.
While the fireworks will go ahead, Ms Berejiklian tightened restrictions, urged Sydneysiders to stay away from the city, and called off a plan to allow frontline workers to line vantage points as part of Sydney’s celebration.
Only a limited number of people will be allowed in the city’s “green zone” and there will be no relaxation of strict restrictions on gatherings at home, she said.
Read the full story here.
Richard Ferguson 4.30am: Pfizer leads race for COVID-19 vaccine rollout
Global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is likely to win Australia’s coronavirus vaccine race, as Health Minister Greg Hunt says several anti-COVID inoculations are ahead of schedule.
The Morrison government is sticking to its plan to approve and roll out a coronavirus vaccine in March, but producers such as AstraZeneca — makers of the so-called Oxford vaccine — expect to get their final data to the drug approval authorities by January.
Mr Hunt said the Morrison government would start the rollout with the first approved vaccine, but he expected others to quickly follow.
“It’s likely that Pfizer will have the first of the approvals, on the latest advice from the Therapeutic Goods Administration, and we’ve been working with them and signing the final agreement on distribution,” he said.
Read the full story here.
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