Coronavirus outbreak clears out Sydney New Year’s Eve party zone

Gladys Berejiklian all but cancels New Year’s Eve on Sydney Harbour as the city tries to extinguish its coronavirus outbreak.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says health authorities warned it was too risky to have people congregating in the Sydney CBD. Picture: Gaye Gerard

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.

Sydney’s business community and tourism sector are bracing for a significant hit on one of the busiest days of the year, with hotels half full and tables empty at restaurants that would in other years be booked months in advance.

The city’s fireworks, which are regularly broadcast around the world, last year attracted 1.6 million people and added $133m to the economy, according to the City of Sydney.

The subdued celebration is another blow to the country’s tourism and travel industry. The Australian last week reported the industry forecast spending over the holiday break would almost halve compared with last year because of border restrictions imposed on NSW in response to Sydney’s northern beaches coronavirus outbreak.

 

Australians were expected to spend $2.98bn less than the annual average of about $5.5bn, according to modelling conducted for the ­industry.

Ms Berejiklian said on Monday health authorities had warned it was too risky to have people from regions and around Sydney to congregate in the city as they tried to stave off the possibility of a ­superspreader event on the night.

“The advice to date to all of us has to be; try to avoid the CBD,” the Premier said. “So on New Year’s Eve, we’re going to say to those frontline workers we previously invited, we’ll find another opportunity during the year to recognise what you have done.”

The restrictions, announced after a meeting of the NSW crisis cabinet, followed councils pre-emptively shuttering foreshore parks. Melbourne and Brisbane have already cancelled their New Year’s Eve fireworks displays, as has Parramatta in Sydney’s western suburbs.

Sydney Business Chamber executive director Katherine O’Regan said takings from this year’s celebrations would be “well short” of the usual figure.

Sydney Cove Oyster Bar manager Laura Sanna at Circular Quay on Monday. Picture: Nikki Short

“It’s a significant price to pay for businesses,” Ms O’Regan said.

She said foot traffic in the city had risen 60 per cent in the lead-up to Christmas but would likely fall by about a fifth over the new year period — leaving it similar to the levels recorded at the height of the pandemic.

Tourism Accommodation Australia, which represents large accommodation chains, estimates hotels in Sydney’s CBD are at about 50 per cent capacity.

Jerry Schwartz, one of the country’s largest private owners of hotels, including the Sofitel Darling Harbour and the Four Points Sheraton, said he understood the need for restrictions despite the economic impact.

Dr Schwartz said occupancy at the Sofitel had fallen from 80 per cent before the northern beaches cluster emerged to less than 50 per cent at the weekend. “People thought they’d take a staycation, but when the message got out to avoid the CBD and Darling Harbour, this had a huge effect on occupancy,” he said.

 

“I do well understand that it does affect business, but ultimately in the long term (the restrictions) help business, it keeps our lockdowns short and sharp.

“At least you can watch (the fireworks) from some of the hotels which have views over Darling Harbour or over the city … we have a lot to celebrate at the end of this year. We all want to celebrate the end of 2020.”

There were five locally ­acquired cases of COVID-19 reported on Monday, all linked to the northern beaches cluster.

Ms Berejiklian has locked down parts of the northern beaches until at least January 9 citing a “volatile” health situation, with only five visitors from within the area’s northern zone allowed at a gathering.

In the southern zone, 10 people can gather but only if they are from the same part of the northern beaches, while residents across the rest of Sydney can travel to other homes but must observe the same limit on visitor numbers.

A nurse changes gloves at the Warringah Aquatic Centre COVID-19 testing centre in northern Sydney. Picture: Gaye Gerard

The Victorian government on Monday indicated it would not lift border restrictions on residents from Sydney and the NSW central coast ahead of New Year’s Eve. NSW health authorities are concerned about a small number of COVID-19 cases with unknown sources, including a 20-year-old working at the Belrose Hotel in Sydney’s north who could have been infected as early as December 10. Two other visitors to the Belrose Hotel who did not have contact with the young worker have subsequently tested positive to the coronavirus, as has a man working in Sydney’s CBD whose infection cannot be traced.

Ms Berejiklian said restraint was needed at any New Year’s Eve gathering, regardless of location. “I know that’s normally an emotional time where we like to kiss and hug everybody around us, can I ask for absolute restraint,” the Premier said. “The vast majority are but we just can’t see scenes of people especially after having a few drinks just getting up and mingling and deciding they want to give everybody a kiss and a hug on New Year’s Eve.”

There is now a limit of 50 people gathering outdoors in Sydney (except for the northern beaches), down from 100. Ms Berejiklian said that parks and venues would remain open.

But councils have already moved to lock down foreshore areas, with North Sydney closing all businesses in the “green zone” and only allowing residents and those with bookings into the “yellow zone” around the harbour.

The City of Sydney has closed a number of well-attended locations including Beare Park in Elizabeth Bay and other areas around Pyrmont, Millers Point and Potts Point. With the foreshore closed, police will instead be focused on monitoring compliance, with venues warned that patrons standing will not be tolerated.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: DAVID ROSS