NSW records nine local COVID cases as Avalon cluster grows

Ms Berejiklian urged Sydneysiders to limit their mobility over the Christmas break, particularly on the city’s northern beaches, which has been granted a three-day window of eased restrictions.

“We know how hard it is over Christmas, but please don’t visit anybody who is in isolation…that could again pose a risk to a new cluster emerging,” Ms Berejiklian said on Thursday.

Ms Berejiklian said close to 300 testing facilities would be open over Christmas, and urged people not to delay being tested if they began to notice even mild symptoms.

“Do not wait until the 27th, because if people wait you could unintentionally be infecting people and ruining Christmas for those closest to you,” she said.

“We are concerned about people who may have been infectious who went to work in the CBD and then have passed it on to other people in the CBD.”

Dr Chant said NSW Health is investigating the source of six cases, including the two announced on Thursday.

“Two of those are the patient transport workers, one of those sequences is linked genetically to the Avalon cluster and we are awaiting sequencing on the second patient transport officer,” Dr Chant said.

“Two are geographically linked in the sense that they attended a number of the casual venues. One resides in the northern area of the Northern Beaches.”

One of Thursday’s new cases under investigation is an office worker in the vicinity of Hunter and Bligh Streets in Sydney’s CBD.

Dr Chant said the spread was “predictable” but NSW Health was relying on the community to respond.

“If you have been in this area of the CBD, get tested, we’re conveying this additional risk that we see particularly in this area,” she said.

Dr Chant said all people on a Qantas flight from Darwin to Sydney on December 17 are now considered close contacts and have been asked to self-isolate and get tested after a crew member was subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19.

Dr Chant said authorities were investigating another potential case but the current data is preliminary.

A full list of locations and public transport routes, and the associated public health advice, is on the NSW Government website.

Ms Berejiklian warned that extra police would be patrolling the northern beaches, making sure people adhered to the restrictions, particularly on the northern half of the peninsular.

The Premier added that she was “hopeful” Sydney would be able to keep the New Years international test match scheduled in early January, but said it would likely depend on case numbers in coming days.

“Key members of my government are having conversations with those organisers now and we’re confident we can host,” she said.

“It also depends a lot on how we go in the next little while…we do want to see those case numbers go down.”

Positive cases at Circular Quay venue

One of the cases reported on Thursday attended the Paragon Hotel Sports Bar near Circular Quay in Loftus Street, Sydney, between 12.45pm and 3.30pm on Wednesday, December 16.

A second person identified on Thursday morning, and who will appear in tomorrow’s numbers, also attended the Paragon Hotel Sports Bar at the same time. The venue now has three cases associated with it.

Queensland records new case linked to Avalon cluster

On Thursday, Queensland recorded two new cases in the past 24 hours, including one case linked to Sydney’s Avalon cluster. The man, who returned from Sydney, initially tested negative on December 18 but remained in home isolation. After feeling unwell, he tested positive and remains in isolation.

The man has been praised by Queensland health authorities as doing “everything right” and said his actions were the “gold standard” expected of any person returning to Queensland after being in the Greater Sydney hotspot.

The second Queensland case was a crew member of a super yacht in Cairns who is now in hospital quarantine.

Sydney’s Christmas restrictions

On Wednesday, Ms Berejiklian announced slightly eased restrictions for Sydney over the Christmas break, splitting the northern beaches into two zones at the Narrabeen Bridge for a three-day Christmas period.

From Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, those in the northern part of the region (north of the bridge and east of the Baha’i Temple at Mona Vale Road) will essentially remain in lockdown.

The southern part of the northern beaches will join Sydney in being allowed 10 guests into their homes. In a slight easing of existing restrictions, children under 12 will not count towards the 10 for those three days.

The northern part will be able to have five people visit their home during the Christmas period, but they must all reside within that part of Northern Beaches Local Government Area.

All northern beaches residents will not be allowed to leave the area. The stay-at-home public health order will be amended to allow for home visits within each person’s part of the northern beaches over Christmas but otherwise remains in place.

Dr Chant said on Thursday “we are not out of the woods yet” and urged the public to remain vigilant over the Christmas period.

She said the decision to modestly ease restrictions was about balancing people’s mental health and wellbeing with the public health risks. But she urged people to think about who they really needed to see on Christmas Day and to space out their gatherings into the new year.

Ms Berejiklian expected a lot of people would take a more conservative approach to their Christmas gatherings this year to reduce the risk to their loved ones. She also confirmed the New Years Eve fireworks would still go ahead.

Ms Berejiklian stressed the 14-day quarantine period was crucial and warned individuals not to shave off a day or two considering people who test negative on day-two can test positive on day 10 or eleven.

with Mary Ward and Lucy Stone