NSW records 18 new coronavirus cases as NYE restrictions tightened for Greater Sydney

Long lines of people waiting to be tested for COVID-19 at Wollongong Hospital in Wollongong, 29 December, 2020.
AAP

New South Wales has recorded 18 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases with more than 17,000 people coming forward to get tested in the last 24 hours.

Nine of the new cases are linked to the Avalon cluster, bringing the total for that cluster to 138.

Another six locally acquired cases are related to a cluster in Sydney’s Inner West referred to as the Croydon cluster. 34 close contacts have already been contacted.

“All six are members of the same family, extended family group. And we anticipate because of the nature of that extended family’s movements that there will be more cases from that cluster,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“The Croydon cluster is of concern because there are no direct links at this stage.”

Three further cases remain under investigation. One of those is in the Northern Beaches. The remaining two are in Wollongong.

The state government also announced more New Year’s Eve restrictions for Sydney will be enforced after the “proliferation of cases”.

Household gatherings in Greater Sydney are now limited to five people inside, down from 10.

30 people are allowed to gather outdoors, down from 50.

On the Northern Beaches, gatherings of five people will be permitted.

“All households in Greater Sydney, that includes Wollongong, the Central Coast, and the Nepean and Blue Mountains, as well as the southern part of the Northern Beaches, so the southern zone of the Northern Beaches, will now be limited to five people per household on New Year’s Eve,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“Obviously in the Northern Beaches, you cannot welcome anybody to your home that’s outside your zone.”

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said that household gatherings are high-risk due to people relaxing in those settings, urging the state to get tested due to the growing cases outside of the Northern Beaches.

“We can’t have this being seen as a Northern Beaches local government area issue,” Dr Chant said.

“We have been concerned about these seeding events which may have seeded other parts.

“Because we don’t understand the full chain of transmission, how it actually got into the Northern Beaches, we are concerned there might be unrecognised spread.”

Ms Berejiklian said positive case numbers might “bounce around for several weeks.”
“What we don’t want to see is new chains of transmission that we don’t know about,” she said.

“When you had a large concentration of cases, you do expect during the process you’re going to have those household contacts (who) where in isolation get the virus and obviously that pushes up the numbers.

More fines have been issued over an inner-city Sydney wedding reception as NSW health authorities continue to investigate three COVID-19 cases outside of a cluster on the Northern Beaches.
Nine additional infringement fines of $1000 have been handed to guests of the Pyrmont wedding after attendees broke a lockdown governing Northern Beaches residents.

Police Minister David Elliot said the 21 breaches so far relating to the incident was a terrible example of people defying health orders.

“It only takes one infected person to cause another cluster and that’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid,” Mr Elliot told Sydney radio 2GB on Wednesday.
The Wollongong cases have already sparked close-contact health alerts for two Greek Orthodox churches in the city dating back to 27 December, St Nektarios Church and The Holy Cross Church.

Residents have been lining up in large numbers outside Wollongong Hospital to be tested since Tuesday.

Casual-contact alerts also apply for several venues at Figtree, including Figtree Grove Shopping Centre, Mona Vale and Wollongong.

Ms Berejiklian implored residents in all parts of Sydney to demonstrate “personal responsibility” and stay COVID-safe on New Year’s Eve.

Sydneysiders are banned from watching the famous New Year’s Eve fireworks from the harbour after the foreshore was shut for the first time.

The state government is telling people to stay at home and watch the shortened seven-minute show at midnight on television.

Stay-at-home orders applying to Northern Beaches residents north of the Narrabeen Bridge will continue until at least 9 January. A lockdown for the peninsula’s southern zone will be in place until 2 January.

SBS With additional reporting from AAP.