Venues across Sydney visited by COVID-19 cases, including Paddington, Neutral Bay
Confirmed COVID cases went to gyms, bars and cafes in Paddington, Manly, Newport, Neutral Bay, Crows Nest and Mona Vale.
Key points:
NSW Health released a new list of affected Sydney venues late last night
Several domestic flights have been cancelled at Sydney Airport today
The NSW Opposition is calling for mandatory masks in Greater Sydney
NSW Health said anyone who visited are close contacts and must get tested for the virus and immediately self isolate for two weeks, no matter the result of the test.
Anytime Fitness, 7 Taronga Place, Mona Vale, on Thursday, December 17 between 9:50am and 12:45pm
G Fitness, 72/80 Evans Street, Freshwater, on Tuesday, December 15 between 11:00am and 12:45pm
4 Pines, 313 Barrenjoey Rd, Newport, on Wednesday, December 16 between 4:30pm and 9:00pm
Twenty-One Espresso, 21 Knox Street, Double Bay: Any staff working on Tuesday, December 15, and patrons seated in the indoor section on that day for more than 1 hour between 7:10pm and 8:15pm and 8:25pm and 9:10pm.
Visitors to several venues have been urged to get tested and self-isolate only until they receive a negative test result.
Northern Beaches Indoor Sports Centre, Jacksons Rd, Warriewood, on Tuesday 15 December between 6:30pm and 9:30pm
Twenty-One Espresso, 21 Knox Street, Double Bay: Any patrons who were in the restaurant for less than 1 hour, or those who sat in the outdoor area on Tuesday December 15 between 7:10pm and 8:15pm and 8:25pm and 9:10pm on Tuesday, December 15
Flower Power, 22 Macpherson St, Warriewood, on Friday, December 18 between 8:45am and 9:30am
Bowen Island Bakery, 383 Barrenjoey Road, Newport, on Friday, December 18 between 9:00am and 9:30am. Health Minister Brad Hazzard said this morning that record-breaking testing was completed yesterday in NSW, up from more than 28,000 on Saturday.
“I am expecting big numbers today, possibly the biggest ever in terms of the number of people getting tested,” he said
“They have been out in massive force.”
In the Northern Beaches, residents have entered day two of a five-day lockdown, with 68 locally-acquired COVID-19 cases linked to that cluster.
Two more from Avalon and Newport are under investigation, while the latest case numbers will be released at 11:00am today.
New restrictions rolled out across Greater Sydney today means household gatherings are now limited to 10 visitors. Meanwhile, passengers arriving at Sydney Airport to beat the border closures are finding some flights have been cancelled.
Victoria declared Greater Sydney and the Central Coast a “red zone”, meaning no-one travelling from there can enter the state without 14 days hotel quarantine.
One passenger heading from Sydney to Melbourne said he booked a flight just in time.
“We made the decision yesterday because we thought things would just get worse, and fortunately we did because we got a flight,” he said.
“If we’ve made it today I don’t know if we would have got a flight back.”
Victorian residents arriving before midnight on Monday can quarantine in their own home.
Queensland residents heading home have until 1:00am Tuesday morning to get home before they must go into mandatory hotel quarantine at their own expense. This morning, the NSW Opposition called on the State Government to make masks mandatory.
The Government has recommended all Sydney residents wear masks, particularly in public spaces, but fell short of mandating them.
Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park said experts had found masks crucial in the bid to stop the virus.
“It saves lives, it saves livelihoods. New South Wales can not afford a second outbreak and a second wave because it would be devastating to our economy, jobs and people’s own wellbeing,” he said. But Mr Hazzard said he was concerned about commuter aggression linked to enforced mask-wearing.
“If we make it compulsory, one of the big issues is that bus drivers become the policeman,” he said.
“They don’t want to be having to police these things. We’ve already seen enough aggression on the buses.” ABC
