NSW's top doctor reveals a child will be part of Sydney's latest coronavirus numbers as seven new cases were recorded on Christmas Day and Gladys Berejiklian warned shoppers to AVOID the CBD
A child will be among the New South Wales coronavirus case numbers on Boxing Day after seven new cases were reported on Christmas Day.
The child became infected at the Paddington Alimentari café in Sydney's inner-eastern suburbs with a total of four cases now linked to the popular eatery.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant revealed a child was infected at the venue and urged people who visited Paddington Alimentari to get tested during Friday's press conference.
'Since 8pm last night, and this case will be included in tomorrow's (Saturday's) numbers, we have another confirmed case linked to the Paddington Alimentari and the case is a child,' Dr Chant said.
'There are now four cases associated with the venue and all diners from December 17 to 19 need to remain in isolation and get tested if symptoms arise.
'Takeaway customers need to get tested should there even be the slightest symptoms. We have had transmission at that venue, so it is important that everyone maintains a focus.'
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The child became infected at the Paddington Alimentari café in Sydney's inner-eastern suburbs with a total of four cases now linked to the popular venue
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant on Friday urged people to isolate if they also visited Paddington Alimentari from December 17 to December 19 and get tested if they develop symptoms
NSW reported seven new locally-acquired cases of coronavirus on Christmas Day - four are linked to the Avalon cluster, two cases are household contacts of a previous case, whose source of infection is still under investigation, and one further case is under investigation.
How has the virus escalated in Sydney?
17 December: Three cases
18 December: 15 cases
19 December: 23 cases
20 December: 30 cases
21 December: 15 cases
22 December: Eight cases
23 December: Eight cases
24 December: Nine cases
25 December: Seven cases
Total: 118 cases with 108 linked to Avalon cluster
NSW's latest outbreak now sits at 118 total cases, 108 of which are associated with the Avalon cluster.
A new venue, transport routes and a flight are put on alert on Friday night.
NSW Health is urging any passenger who travelled on flight REX ZL 6469 from Sydney to Griffith at 2.10pm on Monday December 21 to get tested.
Passengers from the flight are considered close contacts and must self-isolate for 14 days regardless of a negative result.
They have also issued out an alert for customers who attended Chicago Jones Coffee & Chocolate Maison in Auburn, in Sydney's west, on Sunday 20 December between 2.50pm – 4.00pm.
Those customers are considered close contacts and must isolate for 14 days regardless of a negative result.
Those who rode Bus route 200 from TAFE St Leonards, Pacific Highway to The Royal Botanic Gardens, Macquarie St on Tuesday 15 December between 7.20am and 7.41am are considered close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case.
Passengers who travelled on that route are urged to get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of their rest result.
Those who were on the bus for less than 30 minutes are however considered casual contacts and should still get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.
The rules apply to the same route but in the evening from 5.36pm - 6.10pm from The Royal Botanic Gardens to TAFE.
Sydneysiders are expected to flood the CBD and shopping centres across the city for Boxing Day sales on Saturday despite warnings to the contrary on Friday.
Yesterday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 'we are still concerned about potential spread through the CBD' and urged Sydneysiders to cancel their Boxing Day shopping plans in the city on Saturday.
'We ask everybody to limit any activity in the CBD and having said that, we know tomorrow is traditionally Boxing Day sales,' Ms Berejiklian said.
NSW Health is urging any passenger who travelled on flight REX ZL 6469 from Sydney to Griffith at 2.10pm on Monday December 21 to get tested
They have also issued out an alert for customers who attended Chicago Jones Coffee & Chocolate Maison in Auburn, in Sydney's west, on Sunday 20 December between 2.50pm – 4.00pm
Those who rode Bus route 200 from TAFE St Leonards, Pacific Highway to The Royal Botanic Gardens, Macquarie St on Tuesday 15 December between 7.20am - 7.41am are considered close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case
'We'd prefer it if people did not go to the CBD tomorrow because then you have people from all over Sydney coming to the one location and it only takes one or two cases for it to then spread everywhere else - and we don't want to see that happen.
'I cannot stress enough how urgent the people to reduce their mobility, not to undertake any activity unless they absolutely have to and please avoid the CBD where you can.
'If you must go to the CBD and you must go shopping, make sure you're wearing a mask and a socially distancing.'
The state also recorded three new cases from returned travellers, who are all in mandatory hotel quarantine.
The Premier said 'a trend we'll continue to see over the next few days and possibly weeks' is more a household contacts catching Covid-19 from their family in isolation.
'So as people are in isolation, their direct contacts will start to test positive and that is where we will see a large number of case numbers eventuate, we hope,' she said.
Ms Berejiklian said she was 'overwhelmed' that 69,800 people got tested in the last 24-hour period and praised NSW Health for it's 'really scaled up' testing system.
'It is an outstanding result. Thank you for everybody who got tested - that's nearly 70,000 tests in one day,' she said.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged Sydneysiders to avoid the CBD and cancel their Boxing Day shopping plans on Saturday as the state recorded seven new cases of COVID-19 on Christmas Day
Shoppers packed the streets of the Sydney CBD on Boxing Day last year . Ms Berejiklian said Sydneysiders should stay away from the CBD because 'it only takes one or two cases for it to then spread everywhere else'
Motorists get tested at the drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic in Bondi Beach on Friday. It comes after a record 69,800 people showed out for testing on Thursday
CURRENT COVID-19 ALERTS FOR NSW VENUES
Passengers who flew on the following flight are considered close contacts and must self-isolate for 14 days. Anyone who has symptoms should get tested immediately; testing is available at Griffith Base Hospital.
If you travelled on this bus route during the time and date indicated, you should get tested immediately and self-isolate until you receive a negative result. Passengers should continue to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and if any symptoms occur, get tested again:
Bus route 200 from TAFE St Leonards, Pacific Highway to The Royal Botanic Gardens, Macquarie St on Tuesday 15 December between 7.20am and 7.41am are considered close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case.
Those who were on the bus for less than 30 minutes are however considered casual contacts and should still get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.
The rules apply to the same route but in the evening from 5.36pm - 6.10pm from The Royal Botanic Gardens to TAFE.
Anyone who attended the following venues at the following times is considered a close contact, and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of whether a negative result is received:
Anyone who attended the following venues at the following times is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received:
Anyone who attended the following venue at the following times should monitor for symptoms and immediately get tested and isolate if they appear. If further symptoms appear, isolate and get tested again:
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Dr Chant said she is 'particularly concerned' about the sports bar at the Paragon Hotel in Loftus Street in Circular Quay, which has three associated cases.
Anyone who visited the hotel between 12.45pm and 3.30pm on Wednesday, December 16 for more than an hour are considered close contacts and are advised to be tested immediately and self isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
Those who were there for less than an hour needs to get tested immediately and self isolate pending a result.
'Anyone who particularly has been in the north-eastern part of the city, including Australia square, MLC Centre and Chifley Square should be alert to symptoms and get tested immediately,' Dr Chant said.
The NSW Chief Health Officer said a Qantas worker on board flight QF841 from Darwin to Sydney last Friday who later tested positive to Covid-19 is actually a 'historical case'.
'We were able to revise that concern level down once we establish that was not a further transmission associated with the plane,' she said.
'But it is important with a close contacts on that plane shall remain in isolation because they are the people who sat in proximity to the first case I identified earlier.'
Sydney recorded nine cases on Thursday, seven of which are linked to the Avalon cluster and two more that were a mystery.
Sydney's famous Bondi Icebergs was closed for deep cleaning on Christmas Day. Diners there were exposed to a coronavirus-positive case on December 20 between 8am and 9.30am and December 21 between 7am and 8am
A worker is seen cleaning the empty pool of the Bondi Icebergs venue at Bondi Beach on Christmas Day
The Northern Beaches was on Wednesday split into two sections at the Narrabeen Bridge, with those in the northern section where the cluster is centred suffering harsher Christmas restrictions than those in the south
Another worrying development is a patient who caught the virus at a Sydney CBD pub, the first case in the new outbreak acquired outside the Northern Beaches epicentre.
They became sick after drinking at the Paragon Hotel near Circular Quay on December 16 when two positive cases, believed to be from the Northern Beaches, were there.
Dr Chant on Thursday singled out the popular Bondi Icebergs restaurant in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
Diners there were exposed to a coronavirus-positive case on December 20 between 8am and 9.30am and December 21 between 7am and 8am.
Queensland on Thursday recorded two new cases of coronavirus after allowing a superyacht from the Maldives to dock in Cairns.
A female crew member in her 20s was aboard the yacht when it arrived in north Queensland, and was placed in mandatory hotel quarantine.
Six people on board the ship were given exemptions from mandatory hotel quarantine under the condition that they stay aboard to maintain the ship and don't come ashore.
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said the crew have not been cooperative with police, which she described as 'extremely disappointing'.
Ms Berejiklian had a day earlier announced a small easing of restrictions for residents in Greater Sydney outside of the Northern Beaches.
Punters who attended the Paragon Hotel near Circular Quay in the Sydney CBD on December 16 have been told to self-isolate if they visited between 12.45pm to 3.30pm
Sydney's Northern Beaches cluster has also spread to the Sunshine State, despite the Premier swiftly closing down the borders
Residents are allowed 10 adults plus children under 12 to visit their homes on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day before the 10-person visitor cap once again includes children from December 27.
Gatherings of up to 100 are still allowed outside in a public place such as at a beach or a park, except in the Northern Beaches where they are banned.
The threat of full-scale lockdown ruining Christmas had hung heavy over five million Sydneysiders but Premier Berejiklian allayed those fears on Wednesday as New South Wales recorded just eight new local cases.
Some 140,000 residents across 36 suburbs on the Central Coast have been told to watch for symptoms after several sewage samples tested positive at a plant in Kincumber which serves Gosford.
'We are aware that there is a Covid-positive case in the Central Coast as well as a case from Western Sydney who visited Avoca whilst infectious last weekend so there is an explanation for this but we want to take a cautious approach,' Dr Chant said.
The Northern Beaches has been split into two sections at the Narrabeen Bridge, with those in the northern section where the cluster is centred suffering harsher Christmas restrictions than those in the south.
They are not allowed to leave or welcome people from outside the area but will be allowed five visitors to their homes on 24, 25 and 26 December before lockdown rules banning home visits resume.
Those south of the Narrabeen Bridge cannot leave the Northern Beaches but can welcome 10 visitors into their homes on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, including people from anywhere in NSW.
The government will decide on Boxing Day if residents south of the Narrabeen Bridge will go back into lockdown on December 27.
On Sunday Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory all banned free movement for Greater Sydney residents while Western Australia blocked out all of NSW.
Residents are seen exercising on Manly beachfront on Wednesday, their final day of lockdown before Christmas
What are the Christmas COVID restrictions for NSW?
On December 24, 25 and 26, the following conditions will be in place:
For the Northern Beaches peninsula zone (North of Narrabeen Bridge, and east of the Baha'i Temple):
· There is a new reason for leaving home: to visit the home of others who live within this zone.
· Up to 5 visitors (total, including children) will be allowed in homes as long as they reside in the peninsula zone.
· People may not enter or leave this zone, unless for the four approved reasons already in place.
· On December 27, the region will revert to existing restrictions.
For the remainder (southern zone) of the Northern Beaches:
· There is a new reason for leaving home: to visit the home of others who live within this zone.
· Up to 10 visitors (plus primary school children and younger) will be allowed in homes. This may include people from outside this zone, not including the Northern Beaches peninsula zone.
· People who reside outside the northern beaches are allowed to visit others in this zone.
· Residents of this zone may not leave, unless for the four approved reasons already in place.
· We will reassess restrictions in this zone following Boxing Day.
For the Greater Sydney region, Central Coast, Wollongong and Nepean Blue Mountains:
· Current restrictions that were due to expire at midnight tonight will remain in place.
· However, primary school aged children and younger will be allowed on top of the current 10 visitors cap for homes.
· On December 27, the region will revert to existing restrictions.
Restrictions for Regional NSW remain unchanged.
In addition, as of 1 January 2021, hospitality venues and hairdressers will be required to use the NSW Government QR code system.
Decisions on New Year's Eve and upcoming sporting events will be made after this Christmas period.