Pete Evans is slammed for telling Sydneysiders from coronavirus-stricken Northern Beaches NOT to get tested

Celebrity chef Pete Evans has been slammed for urging Sydneysiders to 'not get tested' for COVID-19 amid a growing cluster of 17 infections in the Northern Beaches.

NSW Health advised all Northern Beaches residents - some 250,000 people - to self isolate for the next three days and get tested if they visited certain locations or have symptoms on Thursday. 

Earlier in the day, Evans shared an article to Facebook about the first two cases in the Northern Beaches - before it quickly jumped to 17 later in the day.    

'OUTBREAK… Two cases,' Evans captioned the post, followed by clown-face emojis.  

Controversial celebrity chef Pete Evans dangerously told Sydneysiders to 'not get tested' for COVID-19 in a Facebook post on Thursday - as a cluster of 17 infections formed in the city's Northern Beaches 

Evans made 13 Facebook posts either opposing vaccinations or suggesting COVID-19 isn't real on Thursday alone - despite vowing to quit the social media platform in November

'Can you see where this is heading again. Testing for the common cold? Do not get tested,' he continued. 

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a highly contagious and newly discovered coronavirus, officially called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

The common cold is a completely separate viral infectious disease caused by more than 200 virus strains. 

Mr Evans is not a trained doctor. 

Evans' Facebook post has since be deleted, either by himself or the social media platform itself, which has vowed to crackdown on misinformation in recent months. 

That has not stopped the chef from making 13 Facebook posts either opposing vaccinations or suggesting COVID-19 isn't real on Thursday alone - despite vowing to quit the social media platform in November. 

One post suggested COVID-19 vaccines will 'depopulate the world'. 

'Show actual verified evidence to back your claim there champ,' one person commented.

Evans also shared another post claiming Bill Gates' Polio vaccine paralysed 496,000 children in India from 2000 to 2017. Facebook later flagged the post as 'false information' and provided a warning that 'the same information was checked in another post by independent fact-checkers'

The fact check found 'about 3,700 children paralysed worldwide over a decade - still a tragic number, but far from the hundreds of thousands used in the false social media posts.'

Evans also shared another post claiming Bill Gates' Polio vaccine paralysed 496,000 children in India from 2000 to 2017. 

'A friend asked me to share. Is this True or false?' he captioned the post.   

'False information but the insane are too caught up in their conspiracy theories to care about reality,' one person commented on the post. 

Facebook later flagged the post as 'false information' and provided a warning that 'the same information was checked in another post by independent fact-checkers'. 

The fact check found 'about 3,700 children paralysed worldwide over a decade - still a tragic number, but far from the hundreds of thousands used in the false social media posts.' 

People who attended these three venues within the listed time periods are advised to get tested and self-isolate until they receive a negative result

But many of Evans' fans agreed with him, with one woman praising the misinformation spree, saying: 'You're on fire.' 

Evans' latest conspiracy dump comes after NSW Health urged people who attended 16 Northern Beaches venues to seek urgent testing or monitor for symptoms.

The state's peak health body also asked Northern Beaches residents 'to assist contact tracing and contain any potential spread of COVID-19' by self isolating at home for at least the next three days on Thursday evening. 

Residents are advised to work from home, not to visit elderly relatives, avoid unnecessary gatherings, keep to household groups and avoid unnecessary travel, including travel to high-risk venues like restaurants, cafés and bars. 

People line up for Covid-19 testing at Mona Vale Hospital's walk-in clinic in Sydney on Thursday

'At this time, we request that people from outside the area should avoid unnecessary travel to the Northern Beaches,' NSW Health said.  

In response to the new cases, both Queensland and Western Australia have again imposed restrictions on NSW residents travelling to their states.  

The WA government has ordered anyone who arrived from NSW since December 11 to be tested and isolate for 14 days, plunging 5,000 travellers into lockdown.

Passengers in the middle of a flight from Sydney to Perth on Thursday were informed they needed to be tested once they land and quarantine until they receive a negative result.  

WA Premier Mark McGowan said the immediate precautions are necessary and that a reintroduction of border restrictions is on the cards. 

'These are extra precautionary and immediate steps the state government is taking to protect all Western Australians, based on our expert health advice,' Mr McGowan said. 

'As I have said previously, we will not hesitate to change our border controls if the health advice recommends.' 

WA last week reopened its borders to NSW and Victoria, removing the 14-day quarantine requirement for travellers from those states. 

Meanwhile in Queensland, anyone who visited the Northern Beaches since December 11 is not allowed to visit residential aged care centres, hospitals and correctional facilities in Queensland from midday on Friday.   

A public health alert from NSW Health advised Northern Beaches residents to self isolate in order to stop the cluster from growing - it is currently sitting at 17 cases

COVID-19 HOTSPOTS IN SYDNEY 

People who have visited the following Northern Beaches locations should get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result, and until they have been contacted by NSW Health:

· Woolworths Mona Vale, 25/29 Park St, Mona Vale, 13 December, 12-12.30pm

· Aldi Mona Vale, 13 Bungan St, Mona Vale, 13 December, 12.45-1.30pm

· Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving Club, 13, 14 and 15 December, 9-9.30am

· Palm Beach Rockpool, LOT 1 Rock Bath Rd, Palm Beach, 14 December, 9:30-10:30am

· Woolworths Avalon, 74 Old Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon Beach, 14 December 5-5.30pm

· Chemist Warehouse, 4/74 Old Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon Beach, 14 December 5.20‑5.25pm

· Commonwealth Bank, 47 Avalon Parade, Avalon Beach, 15 December, 12-12.15pm

· Mitre 10, 49 Avalon Parade, Avalon Beach, 15 December, 12-12.20pm

· Roof Racks World, 15 December, 2-2:30pm

· HongFa BBQ Restaurant, Dee Why, 15 December 4.30-4.45pm

· Dee Why Fruit Market, 33 Oaks Avenue, Dee Why, 15 December, 4.45-4.55pm

· North Avalon Cellars, 4/3 N Avalon Rd, Avalon Beach, 15 December, 6-6.05pm

· Careel Bay Dog Park and Hitchcock Park, Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon, 16 December 7‑7:30am

· Palm Beach Pool, LOT 1 Rock Bath Rd, Palm Beach, 16 December, 8am-9am

· Brot and Wurst, 1442 Pittwater Rd, North Narrabeen, 16 December, 2pm-2:05pm

· Avalon Beach Post Shop, 45 Avalon Parade, Avalon Beach, 16 December 3.30-3.50pm

Avalon RSL club 11 December all day till closed

Penrith RSL club 13 December 1-6 pm

Kirribilli club 14 December 12-3 pm

· Bing Lee, Gateway, 1 Mona Vale Rd, Mona Vale – Monday, 14 December, 4.30-4.45pm

· Woolworths Avalon Beach, 74 Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon Beach – Tuesday, 15 December, 12-12.30pm

Oliver's Pie, Careel Shopping Village, 1 Careel Head Rd, Avalon Beach – Monday, 14 December, 9-9.15am

Woolworths Avalon Beach, 74 Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon Beach – Sunday, 13 December, 12-5pm

Anyone who has attended the following additional venues is considered a close contact and should get tested and isolate for 14 days even if they receive a negative result:

· Hungry Ghost Café, 20 Avalon Parade, Avalon – Sunday, 13 December, 9.30am-11am and Tuesday, 15 December 9.30-11am

· Sneaky Grind Café, 3/48 Old Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon Beach – Monday, 14 December, 9.30-11am

· Barramee Thai Massage and Spa, 4/42-44 Old Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon Beach – Monday, 14 December, 2-3.30pm

· Bangkok Sidewalk Restaurant, 1/21-23 Old Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon Beach – Monday, 14 December 7-8pm

· Avalon Bowlo (bowling club), 4 Bowling Green Ln, Avalon Beach – Sunday, 13 December, 5-7pm (not 3-5pm as previously reported) and Tuesday, 15 December 3-5pm

Palm Beach female change rooms – Sunday, 13 December 9-9.15am

Coast Palm Beach Café, Barrenjoey Rd, Palm Beach – Sunday, 13 December 10-11am

A confirmed case also travelled between the following stations on 14 December at the following times. Other passengers are considered to be casual contacts, and should get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.

· Roseville to Redfern, 6.50-7.40am

· Redfern to Milsons Point, 11.20am-11.45am

· Milsons Point to Roseville, 3.15-3.40pm