Nine new cases of COVID-19 in NSW after 60,000 tests

New South Wales has recorded nine new COVID-19 cases overnight, with seven linked to the Northern Beaches cluster.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 60,000 people had presented for testing yesterday.

Ms Berejiklian urged anyone feeling sick over the Christmas period to get tested.

"We will have 300 clinics across the state, private, government, pathology testing units, working throughout the night, private and public," she said.

"Our health people and the supporting pathologists have just been amazing, so even if you get a symptom on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, please go and get tested, do not wait."

The premier said she "nearly fell off my chair, literally" when she learned that there had been 60,000 tests yesterday.

INTERACTIVE: The NSW outbreak in numbers

READ MORE: Popular food court added to alert list

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1341897390433861636

Ms Berejiklian says test results are generally coming back within a few hours to 12 hours.

She stressed her message over the Christmas period is: "Please limit your mobility."

"The strongest advice that our health experts will give you about the next few days is please limit your mobility," she said.

"Please do not move around unless you have to.

"We appreciate that there are restrictions in place which allow people to have people into their households but please make sure all of us reduce our mobility apart from those close family gatherings, which we have allowed over the Christmas break, we don't want people moving around unless you absolutely have to."

READ MORE: Vaccine rollout 'giant logistical operation'

Avalon cluster passes 100 cases

NSW Chief Medical Officer Kerry Chant said the Avalon cluster on the Northern Beaches has reached 104 cases.

Dr Chant said six cases remain under investigation, two of which are in patient transport workers.

From the other new cases, one man is a Northern Beaches resident, she said.

There was also a man in his 40s who worked in the Sydney CBD.

Dr Chant also said the other new cases included one from the sports bar of the Paragon Hotel on Loftus Street near Sydney's Circular Quay.

Keep Christmas small and outdoors

Dr Chant said the message for Christmas was to keep gatherings small.

"If we could keep our gatherings small and if we could also choose and preference outdoor settings," she said.

"So if you are hosting a Christmas dinner for your small group of family, please see if you have got a veranda or an outdoor area where people can congregate."

She also said it was critical people in isolation maintained that until it was completed.

"If we have asked you to isolate, you need to be in isolation," Dr Chant said.

"I apologise to everyone who has been put in that predicament but it is incredibly risky to leave isolation anytime prior to those 14 days post your last exposure."

New restrictions to be policed

Ms Berejiklian said NSW Police will be out in force over the Christmas period to enforce the new restrictions on Sydney's Northern Beaches.

Yesterday she announced the Northern Beaches would be split into two parts, with the tightest restrictions in the area nearest the Avalon cluster.

"There will be extra police out and about especially in relation to those orders that we have set up around the bridges," the premier said.

"There will be an extra police presence, and police officers will make sure that everybody is aware of the rights and obligations through this time."

Sydney Christmas restrictions

New alert for Darwin flight to Sydney

Dr Chant has confirmed all people who took a Qantas flight from Darwin to Sydney on December 17 have been considered close contacts and have been requested to self-isolate.

A Qantas crew member onboard the flight has since tested positive to COVID-19.

Dr Chant said officials are investigating another potential case.

Everyone who was onboard will be tested and passengers are being contacted.

NYE fireworks to go ahead

Ms Berejiklian said the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks display will proceed but providing access for some frontline health workers to watch it will be reviewed.

She spoke after the Australian Medical Association raised concerns about managing the proposed gathering in central Sydney.

"The fireworks display themselves will definitely be happening at midnight and we have already said that we encourage everybody to watch that from home," she said.

Ms Berejiklian said there were plans to provide access for frontline health workers but that would be reassessed closer to the event.

"We will also wait until the end of the couple of days now over Christmas before we make an assessment based on the health advice," she said.



from 9News https://ift.tt/38Avrds
via IFTTT

Post a Comment

0 Comments