Health News at Your Fingertips

Health minister Brad Hazzard, who is a northern beaches resident, says that even though restrictions are eased, people should still consider gatherings.

He says people over 70, for example, should reconsider.

“It does come down to the individuals in the end to make their own decisions on whether they’re going to have people come into their homes,” he says.

“I would say that anybody who is over the age of about 70, or anyone with other health issues or co-morbidities, should think seriously about whether or not they have people into their homes.

“If they do, try and do it outside in the fresh air, perhaps on a balcony, perhaps outside somewhere, so that you minimise the risks.”

Some more detail on that new announcement of a Qantas worker who has tested positive.

Chant said that he person flew from Darwin to Sydney on 18 December.

The worker “returned from overseas and flown in through Darwin”.

“And the person has flown on a domestic flight. That was a Qantas flight departing Darwin to Sydney on 18 December.

“This news has just come through so we don’t have the flight details and any other details, but we wanted to advise you of that.”

Chant is now speaking on other sites of potential exposure outside the northern beaches.

“Covid infection has been confirmed in a person who ate at the Paddington Alimentari and I encourage all diners there from 17 to 19 December to remain in isolation, get tested again if symptoms arise for any and for takeaway customers to get tested should the slightest of symptoms develop.”

That was previously designated a hotspot yesterday.

Chief health officer Kerry Chant is speaking now.

In a surprising announcement, she says that a new case yesterday, who was a health worker who transported returned travellers, is actually linked to the northern beaches cluster – not to international travellers.

“This person did not acquire infection through transporting patients on 14 December, in fact genome sequencing shows it is linked to the Avalon cluster.

“We do not know how this is linked to the Avalon cluster.”

“Sequencing of the virus shows it is linked … to some particular people within the Avalon cluster and we’re trying to investigate the missing links of how that transmission occurred.”

It had been assumed by NSW Health that the woman contracted the disease through work.

One new case reported today is the woman’s partner – who contracted it from her in their household.

There has also been a case in a Qantas staff member who returned from overseas and flew in through Darwin. The person also flew on a domestic flight.

Berejiklian stresses that these slight relaxations are just for Christmas.

Most of the restrictions will return on 27 December.

For greater Sydney, that means the 10-visitor rule (where children count towards the 10) will continue on 27 December – it has not lifted.

For the northern zone of the northern beaches, they will return to lockdown on 27 December, with no visitors.

“What you have today is what you will have on 27 December,” she says.

The southern part of the northern beaches however, could have a long-term easing of restrictions after Boxing Day.

Berejiklian says this will be decided on Boxing Day, depending on what happens in the southern northern beaches.

For the southern part of the northern beaches, “people who might live in Manly or Dee Why”, they can have 10 visitors from 24-26 December.

But people cannot leave their area.

You can have other people come in from the region or other parts of greater Sydney. But you can’t leave. We don’t want people from the northern beaches mingling in other parts of Sydney at this stage but you can welcome people in.”

Berejiklian has announced what is effectively a “bubble” system – just for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day – for one half of the northern beaches.

For people north of the Narrabeen Bridge and east of the Bahar Temple at Mona Vale roads, “you are still in lockdown”, she says.

But the one exception is that from 24-26 December, you can have five people into your home but they must be people from within that region.

The current restrictions for greater Sydney will stay the same over Christmas – which is that you can only have 10 visitors to your home.

However, premier Gladys Berejiklian says there is one “small tweak”, which is children under 12 are not counted.

That applies for December 24, 25 and 26.

“Can I stress, you cannot have different groups of 10 people during the day. It’s one group of 10 and you have to stick that group of 10, plus kids under 12.

“But come 27 December for greater Sydney, we go back to just 10 per household full stop,” Berejiklian says.

“Every other restriction remains in place but for that addition over the Christmas period,” she says.

New South Wales has recorded new cases since 8pm last night, premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced.

That was from 42,000 tests, just shy of the record 44,000 yesterday.

Seven of those are directly linked to the northern beaches cluster.