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The so-called Avalon group on Sydney’s North Beaches, which erupted earlier this month, generated another nine cases in the 24 hours to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Eight of the nine people are already in isolation during their full 14-day infectious period.
The total number of cases in the hot spot now stands at 138 identified in 17,267 tests and Premier Gladys Berejiklian is urging more people to get tested.
Another group of six infected people, dubbed by health experts as the Croydon group, was also revealed Wednesday.
It includes three adults and three children from the same extended family, who gathered for various events over several days.
All six belong to three different households and some live outside the Croydon area.
So far, authorities cannot find any link to the Avalon group.
“The Croydon group is worrying because there is no established link in all the other cases, there is some intersection with places or regions that we have identified as a concern,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Wednesday.
“We anticipate that due to the nature of the movements of that extended family, there will be more cases from that group.”
Due to the “proliferation of cases” off northern beaches overnight, stricter restrictions will apply for New Year’s Eve and beyond, the prime minister said.
Starting at midnight Wednesday, family gatherings in Greater Sydney, which includes Wollongong, the central coast, Nepean and the Blue Mountains area, will be limited to five people indoors, fewer than 10 and 30 outdoors. , up to 50.
Meetings of five people will be allowed on the northern beaches.
Meanwhile, authorities are still investigating three other COVID-19 cases involving two people from the same household in Wollongong on the southern coast of the state and another in northern Sydney.
The Wollongong pair up a woman in her 50s and a woman in her 20s. The older woman had traveled to Sydney between the 15th and 17th of this month and had been to CBD venues, prompting a new alert for a restaurant at the Sydney Opera House around that time.
The Wollongong problem has prompted close contact health alerts for two Greek Orthodox churches in the city dating back to December 27: the Church of Saint Nektarios and the Church of the Holy Cross.
Residents have been lining up in large numbers outside Wollongong Hospital for screening since Tuesday, while new public health alerts were issued for Buckley’s Sydney near the Opera House and the outdoor screening of Lady Macquarie’s prom. Chair.
Casual contact alerts also apply to various locations in Figtree, including Figtree Grove Mall, Mona Vale, and Wollongong.
Elsewhere, nine additional $ 1,000 violation fines have been handed out to guests at Pyrmont’s wedding after attendees broke a blockade governing residents of northern beaches.
Police Minister David Elliot said the 21 infractions so far related to the incident were a dire example of people defying health orders.
Sydneyns have been asked to demonstrate “personal responsibility” and stay safe from COVID through the New Year.
Most residents are prohibited from viewing the famous New Year’s Eve fireworks from the harbor on Thursday after the beach was closed for the first time.
The regular 9:00 pm fireworks display has been canceled and people are urged to stay home and watch the shortened seven-minute show at midnight on television.
Restricted areas will be set up around The Rocks and Circular Quay will have no direct public transportation routes starting at 5pm Thursday night.
To avoid “super spread events,” the five-person rule will remain in effect beyond New Year’s Eve until all strains of transmission have been identified.
“And that until further notice,” Berejiklian said.
The stay-at-home orders that apply to residents of the north beaches north of the Narrabeen Bridge will continue until at least January 9. The blockade of the southern area of the peninsula will be in force until January 2.
