Covid 19 coronavirus: Sydney North Beaches group explodes to 17 cases

A group on Sydney’s North Beaches has shot up to 17 cases, and residents north of the Spit Bridge to Palm Beach were urged to stay home.

New South Wales Health has advised residents to work from home and stay home as much as possible, to avoid visiting friends or relatives in the area and avoiding unnecessary gatherings.

This includes avoiding clubs, restaurants, places of worship, and gyms.

This afternoon, Health Director Kerry Chant urged anyone who has been in the Avalon Returnees and Services League (RSL) to come forward for testing, and authorities believe they are at the center of the outbreak.

“Our working hypothesis is that someone in that RSL club was potentially the source of infection for several subsequent cases,” Chant told reporters.

All but one of the Sydney community-borne cases are on the North Beaches, with contact trackers now in overdrive trying to control the handful of mystery cases before Christmas.

Sydney was placed on high alert yesterday after a 45-year-old man, transporting international aircrews from the airport, tested positive for the coronavirus.

A few hours later, a couple, in their 60s and 70s from Sydney’s North Beaches, also tested positive for the coronavirus.

The infections are NSW’s first community-transmitted cases since December 3.

WA announces ‘new requirement’ for NSW travelers

Prime Minister Mark McGowan has announced that there will be new requirements for anyone traveling to Western Australia (or anyone who has arrived there since December 11) from New South Wales.

“With immediate effect, anyone who has arrived from NSW since December 11 or who was in NSW since December 11 and subsequently arrived in WA must: Self-quarantine in a suitable location as soon as possible [and] present for a Covid-19 test in the next 24 hours, “he wrote.

“They will then have to go back to self-quarantine until a negative test is confirmed.”

“Anyone arriving from Sydney Airport or elsewhere that has been to NSW on or after November 12 must take a Covid-19 test from now on, either upon arrival, or at another Covid clinic within 24 hours, and quarantine until a negative test result is confirmed.

“Anyone who has arrived from NSW since December 11 will be contacted by WA Police with these instructions as a result of the G2G Pass declaration system.”

Alerts issued for three new locations

NSW Health issued a statement regarding the alerts for three new locations this afternoon, after another new case of Covid-19 acquired locally was reported in the Northern Beaches area.

People who have visited the following locations have been advised to get tested immediately and to isolate themselves until they receive a negative result and are contacted by NSW Health:

• Avalon RSL Club on December 11, all day until close
• Club Penrith RSL on December 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Kirribilli club on December 14 from 12:00 to 15:00