[ad_1]
SYDNEY: Dancing, singing and singing were banned in Sydney in a new round of restrictions introduced on Sunday (December 20) as Australian authorities rushed to control a growing COVID-19 outbreak in the city.
Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, recorded 30 new COVID-19 cases as an outbreak in Sydney’s North Beach suburbs continued to grow.
About a quarter of a million people were put on a strict lockdown Saturday until Christmas Eve, with the Playas del Norte group now at around 70, with some of the cases still under investigation.
The state of New South Wales, which incorporates Sydney, announced on Sunday a ban on dancing, singing and singing indoors in the city, except for small weddings and religious services.
“This is the season when we all love to sing,” said State Health Minister Brad Hazzard.
“But at the moment, it’s probably one of the most dangerous exercises you can do, dance and sing.”
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said public gatherings in the rest of Sydney will be limited, with family gatherings limited to 10 participants and hospitality venues to 300, among other restrictions.
“The police will obviously have a more visible presence to ensure that everyone does the right thing to keep us all safe,” Berejiklian said at a televised press conference.
He also urged people in the Sydney metropolitan area to wear masks in public, although it was not required.
Officials have promised to review the rules on Wednesday in the hope that some restrictions can be lifted before Christmas Day.
The authorities do not know the origin of the virus in the cases of the northern beaches, which according to genome tests is an American strain.
“We are concerned that health experts have not yet identified how the group spread to the community or how it started,” Berejiklian said.
Until this week, Australia had gone more than two weeks without local broadcasting and had lifted most of the restrictions before Christmas. The Sydney outbreak prompted states and territories to re-impose border restrictions, causing chaos in the vacation travel plans of thousands of families.
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
