Sydneysiders in the Northern Beaches Are Being Urged to Stay Home for the Next Three Days

Overview

Despite going almost a month without any locally acquired cases of COVID-19, a recent northern beaches cluster means that new COVID-19 rules and restrictions are once again the norm.

This morning, Friday, December 18, Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed that 28 cases are now linked to the northern beaches cluster and said that all of Greater Sydney was on "high alert". The Premier is urging those in the northern beaches to stay home for the next three days and only leave for essential activities — stressing that they shouldn't go out "unless absolutely necessary".

NSW Health reiterated this message in a Facebook post, saying people in the northern beaches should stay home "as much as possible", which includes "working from home where possible, not visiting aged care facilities or hospitals unless essential, avoiding unnecessary gatherings and high-risk venues such as clubs, restaurants, places or worships and gyms, and avoiding unnecessary travel outside of the northern beaches area."

While the cluster is located in the northern beaches suburbs, Berejiklian said that there is "potential seeding" outside of those suburbs and is urging everyone to wear a mask when catching public transport, visiting the supermarket, heading to a place of worship and other places where it is difficult to be socially distant. That applies across the entire city, not just to the northern beaches and Avalon area.

NSW Health has also named a long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited over the past week. Those who visited nine northern beaches locations, including the Avalon RSL Club, Avalon Bowlo and Sneaky Grind Cafe, at specific times between Friday, December 11 and Wednesday, December 16 are being told to get tested immediately and self-isolate for 14 days after your visit. The full list is located on the NSW Health website and will continue to be updated.

There is also a series of new pop-up and drive-thru clinics now located on the northern beaches.

If you need a reminder, the symptoms to look out for are coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste. You can find a rundown of testing clinic locations online as well.

For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.