Sydneysiders Who Visited These Venues Are Being Told to Get Tested and Self-Isolate

At the beginning of 2020, the idea that visiting a restaurant or pub might mean you'd need to self-isolate afterwards would've seemed very strange indeed. But, that scenario is now a normal part of life during a pandemic — and one that New South Wales residents are getting used to during the state's response to COVID-19.

Naming locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited is key element of NSW's containment strategy, and this weekend, across Saturday, December 18–Sunday, December 19, it has announced the latest places Sydneysiders should be wary of due to the growing northern beaches cluster. The big ones: Nomad and the Strawberry Hills Hotel in Surry Hills. Anyone who went to the either for more than an hour at specific times on Wednesday, December 16 — to the former between 12.45–2pm and the latter from 3.30–6pm — is asked to get a test for COVID-19 immediately and self-isolate until Wednesday, December 30. If you were there during these times, but for less than an hour, you should monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if any appear.

Also on the list is Sienna Marina in Woolloomooloo, with visitors for an hour or more between 12–2pm on Friday, December 11 days asked to get a test for COVID-19 immediately and self-isolate until Friday, December 25 — and, like the other venues, told to monitor for symptoms if you were there for less than an hour (and get tested immediately if any appear, too). Folks who frequented the Rose of Australia in Erskineville between 7–8.45pm on Tuesday, December 15 must also get tested asap and self-isolate for 14 days, while those who attended the venue after 8.45pm on the same day must get tested asap and self-isolate until they get a negative result.

Over in Cronulla, anyone who was at the Pilgrims Vegetarian Cafe in Cronulla from 11.30am–2.30pm on Wednesday, December 16 is required to get immediately and self-isolate until Wednesday, December 30 — while those at the Cronulla RSL Club from 5pm till closing on Wednesday, December 16 must all also get tested asap and self-isolate until further notice. At the latter, close contacts of folks who went to the club must also self-isolate until Wednesday, December 30.

The list goes on — with sites in Avalon Beach, Kirribilli, Lane Cove, Mona Vale, Narrabeen, Newport, Palm Beach, Penrith, St Peters and Turramurra also included. Unsurprisingly, more venues feature from the northern beaches area than elsewhere. There's also a hefty list of places that, if you visited them, you should monitor for symptoms and get tested if any arise. It includes places in Artarmon, Bondi Junction, Cronulla, Homebush, Newtown, Rosebery and Surry Hills, among other suburbs.

As it has throughout the pandemic, NSW Health is maintaining an ongoing register of locations that have been visited by positive COVID-19 cases, and it's very lengthy at present — you can check out the entire list on its website.

And, 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.

At the time of writing, NSW has reported 30 new COVID-19 cases in the northern beaches cluster in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, December 19, from a pandemic-long total of 4559 across the state.

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

Top image: Strawberry Hills Hotel via Google Maps.