Highlights
- The cluster has grown to around 70 cases, and has spread to malls in Bondi Junction, and Cronulla, as well as public transport.
- Tough border restrictions come into effect today on travellers from Greater Sydney and the central coast of New South Wales.
- The new restrictions for New South Wales residents have disrupted the many holiday-goers Christmas plans.
Sydney's Northern beaches area in the middle a four day lockdown until Wednesday.
The lockdown order means residents are allowed to leave home only for work, care reasons, exercise and the purchase food or other essentials.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian says this measure will help to ensure COVID-19 cases are brought under control before Christmas.
Residents of the Northern beaches are urged to tested even with mild symptoms, with ten pop up clinics established in the area.
Almost 5,000 more people came forward to get tested than the previous day. But, many are facing long waiting times.
Ms Berejiklian has urged all residents in Greater Sydney to take necessary precautions, as the source of two cases remain under investigation.
"Please please do not go out tonight or the next few days unless you really have to. Do not go to the northern beaches, if you live outside the northern beaches, unless you absolutely must and limit your activity. So we are just asking people to be sensible and use their common sense so that if there is any seeding outside the Northern beaches that we identity it and get that under control."
The outbreak is believed to have originated from a passenger who arrived in Australia on December the 1st from the United States and tested positive on December the 10th. Acting Chief Medical officer Paul Kelly says that passenger was potentially patient zero for the outbreak
The rest of the country continues to watch the New South Wales coronavirus situation closely.
Victoria, Northern Territory, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have re-imposed the need for travellers from Greater Sydney to quarantine for 14 days.
Queensland has totally closed off its borders to Greater Sydney travellers while people from other parts will be forced to quarantine from Monday.
Some experts say the current lockdown is a "holding pattern" that will need to be extended until after the new year, and that it could take up to four weeks to get the case numbers down to elimination.
The new restrictions for New South Wales residents have disrupted the many holiday-goers Christmas plans.
And many have expressed sadness that their families will be unable to visit, but know there is no other option.
For health and support measures currently in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in your language, visit sbs.com.au/coronavirus.
