NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has this morning delivered a Christmas miracle of sorts for NSW residents, announcing only minor tweaks to COVID-19 restrictions to allow family get togethers between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.
Ms Berejiklian described the changes as “modest” as she announced just eight new cases of coronavirus since yesterday – with all but one linked to Sydney’s Avalon cluster. The eighth case is linked to the western Sydney healthcare worker case involved in patient transport.
“In the Greater Sydney area, on December 24, 25 and 26, people will be allowed to have 10 people in their homes and children under 12, so 10 people plus children,” the Premier said.
However, she clarified that Greater Sydney residents would be allowed just one group of 10 people – plus children – per day, not multiple groups.
From December 27, Greater Sydney will go back to its existing restrictions – with group visits limited to 10 people including children in that figure.
“What we’re trying to do is provide as much certainty as possible over the next three days,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The Premier praised Sydney’s Northern Beaches’ locked down residents, with more than 40,000 tested for COVID-19 yesterday.
Today she announced a division of the Northern Beaches area into northern and southern zones – with the central boundary to be formed by the Narrabeen Bridge, and Monavale Road in the west.
While those in the northern region of the beaches zone will continue to be restricted to their homes for now, she said that on the 24th to 26th they would be permitted to have one visitor group of up to five people daily – as long as those visitors were also from the northern zone.
For the southern zone, on the 24th, 25th and 26th, one daily group visit of up to 10 people – plus children under 12 – will be allowed into the zone. Residents of the southern zone, however, will not be permitted to leave the area. Further announcements about changes post December 26 will be announced on the Boxing Day, she said.
