The area is home to around 270,000 people.
At 5pm Saturday (today) the northern beaches will enter a lockdown similar to that imposed on all New South Wales residents in March.
This means residents will be required to stay home and only go out for essential purposes such as shopping, exercise and medical care until 11.59pm Wednesday.
Preliminary genome sequencing has confirmed the coronavirus strain circulating on the northern beaches came from the United States.
The strain was a close match to the virus sample taken from a woman who had flown into Sydney on December 1. However she is still in quarantine so health authorities still don't know how the virus was introduced to the northern beaches.
They have not ruled out that Australian aircrews returning from abroad may be linked to the Avalon cluster, though it does not appear to be a focus of their investigation.
The strain was a close match to the virus sample taken from a woman who had flown into Sydney on December 1. However she is still in quarantine so health authorities still don't know how the virus was introduced to the northern beaches.
They have not ruled out that Australian aircrews returning from abroad may be linked to the Avalon cluster, though it does not appear to be a focus of their investigation.
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| A deserted northern beach centre of Manly last night |
Several flight staff live on Sydney’s northern beaches and the NSW government has faced criticism for its flexible quarantine arrangements for aircrews, which effectively let them self-isolate at home with minimal monitoring. It has also become known that aircrews have been breaching quarantine requirements and going out to Sydney venues, instead of staying in their hotel or home.
All in all a disappointing development and one which will disrupt Christmas for a huge number of people.
New restrictions will now apply across the greater Sydney region until midnight on Wednesday 23rd December in addition to the northern beaches lockdown.
The state of Victoria is reinstating it’s ‘hard’ border with NSW for those who have travelled from the greater Sydney area.
Update: 20th December
NSW has recorded 30 new locally acquired coronavirus cases in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday.
Twenty-eight have been directly linked to the Avalon cluster, including the case believed to be the origin of the outbreak.
The two cases which have not yet been linked to the Avalon cluster are people who live in the northern beaches.
Twenty-eight have been directly linked to the Avalon cluster, including the case believed to be the origin of the outbreak.
The two cases which have not yet been linked to the Avalon cluster are people who live in the northern beaches.
New restrictions will now apply across the greater Sydney region until midnight on Wednesday 23rd December in addition to the northern beaches lockdown.
The state of Victoria is reinstating it’s ‘hard’ border with NSW for those who have travelled from the greater Sydney area.
Update: 21st December
New South Wales has recorded 15 new cases of Covid-19 since 8pm last night – all are linked to the existing northern beaches cluster.Update: 22nd December
From 44,000 tests in NSW yesterday, only 8 additional cases were found.
However NSW Health has identified more cafes, shopping centres and gyms across Sydney's CBD and north that have been visited by confirmed COVID-19 cases.We are not out of the woods yet.
Locally, some ‘clown‘ from the Northern Beaches signed into our Recreational Centre when he should have been at home in Sydney or at least self isolating here and was ‘sprung’ by staff. Police were called.
$1000 fine for this person. Expensive trip to the gym!
Some people are plainly stupid.
Update: 23rd December
Another 8 cases reported in NSW. Seven linked to the Avalon cluster.
Discussions underway whether to cancel the Sydney New Years Eve fireworks.
Update: 24th December
7 new cases all related to the Avalon cluster from 60,000 tests.
There are relaxed restrictions in place for the Christmas period. Hopefully this somewhat generous but fraught with danger move by the NSW government will not prove a disaster.
Already people are taking advantage of the situation and have been caught. It would be naive to think many others haven’t.
Update: 25th December
Seven new cases all in the northern beaches from just under seventy thousand tests.
Concern there is a cluster in the CBD (downtown).
Update: 26th December
Around 40,000 tests were carried out on Christmas Day with 9 cases of community transmission detected.
People have been asked to stay away from Boxing Day sales today, particularly in the CBD (downtown) and they are. Normally it’s one of the biggest sale days of the year in line with the USA’s Black Friday.
Update:28th December
12 more cases over the last two days, all related to the Avalon cluster.
Restrictions have been tightened for New Years Eve despite the Sydney Harbour fireworks at midnight going ahead.
Under the new restrictions, residents in the northern zone of the
northern beaches will adhere to the current strict lockdown measures
until January 9. Their southern zone counterparts may face an easing of
restrictions as early as January 2.
Meanwhile, people are urged to stay away from the CBD unless they have a permit to be there.
Update: 30th December
Three new cases related to the Avalon cluster reported yesterday
However cases in Greater Sydney, outside the northern beaches (Avalon cluster), detected between December 16 and 27 now number 43 and are scattered across more than 25 suburbs.
And now in the city of Wollongong, south of Sydney and 2 hours drive to the north of us.
Residents are lining up for testing today.
This is concerning.
This is concerning.
Update: 31st December
NSW recorded 18 cases of local transmissions to 8pm on Tuesday from 17,267 tests, taking the total number of cases in the state from zero to 160 in two weeks.Melbourne recorded three new infections, ending Victoria's two-month run of zero local cases. They are believed to be linked to the NSW outbreak via close contacts.
The situation becomes more serious as the days go on.
New Years Eve events are being touted as super spreaders and people are being asked to avoid them.
As though that is going to happen.
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