Party’s been postponed, not canned
NSW can breathe a sigh of relief with no local COVID cases recorded yesterday.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was pleased with Sydney’s response as testing numbers rose to 13,339.
However, NSW Health criticised one of the venues visited by the positive case for not enforcing the check-in system.
“NSW Health is concerned that compliance with QR code check-ins at XOPP restaurant was very low, and urges anyone who dined or worked there on Wednesday April 28, from 1.30pm to 2.30pm, to get tested immediately and self-isolate until they receive a negative result,” the statement said.
Despite genomic testing linking the man with a case from a flight from the US, contact tracers are yet to find the missing link.
The man had no contact with border work, health work or overseas travel.
It all means the borders are going back up.
Anyone who has been to one of the venues identified as an exposure site will be barred from entering South Australia and Tasmania.
If anyone from NSW who is now in Queensland has been to an exposure site they will be sent to hotel quarantine, while the Northern Territory will send potentially exposed people to the Howards Springs quarantine facility. In Victoria and Western Australia, visitors to exposure sites will also have to quarantine, while in the ACT anyone who has visited Sydney from April 26 will not be allowed to work in high-risk venues like aged care and hospitals.
It comes as the snap return to COVID restrictions has cancelled major events across the city. Masks are now mandatory in all indoor venues, standing up while drinking and dancing is again banned and singing at indoor gigs is no longer allowed.
Selina’s in Coogee was slated for a grand reopening last night featuring Sydney mainstays Sneaky Sound System, before the two positive cases spoiled the party. The legendary music venue hasn’t held regular gigs in 10 years.
While owner Chris Cheung is disappointed his grand reopening has been postponed, he said being able to change plans at a moment’s notice is the only way venues can survive these days.
“As much as it’s been disappointing, it is the current environment — we don’t control it so no good stressing. However, being a highly regulated industry we are trained to mobilise and improvise really quickly,” he said.
The NSW Liberal Party state conference slated for today was postponed with a date to be decided. The event would have seen the Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Ms Berejiklian address MPs.