Australia COVID LIVE updates Sydney CBD exclusion zone in place for Saturday CDC labels Delta variant as contagious as chickenpox
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There are two new cases in Victoria, both linked to current outbreaks. One was in quarantine for their whole infectious period.
Victoria has administered 19,502 vaccine doses in the past 24 hours to midnight, with 32,760 COVID-19 test results received.
An exclusion zone will be in place for Sydneyâs CBD from 9am to 3pm today to prevent a repeat of last weekâs anti-lockdown protests, where we saw numerous people arrested and mounted police pelted with pot plants.
Police will be patrolling the city, and suburban train stations, to intercept anyone who could be on their way to the city to demonstrate.
The exclusion zone will apply to taxi drivers and ride share operators. Nineâs Today Show reported taxi drivers will only be able to enter the city for essential reasons such as taking a passenger to a medical appointment.
Police are expected to release more information about the exclusion zone imminently.
Nine bars and restaurants in Bondi have been banned from selling takeaway liquor for a week due to concerns it breaches COVID public health orders.
In a statement on Saturday, Liquor & Gaming NSW said some Bondi businesses had been selling cocktails to people to drink nearby, or as they walked to the next âbarâ in the area, which encouraged people to breach the public health orders.
Police patrol Bondi Beach earlier this month.Credit:Janie Barrett
âWeâve taken this action in response to concerns raised by the police and the community about drinks such as margarita cocktails in disposable cups being sold in multiple bars along Bondi Beach,â said director of compliance Dimitri Argeres.
âWhile it is understandable hospitality businesses are trying to maximise business during these hard times, this activity doesnât pass the pub test as it results in patron crowding, congestion and a lack of social distancing.â
A direction under section 75 of the Liquor Act was issued to Bondi Rumba, Bondi Tonyâs Burger Joint, TAQIZA, Italo House, Speakeasy, Neighbourhood, Bondi Liquor Co, Fonda Mexican and North Bondi Fish.
It prohibits takeaway sales of liquor directly from the venue, excluding home delivery, for seven days from Friday July 30. Failure to comply carries a penalty of up to $11,000.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys had said at a COVID-19 update this week that some people in Sydneyâs eastern suburbs are leaving their homes to âpretend to exercise and then consume alcoholâ.
âWe want that to stop, and police will continue to do business inspections,â he said.
NSW Health has issued alerts for businesses across the city including restaurants, chemists, a childcare centre, and an ultrasound clinic which were visited by confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The venues are spread across the city.
Anyone who attended these venues at the following times is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result. If you were at these venues at these times and have not heard from NSW Health, call 1800 943 553.
Anyone who attended the following venues at these times is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received:
There is also an alert for the following bus routes. Anyone who travelled on the routes at the times listed is a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result. They must also call 1800 943 553 unless they have already been contacted by NSW Health:
And finally, any passengers on the following trains are casual contacts who must immediately get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received.
Churches, mosques and community centres will be used as pop-up vaccination clinics in Sydneyâs COVID-19 hotspots, as the worsening crisis triggers the suspension of all non-urgent surgery in hospitals across the city.
The mass vaccination drive comes as health officials warn that COVID-positive patients are delaying medical treatment, leading to tragic consequences, with some people presenting to hospital âseverely unwell and sometimes deadâ.
A woman takes down details at a COVID-19 testing clinic at Campsie on Friday.Credit:Jessica Hromas
NSW reported 170 new local coronavirus cases on Friday, while the death toll rose to 14 after a person in their 60s succumbed to the virus, having not sought medical attention at home.
There have been 2980 locally acquired cases reported since June 16, when the first case in the Bondi cluster was reported.
Read more here
The NSW government has significantly tightened restrictions for Sydneyâs west and south-west, including making it compulsory to wear a mask outside at all times in the local government areas of Fairfield, Liverpool, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Blacktown, Parramatta, Georges River and Campbelltown.
The areas have been described as âareas of concernâ for the Delta outbreak, with the government signalling such areas may increase or decrease depending on health advice.
Bus passengers wear masks at Campbelltown on Friday.Credit:Louise Kennerley
Those living in the affected local government areas (LGAs) cannot travel more than five kilometres from home for shopping, outdoor recreation, or to visit others who live alone in a âsingles bubbleâ.
The limit is 10 kilometres for the rest of Sydney, for shopping and outdoor recreation only.
People in the eight LGAs are not allowed to leave the LGA for work unless they are on the list of authorised workers. The penalty for not wearing a mask where required has also been increased from $200 to $500.
Read more here.
The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined the Delta variant of COVID-19 is as contagious as chickenpox and may cause more severe disease than all other known versions of the virus, according to an internal document.
The document, seen by The New York Times, details that Delta â" which is currently circulating in NSW â" is more transmissible than the viruses that cause the common cold and the seasonal flu, and also more likely to break through protections afforded by vaccines.
Delta was described as âa very serious threat that requires action nowâ and the immediate next step for the CDC was to âacknowledge the war has changedâ, the internal report said.
Chieu Lim, 81, receives a vaccine at Cabramatta in Sydneyâs west this week as the city battles a Delta outbreak.Credit:Dean Sewell
Read more here.
Good morning, Iâm Georgina Mitchell and thanks for joining me for another day of our live coverage. Hereâs what you need to know so far:
A man queues at a COVID-19 testing centre at Campsie in Sydneyâs south-west on Friday.Credit:Jessica Hromas
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