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- The number of COVID-19 cases in Victoria and NSW has increased, prompting more restrictions to be brought in
- In Sydney, 10 new cases were recorded on Thursday, while an additional three cases have been identified in Melbourne
- Victoria’s Acting Premier has re-introduced wearing masks indoors as a result of the new cases, while indoor gatherings have also been restricted to 15 people
- NSW is taking a more relaxed approach, allowing the Sydney Cricket Test to go ahead and also shying away from making mask-wearing mandatory
- South Australia has decided to shut its border to NSW due to the growing number of COVID-19 cases, following in the footsteps of WA
The number of COVID-19 cases in NSW has ballooned, while case numbers in Victoria have also increased, prompting new restrictions to be enacted.
10 new cases were recorded in Sydney on Thursday, while an additional three cases have been identified in Melbourne, bringing the total number of cases in Victoria to six.
As a result of the increase, Victoria’s Acting Premier has has re-introduced rules enforcing the wearing of masks indoors at places besides private residences.
Jacinta Allan has also reduced the number of people legally allowed to gather indoors for New Years Eve from 30 down to 15 people in total.
“If you are planning a party tonight, you will need to reduce your numbers from the 30 down to 15,” she explained.
“We do apologise to people who have put plans in place, who was looking forward to having events in their home, or in other people’s homes, but this is a necessary step,” she added.
“Unfortunately, we know with this virus, this rampant, difficult virus, it does not end at midnight tonight,” the Acting Premier said.
NSW is taking a more relaxed approach, with authorities there refusing to implement mandatory mask rules despite the uptick in case numbers this month.
Explaining the decision, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said “every state and territory is different, every government is different.”
The NSW Government has also decided to allow the Sydney Cricket Test to go ahead at the SCG, with up to 24,000 expected to attend on January 7.
Premier Berejiklian said COVID-19 safety measures will be enacted at the grounds to ensure a safe game.
“Community safety always comes first but if there’s an opportunity for us to also protect jobs and to improve the morale of our citizens and keep mental health high… why shouldn’t we strive for that,” she added.
Meanwhile, South Australia has decided to shut its border to NSW due to growing number of COVID-19 cases, following in the footsteps of WA.
The WA Government has also flagged potentially bringing in more restrictions for travelling to and from Melbourne, if case numbers balloon further.
