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Australia coronavirus live: NSW reports eight more Covid cases as premier modifies Christmas restrictions in Sydney

Sydney to keep 10-visitor rule but from 24-26 December children under 12 not counted; lockdown continues in half of northern beaches, but small Christmas gatherings allowed. Follow all the latest news and updates, live

  • NSW Covid hotspots – list of venues and case locations
  • Border restrictions: rules for NSW travellers
  • Covid restrictions and lockdown rules – state by state
  • Labor calls for Australia’s vaccine rollout to be accelerated
  • Follow the global liveblog

And in Queensland now, the state has registered one new positive case, acquired overseas and currently in hotel quarantine.

Coronavirus (#COVID19) case update 23/12.

New case acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine.

Detailed information about COVID-19 cases in Queensland can be found here: https://t.co/kapyXpSIAP pic.twitter.com/yC04lhUqZT

South Australia’s Parafield cluster has been declared “closed” by health authorities after the state marked four weeks since the last coronavirus case linked to the outbreak went into quarantine.

The cluster initially forced the state into a short lockdown, after health authorities linked positive cases to a cleaner and a security guard at the Peppers medi-hotel, as well as the Woodville Pizza Bar.

The hard work of every South Australian, getting tested, keeping washing your hand, following all instructions, and a big thank you to my team in CDCB for doing all the fantastic contact tracing and SAPOL for their ongoing work with enforcement during this pandemic.

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Annastacia Palaszczuk Australia news Australian politics Australian trade unions Business Coalition Coronavirus Daniel Andrews Gladys Berejiklian Health Industrial relations Infectious diseases New South Wales New South Wales politics News Qantas Queensland South Australia Sydney Victoria

Australia coronavirus live: Gladys Berejiklian to announce whether Sydney will spend Christmas Day with restrictions

City waits anxiously as NSW premier due to announce whether northern beaches can come out of lockdown; Labor calls for January vaccine rollout. Follow all the latest news and updates, live

Double-demerit points will come into force in NSW from midnight tonight, lasting until 3 January.

The extra demerits apply to speeding, seatbelt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences, and police are targeting speeding as well as drink, drug, dangerous and distracted driving, AAP report.

Watch this recap of 2020 in video, prepared by my colleague Becca Leaver.

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Australia news Australian politics Coalition Coronavirus Gladys Berejiklian Health Infectious diseases Liberal party New South Wales New South Wales politics News Queensland Sydney Tasmania Victoria Western Australia

Coronavirus Australia live news: NSW records 15 new cases as Gladys Berejiklian provides update on northern beaches cluster

All new Covid cases are linked to the existing northern beaches cluster after 38,000 tests were conducted. Follow all the latest news and updates, live

  • NSW Covid hotspots
  • Sydney Covid restrictions explained
  • Australia border restrictions: new state and territory rules
  • Follow our global coronavirus live blog

Chant is asked what factors will determine whether restrictions will be lifted on Wednesday in time for Christmas.

The key things we’re looking for is whether we have any evidence of community spread outside the northern beaches. What we’re interested in is making sure that we don’t see any further transmission that is not linked exactly to the Avalon cluster.

Chant says that “a number” of the 15 new cases had already been in isolation before they were infectious – which is good to limit the spread.

The anecdotal feedback from the staff who are collating that is that a number of the cases have been isolating.

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Australia news Australian politics Coalition Coronavirus Gladys Berejiklian Health Infectious diseases Liberal party New South Wales New South Wales politics News Queensland Sydney Tasmania Victoria Western Australia

Coronavirus Australia news: northern beaches cluster at 68; state borders close to Sydneysiders

All eyes will be on NSW today to see if new cases have spread beyond the northern beaches. Follow all the latest news and updates, live

The NSW bus drivers union has called on the government to make masks mandatory on public transport – when social distancing isn’t possible.

Masks are currently strongly recommended, but not compulsory in NSW. Buses and trains are also marked with spaced-out green spots recommending where people can sit to facilitate social distancing.

Two people have been issued penalty infringement notices and fined over allegedly breaching restrictions in the northern beaches.

A 60-year-old man from Padstow and a 39-year-old woman from Bankstown – both in Sydney’s south-west – were fined after they were stopped in Manly on East Esplanade at 4pm on Sunday afternoon.

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