Lockdown rules in Sydney’s Northern Beaches are being extended until 9 January for the northern section and 2 January for the southern section.
Authorities will then reconvene based on new case numbers in order to reopen access into the greater Sydney region for restrictions.
New Year’s Eve and Day loom, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has asked NSW residents to exercise “absolute restraint” on NYE and to avoid kissing and hugging while outdoor gathering limits have dropped from 100 down to 50 people.
In terms of home gatherings, five visitors are allowed to homes in the northern section, ten are allowed in the southern section.
What is stressed is that visitors can only visit homes within the same section they live.
While hospitality venues will remain open but must adhere to the one person per four square metres rule, the CBD frontline worker fireworks vantage point offering is cancelled.
As restrictions tighten and people are asked to either stay at home or distance the Premier confirmed that there will be a fireworks display at midnight on Thursday.
All events must be controlled and seated with no mingling, and record keeping requirements must be strictly adhered to.
This announcement did not come without backlash. Several people took to Twitter to complain about the fireworks not being cancelled while people are asked not to socialise.
All this political agony over NYE in Sydney yet they don’t mandate masks which would reduce risk. Hard to understand the reasoning.
— Norman Swan (@normanswan) December 27, 2020
“If there’s a local park or a local venue that some people go to look at the fireworks or to have a picnic, that is OK so long as everybody is Covid-safe,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“(…) But please exercise common sense. What is a concern is when the various groups converge and form big groups. I think we can all tell the difference between those major areas where thousands of people would normally converge versus the local park or the local oval that might have access.”
