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

Late last night, NSW Health declared new potential exposure sites – mostly in the northern beaches, but including one location in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and a bus route.

Anyone who was at the following new venues is considered a close contact and should get tested immediately and self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result:

• Anytime Fitness, 7 Taronga Place, Mona Vale, on Thursday 17 December between 9.50am and 12.45pm;
• G Fitness, 72/80 Evans Street, Freshwater, on Tuesday 15 December between 11am and 12.45pm;
• 4 Pines, 313 Barrenjoey Rd, Newport, on Wednesday 16 December between 4.30pm-9pm;
• Twenty-One Espresso, 21 Knox Street, Double Bay: Any staff working on Tuesday 15 December, and patrons seated in the indoor section on that day for more than 1 hour between 7.10pm and 8.15pm and 8.25pm and 9.10pm.

Anyone at the following venues is considered a casual contact and should get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result:

• Northern Beaches Indoor Sports Centre, Jacksons Rd, Warriewood, on Tuesday 15 December between 6.30pm and 9.30pm;
• Twenty-One Espresso, 21 Knox Street, Double Bay: Any patrons who were in the restaurant for less than 1 hour, or those who sat in the outdoor area on Tuesday 15 December between 7.10pm and 8.15pm and 8.25pm and 9.10pm on Tuesday 15 December;
• Flower Power, 22 Macpherson St, Warriewood, on Friday 18 December between 8.45am and 9.30am;
• Bowen Island Bakery, 383 Barrenjoey Road, Newport, on Friday 18 December between 9am and 9.30am.

Times have been revised for the Garfish restaurant in Manly, it is now:

• Garfish Manly, 1/39 E Esplanade, Manly, on Thursday 17 December between 6.45pm-10pm.

And advice has been updated for 4 Pines, Newport. Anyone who attended this venue on Tuesday 15 December from 6pm to 10pm should get tested immediately and self-isolate for 14 days.

And anyone on the following bus route is considered a casual contact, and should get tested and isolate until a negative result is received:

• Bus Route 199 on Saturday 12 December, departing Palm Beach 10.10am and arriving at Manly Beach at 11.30am.

The full list of venues is here:

Good morning and welcome to our live coronavirus and Australian news blog today. It’s Naaman Zhou here with you.

All eyes will be on Sydney today, with the next update on case numbers scheduled for 11am.

Yesterday, NSW reported 30 new cases of Covid-19, but all were linked to the continuing northern beaches outbreak. The total number of cases linked to the cluster is now at 68.

And in overnight news, the World Health Organisation has said that the new virus variant, which is spreading across the UK and Europe, has been detected in Australia, with at least one case. There is no evidence that this variant reacts differently to any vaccines.

Stay with us for all the latest.