Australia coronavirus news live: NSW records seven new local cases and masks to be mandatory in some indoor settings | Australia news

And with that comes the end of today’s blog. Here is what happened today:

• NSW recorded seven new cases today, as premier Gladys Berejiklian announced new restrictions, including making masks mandatory in indoor settings.
• Victoria’s border to NSW is now firmly closed after it reported 12 new cases since yesterday, 10 of which locally acquired. Genomic sequencing linked the new cases to the NSW outbreak.
• Queensland has confirmed one new case of Covid-19, but is yet to announce further border restrictions in response to outbreaks in NSW and Victoria.
• The ACT has put restrictions in place for people arriving from NSW. People from Sydney’s northern beaches, greater Sydney, the central coast and Wollongong will not be legally permitted to enter the ACT without a valid pass.
• Tasmania moved to close its borders to anyone who has visited nine specific sites in Victoria.

As always, if you are planning interstate travel anytime soon, and are confused by the constantly changing rules, please check out our summarised border restrictions and list of hotspots.

Enjoy your Saturday night and thanks for reading!

Queenslanders who have been in Victoria on or since 21 December have been advised by authorities to get tested immediately and quarantine at home until they get their results.

The advice comes from the state’s chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young, although there are still no changes to the state’s border restrictions.

Victoria’s own assessment of the situation is that the risk of spread is right across the state, not just in Melbourne, which is why they have imposed restrictions across their entire state.

This is very serious and we’re taking this action now, like we did with New South Wales. This will ensure we know of any positive cases really early and we can manage our response accordingly.

Young said one close contact of a Victorian case had been identified in the Mackay region as well as a casual contact on the Gold Coast.

Young advised Queenslanders in Victoria and NSW to consider coming home, and advised that both states were in a critical stage in their response to the outbreak.

The Northern Territory has recorded seven new cases, all among overseas arrivals and all in quarantine.

The new cases include five adults in their 20s and 30s, along with a baby, who arrived from India yesterday.

All the cases involve Australians returning home on repatriation flights in the past few days.

In very different news, an Australian pro surfer has been caught on camera rescuing a struggling swimmer.

Mickey Wright charged into the surf at a beach in Hawaii and saved a beachgoer struggling with the current and the waves.

He posted the footage to on Instagram with the simplest of captions: “Hold my beer.”

You can read more on the story (and watching the dramatic rescue) here:

NSW Health has updated its advice for venues of concern.

Anyone who has visited the following venue for any amount of time during the following periods should get tested immediately and self-isolate until further advice from NSW Health, regardless of result:

• Berala, BWS, 15-16 Woodburn Rd, Berala, Thursday 24 December 12.45pm-9.15pm

Anyone who has visited the following venue for an hour or more during the following times should get tested immediately and self-isolate regardless of negative result:

• Shellharbour, Coffee Club, Stockland Shellharbour, 211 Lake Entrance Rd, Shellharbour

Anyone who visited the following venues at the listed times should monitor for symptoms and if they occur, get tested immediately and self-isolate until a negative result is received:

• Pagewood, Woolworths, Eastgardens Shopping Centre, 152 Bunnerong Rd, Pagewood, Wednesday 30 December, 6.30am-1.30pm, Friday 1 January, 7am-10am
• Kogarah, Hariri Chickens, 140 Railway Parade, Kogarah, Thursday 31 December, 1.45pm-2pm

Indonesia has granted a distribution permit for a new breathalyser test that can potentially detect Covid-19 in minutes.

The test, called GeNose, was developed and trialed by the Gajah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta, and works similarly to an alcohol breathalyser test.

Patients would have to breathe into a tube, which would then be analysed for volatile organic compounds related to the coronavirus with an apparent accuracy rate of 93%.

Each test is estimated to only cost between US$1.06 and US$1.77 (IDR15,000 to IDR25,000), with results appearing in as fast as two minutes.

The development of the quicker, cheaper tests come at an opportune moment for Indonesia, with hopes that the tests will be available nationwide by the end of February and improve testing numbers in the country.

A former Coalition government adviser has won a $190,000 bushfire agency contract without a full tender.

In an exclusive story from my colleague Daniel Hurst, Richard Forbes, who was an adviser to the former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Mark Vaile, is being paid to produce videos documenting the recovery of communities affected by the “black summer” bushfires.

The services are to be provided over a five-month period that started in late November and will end in April, at a cost of $189,000.

A contract notice posted on Christmas Eve said the deal was reached by limited tender because of “advantageous conditions arising only in the very short term, not routine procurements”.

You can read the full story here:

A new warning system is being implemented across Australia, in the hopes it will help save lives.

AAP has the story:

It’s hoped a new Australian Warning System will deliver more consistent safety messages and help save lives across the country.

The system uses a set of icons to show incidents on websites and apps that are supported by calls to action.

Emergency management minister David Littleproud says it delivers on the recommendations of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.

The commission was established in response to the extreme bushfire season of 2019/20 in which the firefighting effort stretched across the country.

“In the past Australians had been relying on different warning systems for different hazard types that varied across jurisdictions,” Mr Littleproud said.

“The new warnings have come into effect for bushfires in all jurisdictions except for Western Australia, which will adopt it in the near future.

“Warnings for other hazards such as floods, cyclones and heatwaves will be phased in over time.”

The three warning levels are Advice (incident under way, no immediate danger), Watch and Act (conditions changing and heightened level of threat), and Emergency Warning (you may be in danger and need to take action immediately).

Mr Littleproud commended the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council for the system’s development.

Western Australia has recorded three new cases, but all of them are in hotel quarantine.

Acting premier and health minister, Roger Cook, said he was pleased with testing numbers, which increased from 827 yesterday to 2,179, and pointed out the state had now gone 266 days without community transmission.

266 days is an extraordinary fact, but it is a fact we cannot take for granted. It is a testament to the professionalism and hard work of so many people on the frontline, day in, day out, keeping us all safe from Covid-19. They deserve our respect and support for what they do.

An emergency bushfire warning has been issued to part of Red Gully in the shire of Gingin, north of Perth.

The warning is for people north of Marri Heights Road, south of Dandaragan-West Road and east of Cowalla Road.

The fire is considered a threat to lives and homes, with residents urged to leave now and find a safer place to stay.

The bushfire is currently moving fast in a westerly direction and is out of control and unpredictable.

The fire started near the intersection of Mogumber Road West, and Brand Highway in Red Gully, with a number of roads in the area closed.

The ACT has again recorded no new cases today, with only one active case in the capital:

The Australian Medical Association has issued another statement today, calling on the NSW government to reconsider its decision to allow crowds at the cricket.

AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid said the match had the potential to “supercharge” the spread of the virus.

This is a potential transmission site, as people queue at the ticket gates, at food and beverage stalls and use shared toilet facilities – on top of taking public transport from all parts of Sydney to gather in one central location.

The decision to hold the test match with spectators is at odds with the rest of NSW’s appropriate response to the latest outbreak.

Dr Korshid went on to welcome the government’s approach to limiting non-essential gatherings, and encouraging people to reduce their travel.

In this context, the decision to allow this sporting event to go ahead with a large crowd suggests that this event is important enough to justify the risk to the health of NSW people and all Australians.

Let’s put health first, and watch the Third Test on TV.

Now for a slight break in the coronavirus news, I’d like to share with you a great yarn, on a hiker who spent lockdown in a hobbit home.

Yes, that’s right, someone spent most of the this pandemic living like Bilbo Baggins.

You can read up on the story, and see some of the incredible photography, at the link here:

Tasmania has moved to close its borders to anyone who has visited nine sites in Victoria.

Tasmanian health minister Sarah Courtney announced the closure, saying fears of a growing outbreak in Victoria sparked the border closure.

We will not hesitate to take further action if we need to to keep Tasmanians safe.

The new sites in Victoria include the Smile Buffalo Thai Restaurant, the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, the Sons of Mary Restaurant and the Village Century City.

NSW opposition leader, Jodi McKay, has called on the government to stop crowds attending the cricket.

McKay welcomed the decision to make face masks compulsory in some indoor venues, but questioned the logic behind allowing people to attend the cricket.

The fact is 24,000 people going to the cricket should not put the rest of NSW at risk. We are in a situation where we have unknown clusters, we have transmission and an increasing number of cases and having 24,000 people at the cricket is not the way that you manage the risk.

The decision to move down this path is the wrong decision and it is just going to cause trouble and I do not support the cricket proceeding with crowds.