New South Wales pubs are again under new COVID-19 rules as authorities scramble to contain the outbreak in south-west Sydney, already linked to 34 positive tests, with second- and third-hand transmissions discovered.
A special meeting of Cabinet on Monday evening determined to apply the new special measures on pubs after a spiralling cluster of infections from in and around the Crossroads Hotel at Casula.
The Berejiklian government has mandated:
- Group bookings to be reduced again, from 20 people to a maximum of 10
- Large venues will be limited to 300 patrons
- Tougher rules on how hotels are cleaned
- Stricter requirements around collection of contact details
- Social distancing marshals will be required – full-time in venues with capacity of 250+ people, and during peak times for smaller venues
- All NSW pubs also need to implement COVID Safe plans (download HERE) and register them with Services NSW by Thursday night
Having raced to determine person zero in the Casula region outbreak, NSW Health authorities now say a man from Melbourne who travelled to Sydney on 30 June is “likely” responsible for sparking the cluster. The man is not a truck driver, but works for a freight company.
He did not think himself unwell or sick with COVID-19 when he and a group of colleagues went to a function at the Crossroads Hotel on 3 July.
Genomic testing by authorities has confirmed the strain being found around Casula is the same as that being spread in Victoria.
NSW authorities have expressed concern around the collection of contact details of customers after some people who recently went to the Crossroads said on social media they were not asked to provide information before entering.
Health orders dictate NSW licensed venues must keep the name and contact details of staff and customers for at least 28 days, but that details only need be taken for one person in a group. NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook said the pub was being investigated and action would be taken if regulations were not followed.
But group director Jason Marlow told Nine Radio contact details were collected for each booking, as required.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant supported that the Crossroads had a COVID-Safe plan, and that a large number of contact details were provided by Marlow Group and have been used in the investigation.
NSW government minister Stuart Ayres said yesterday that he didn’t yet think the outbreak was getting out of control, and Premier Berejiklian applauded the “proactive approach” of the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) NSW, which came forward to suggest reducing booking limits. The reasoning is that smaller groups reduce the likelihood of people mingling, and make it easier to keep everybody seated.
“We also think that it will actually make our patrons feel more comfortable coming to the venue knowing that venue has taken that extra step to ensure it’s a safe venue,” says AHA NSW CEO John Whelan.
The outbreak at the Crossroads has directly prompted the closure of the Picton Hotel for cleaning, after someone infected who attended the Crossroads on 3 July also went to the Picton on 4, 9 and 10 July.
Other Sydney venues were flagged today by health authorities after patrons tested positive: Hurricane’s Grill in Brighton-Le-Sands, YMCA at Revesby, Western Sydney Leagues Club, and the Macarthur Tavern.
These new changes currently apply only to pubs – excluding clubs and restaurants, and strangely The Star casino, which was not only just fined $5k by Liquor & Gaming for breaching COVID-19 health orders, but this week announced one of its patrons on 4 July had tested positive.
Authorities have issued grave warnings, some carrying punny references to NSW’s situation and the Crossroads.
“I’m appealing to all licensees, all pubs, to learn from this mistake and see what’s going on in Victoria. If they are under any illusion – under any illusion whatsoever – that we are through this in NSW, they are sadly mistaken,” said police minister David Elliott on Monday.
“We don’t want to see the hospitality industry close down again and go into lock down again, because it may not survive.”
