Coronavirus Australia live: Gladys Berejiklian blasts rule-breaking businesses - NEWS.com.au

Speaking at Monday’s press conference, Ms Berejiklian said NSW Health was having a “very difficult” time finding the contacts of some diners that may have been exposed at venues in Sydney because the “people in charge did not do the right thing”.

Health authorities are attempting to track down people who attended the Jasmin1 Lebanese Restaurant in Liverpool on October 25 but have run into issues due to gaps in contact details for customers.

“The last thing we want to see is a set back in NSW because somebody hasn’t done the right thing,” Ms Berejiklian said. “If there are fines to be issued that will occur.”

NSW recorded seven new COVID-19 cases on Monday, including one case of community transmission and six in hotel quarantine. Victoria recorded no new COVID-19 cases for the third day in a row.

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Premier Gladys Berejiklian has taken a subtle dig at the Queensland Premier's decision to keep the border closed to Sydney residents.

During Monday's press conference, Ms Berejiklian was asked how opening the border to some NSW residents but not others was going to work logistically.

"That's the challenge. When you are not briefed you don't know. That's for the Queensland government to determine and that's the chaos they are creating," the premier said.

"I want to reduce the stress on citizens generally and I think the best way to reduce the stress, to be compassionate, is to get rid of that Queensland/NSW border. There's no reason it should be there."

Ms Berejiklian noted that NSW has repeatedly proved its ability to get on top of outbreaks, adding she was confident in the state's contact tracing system.

"We can't pretend we are going to have zero cases, or one case, or two cases," she said.

"During a pandemic, especially coming into the summer months when people are gathering all the time, we have to assume there are going to be outbreaks."

It comes as Ms Berejiklian revealed she sent a message about the border closure to Annastacia Palaszczuk after her election win.

"I sent her a congratulatory message acknowledging her election win and fighting a campaign in a pandemic, but I also highlighted that I was keen to speak to her on the border issue and I hope she takes up that opportunity," she said.

"I know from the overall trend and from what NSW has been able to demonstrate that there isn't a single place in Australia where NSW residents, all of us, should not be welcome. That's my message to the Qld premier very strongly, that's my message to the WA premier."

In terms of opening the border up to Victoria, Ms Berejiklian said the government would "move forward with confidence and speed".

"I wouldn't be surprised if we moved more quickly against Victoria than Queensland did against us," she said.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has blasted the NSW businesses that are still failing to follow COVID-19 rules, warning infected people could be walking around the community as a result.

Speaking at Monday's press conference, Ms Berejiklian said NSW Health was having a "very difficult" time finding the contacts of some diners that may have been exposed at venues in Sydney because the "people in charge did not do the right thing".

Health authorities are attempting to track down people who attended the Jasmin1 Lebanese Restaurant in Liverpool on October 25 but have run into issues due to gaps in contact details for customers.

Ms Berejiklian said there was no room for complacency in businesses keeping a record of their customers.

"It is an enormous cause of concerned that there are people that could be infected that have not been identified," she said.

"Our job is made hader when businesses aren't doing the right thing. It concerns me that there are people walking around that could have been exposed and have the virus."

Picture: Gaye Gerard/NCA NewsWire

Ms Berejiklian said authorities would "throw the book" at anyone who defies the current COVID-19 directions.

"The last thing we want to see is a set back in NSW because somebody hasn't done the right thing," she said.

"If there are fines to be issued that will occur."

The premier said authorities never wanted to be heavy handed when it comes to small businesses that are doing it tough during the pandemic, but said they would have "no option" if they continue to flout the rules.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the difficulty of tracking down some potential close contacts has been "quite concerning"

"QR codes are our preferred method, just because of the speed in which the data and the digital format in which that can be transmitted to us to facilitate contact tracing," she said.

"It is also important that anyone who is attending the restaurant logs in so again, if we have a situation where only one person on the table is logging in, that person then has to recall everyone there and find the mobile phone numbers which can be challenging.

"Everyone has a responsibility to log in and we ask that the businesses also assist us by ensuring that people log in. This really increases the speed and prevents unnecessary chains of transmission."

Dr Chant encouraged residents to support businesses that were "taking COVID seriously" and had proper protocols in place.

A virus alert has been issued after a confirmed COVID-19 case visited multiple Sydney venues while infectious.

The new case of community transmission announced for NSW today has been identified as a child linked to Flip Out Prestons Indoor Trampoline Park in Prestons.

Anyone who was at the venue between 11am to 1.50pm has been asked to immediately come forward for testing.

The case also attended Bambino’s Kindergarten in Horningsea Park on October 29 and October 30.

"Any child or staff member who attended on either or both of these days is considered a close contact and must get tested immediately and isolate for a full 14 days from exposure, regardless of the result," NSW Health said in a statement.

"The centre is closed today for deep cleaning. Contact tracing and investigations are underway."

Anyone who attended the Jasmin1 Lebanese Restaurant, Liverpool, on October 25 from 2pm to 3.30pm has been asked to immediately come forward for testing.

Confirmed cases dined at the restaurant on this day but authorities are having issues finding contact details for everyone who attended the restaurant during this time.

"Although contact tracing is well underway, details of some people who also attended during this time were not available," NSW Health said ina statement.

"Anyone at the restaurant for at least an hour at this time is considered a close contact and must get tested immediately and isolate for a full 14 days from exposure regardless of the result."

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed she contacted Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk after she won the Queensland election on Saturday.

Ms Berejiklian said she congratulated Ms Palaszczuk and informed her she was "keen to talk to her on borders".

It comes after Ms Palaszczuk announced the Queensland border would open to NSW except for 32 LGA's in Sydney.

From 1am on November 3 people from NSW, excluding those that have been in Sydney in the last 14 days, can enter Queensland without having to go into mandatory quarantine.

Visitors must have a valid border declaration pass and must have not been in a declared hotspot for the two weeks prior to crossing the border.

NSW has recorded seven new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Of the new cases, one is the result of community transmission and the other six were travellers in hotel quarantine.

"The locally acquired case, reported in yesterday’s media release but included in today’s numbers as it was notified after the 8pm cut-off on Saturday night, is the sixth case linked to the Hoxton Park cluster," NSW Health said in a statement.

NSW has reported one new case of locally transmitted COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
Six cases were also reported in overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 4,243. pic.twitter.com/FM3ZJ6RvHt
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) November 2, 2020

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Daniel Andrews has once again taken a break from delivering Victoria's daily COVID-19 update, after 120-days in a row of running the press conference.

This is the third day off after announcing he would be absent at the end of Friday's press conference.

Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allen, delivered a brief update on Victoria's COVID-19 fight today.

She said there are 49 active coronavirus cases in Melbourne and no active cases in regional Victoria.

The state recorded no new coronavirus cases and Ms Allen said if there are any further updates they will be provided in the Chief Health Officer's media release later today.

Picture: Paul Jeffers/NCA NewsWire

The director-general of the World Health Organisation has gone into self-isolation after being identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 case.

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he didn't have any symptoms but would be quarantining and working from home in the coming days.

I have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for #COVID19. I am well and without symptoms but will self-quarantine over the coming days, in line with @WHO protocols, and work from home.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) November 1, 2020

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My @WHO colleagues and I will continue to engage with partners in solidarity to save lives and protect the vulnerable. Together!
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) November 1, 2020

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If the coronavirus was spreading around Australia at the rate infections are currently rising in Europe then we would be seeing thousands of new cases each day.

University of Sydney Immunisation expert Professor Robert Booy said the country's tough restrictions have kept the worst of the virus at bay, warning Australians not to become complacent.

"We have to realise that plenty of countries in Europe are having tens of thousands of cases every day and it's their third wave. So if we are complacent we'll get into trouble," he told 2GB's Ben Fordham.

"If we were having the same rate of disease we would have thousands of cases every day.

That's the truth of the matter and if only we can maintain the effort."

Prof Booy said the country doesn't have to go back into complete lockdown to keep virus cases low, instead authorities need to find the "sweet spot".

"We’ve got to find that sweet spot where we allow some people to go to work and get business going … and balance that against social distancing, testing, contact tracing," he said.

"We can't just say 'oh we are going to shut things down to keep it way it is'. We can't afford to do that."

Prof Booy pointed to NSW's contact tracing system and its ability to get on top of new outbreaks as something other states and territories can learn from.

A member of the Australian Defence Force has been fined after allegedly violating his mandatory 14 day quarantine in Darwin.

The 41-year-old allegedly left his accomodation at some point on Saturday.

"The man came to police attention due to his aggressive behaviour and returned to the accommodation," NT Police said in a statement.

"He had been tested upon his arrival into Darwin from overseas returning negative result."

All returning ADF members are required to quarantine in designated accomodation for 14 days after arriving in the NT.

The penalty for failing to follow COVID safety directions is a $5056 fine.

Victoria has recorded zero COVID-19 cases and zero deaths in the past 24 hours.

This brings Melbourne's 14 day rolling average down to 1.9 cases, with regional Victoria's rolling average remaining at zero.

Over the past two weeks there has been just one mystery coronavirus case.

Zero new cases and no lost lives reported in the last 24 hours. The 14 day average is down to 1.9. There is 1 case with an unknown source. More info: https://t.co/eTputEZdhs #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/XG94AhLGzI
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) November 1, 2020

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