Sydney welcomes the new year unusually!

Sydney, one of the first cities in the world to receive every New Year with a countdown timer that includes an exciting fireworks display above the opera house, banned gatherings that night, amid the outbreak of the Corona virus.

The Prime Minister of New South Wales County, Gladys Prejiklian, warned most people not to come to downtown Sydney (Australia) that night, noting that outdoor gatherings should be limited to 50 people.

“It is safer to watch the fireworks from home … on New Year’s Eve, we don’t want any crowds on the front beach around Sydney at all,” Prijiklian said at a news conference on Monday.

Only residents with permits for guest accommodations in the city center will be permitted on New Year’s Eve. Families across Sydney are only allowed to host 10 people, until further notice.

Meanwhile, NSW Police have issued 15 notifications in Sydney for breaching public health orders since Christmas Eve.

“I’d like to say to those people who are thinking of doing anything stupid in the next few days, forget it,” said NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard.

Due to rapid border closures and internal closures, widespread testing, social distancing, and a high overall rate of compliance with anti-virus measures, Australia has recorded over 28,300 infections and 908 deaths related to the Coronavirus.

Officials say this gave regulators time to evaluate vaccines without the pressure of the growing cases of COVID-19, as has been the case in much of Europe and the United States.

Source: Reuters

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