Tighter NYE restrictions as Sydney cluster spreads

New South Wales tightened New Year's Eve restrictions for greater Sydney on Wednesday after 18 new locally acquired coronavirus cases were recorded. Nine of those cases were linked to the so-called Avalon cluster on the northern beaches of Sydney and were already in isolation, officials said. Six other cases were members of the same extended family group in Sydney's inner-west. Authorities called it the Croydon cluster and said they expected it to grow.

Three more infections were under investigation, two of which were linked to Wollongong, in the south of greater Sydney. With more cases reported, officials said household gatherings across greater Sydney would be limited to five people, and 30 outdoors from midnight. Over 17,000 people were tested in the last reporting period.