Here we fucking go. COVID-19 cases have spike massively in NSW today soaring to a terrifying 1,360.

It’s the highest daily number of new infections since September when we were still locked down. NSW is only a few dozen behind Vic who recorded 1,405 cases today.

It really is incredible timing because the state government confirmed this morning that restrictions are easing today as planned.

All restrictions reserved for unvaccinated people have now lifted, as has the mask mandate.

It’s no longer mandatory to wear a mask in most indoor settings and QR requirements have been scaled back, because NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet just *hates* them.

But as we head into Christmas week, retail workers are rightly freaking out. The retail workers union is asking the NSW government to reconsider as cases spike.

Bernie Smith of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association’s NSW branch urged customers to continue wearing masks.

“We’re asking the government to reconsider their position but in the meantime, we’re encouraging customers to look after the workers who have looked after us through the pandemic and keep wearing your mask through the Christmas sale rush period.”

Queensland’s borders also opened to NSW on Monday for the first time in months, and it’s already seeing cases as a result of Omicron spreading in NSW.

A party at the Argyle House nightclub in Newcastle on Dec 8 has already seen more than 200 people test positive to COVID-19, likely the Omicron variant,  making it one of the biggest super spreader events in the whole damn world.

A suspected attendee of the party who then breached isolation rules and hopped on a plane to Brisbane is now responsible for hundreds of passengers being forced into quarantine over Christmas.

People who flew on the first flight from Newcastle to Brisbane since Queensland’s border was reopened have been deemed close contacts of cases — and will spend Christmas in quarantine.

Virgin flight VA1105, which landed in Brisbane about 12:03pm on Monday, was listed as an exposure site after a passenger tested positive.

Everyone on a subsequent flight that left Brisbane for Townsville at 2:05pm the same day, VA375, is also now a close contact and must isolate.

It is believed the Newcastle outbreak came from Sydney where an infected person attended a boat party and then boogied north.

Today Queensland recorded six new locally acquired cases, who have been active in the community for up to six days.

No border changes have been announced, after all states either opened their borders or revealed their opening date this week, so fingers crossed for a hot and safe summer.

Perrottet is due to hold a press conference at midday, so we’ll update you with more information then.

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Image: Getty Images / James D Morgan