NSW Police has established a strike force to formally investigate *that* illegal Maroubra party, which is now at the heart of its own COVID-19 cluster.
On Monday, a spokeswoman for NSW Police announced Strike Force Travelstop has now been formed by Eastern Beaches Police Area Command officers and that investigations are underway.
The party, which was thrown on August 14, was attended by up to 60 people according to the NSW government, and has resulted in 20 confirmed cases among guests, who then went on to infect 61 close contacts. Leading to the party becoming a super-spreader COVID cluster(fuck).
Health Minister Brad Hazzard had a go at the Maroubra party guests in a press conference, saying that anyone going to illegal gatherings is at risk of spreading the virus.
“Each of these people who are going to these functions must understand that they run the risk of either having the virus and transmitting it or getting the virus and taking it home to their families and their communities,” he said.
“There is no time now to be selfish – it’s time to think of the broader community and your families. If you are actually spreading the virus, you could be responsible for peoples’ deaths.”
Health officials have of course been conducting contact-tracing to try and stay on top of the cluster, but police are yet to issue any fines to the attendees of the party.
It seems this hesitance was not present in police operations in the 12 LGAs of concern in west and south-west Sydney, which have seen 12,600 fines issued, including 327 since August 23 to people who have broken curfew rules.
Part of the eastern suburbs is also joining the 12 LGA hotspots in having priority access to the Pfizer vaccine (but without the tighter restrictions) as authorities scramble to stop case numbers rising.
People from the Randwick local government area, which is close to the hotspot LGA Bayside, are now being encouraged to book their vaccination at the Brighton Le-Sands clinic based out of the Novotel.
Camden is also now eligible for Pfizer while not being part of the 12 hotspot LGAs.
All adult Aussies (yep, even those of us under 40) are currently able to get vaccinated.
Click here to see which clinics are offering it, and talk to a doctor for more info.
Remember, the best vaccine is the one you can get earliest, and that’ll be our ticket out of this mess.
