NSW’s Totally *Not* Groovy 70s-Themed Prom Night Could Be World’s Worst Super Spreader Event

Newcastle Cluster

A 1970s-themed prom night at the The Argyle House nightclub in Newcastle has already led to over 200 people testing positive to COVID-19 following the event on December 8.

Dr David Durrheim is a professor in public health medicine at the University in Newcastle and told the ABC earlier today that he reckons the only way is up for the case numbers in this cluster.

“The high level of transmission at this event, it’s going to probably be one of the highest-transmission events this year in any single venue, probably anywhere in the world,” he said.

Durrheim’s analysis comes after several days of increasingly high case numbers in Australia’s most populous state, which peaked today at 804 cases. Prior to this current spike, NSW had been experiencing daily caseloads of around 200-300 per day since the state’s lockdown ended in October.

NSW also has the highest number of Omicron cases of any state in the nation at a total of 84, which is expected to grow in the coming days.

Despite the recent jump in cases, NSW is sticking to its reopening plan which includes more liberties granted to unvaccinated people.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard told reporters that despite Omicron being a concern, it would not delay the loosening of restrictions.

“At the moment, our government here … is very keen to get us all back to normality, to our previous life,” he said.

We’re not going to start backflipping on issues we promised the community we’ll do.”

From Wednesday December 15, public transport and airports will be the only place you’re required to wear a mask in NSW. QR codes will also become a thing of the past except for hospitals and other high-risk venues.

If you happened to be at Argyle House on December 8 or know someone who was, please chuck on your dancing shoes and boogie down to your nearest testing station. Ya dig?

Ok, I’m all out of 70s slang now.

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