Public health alert issued for China Doll restaurant, Balmain pub shut down

Public health alert issued for China Doll restaurant, Balmain pub shut down

A number of new public health alerts have been issued for venues in New South Wales, including for high-end restaurant China Doll in Woolloomooloo and a golf club in Paramatta.

A pub in Balmain has also been shut down for one week after authorities determined it had repeatedly breached COVID-19 restrictions.

The alerts come after confirmed cases of COVID-19 visited the venues, with NSW Health urging other attendees to isolate for a fortnight and get tested immediately.

NSW Health says an infectious person dined at China Doll on Thursday 3 September, with a small number of patrons and staff considered close contacts. They have been directed to self-isolate and seek testing.

In addition, NSW Health says anyone who attended the following venues at the specific times are considered to be close contacts and must isolate immediately:

  • Oatlands Golf Club, 94 Bettington Rd Oatlands, on Friday, 4 September, 6:30-8:45pm. Anyone who attended the Bavarian Night Dinner in the Bistro on Bettington main dining room is a close contact and should isolate and get tested immediately.
  • Paperboy Café, 18 Tennyson Rd Concord, Sunday, 6 September, 10am-12pm.

Further, anyone who attended the following venues at the specified times is considered a casual contact and must monitor for symptoms of COVID-19:

  • Stanhope Village Shopping Centre, including Kmart Stanhope Gardens, on Monday, 7 September, 8.30am-9.30am
  • Clovelly Hotel on Saturday, 5 September,12:45-1:45pm
  • Rouse Hill Town Centre, including Target Rouse Hill, on Saturday, 5 September, 12.30pm-1.30pm
  • Fitness First Maroubra, 737 Anzac Parade Maroubra, on Saturday, 5 September, 8am 12pm

"NSW Health is working with Fitness First to identify people who attended the Maroubra gym that morning, and will directly advise those who are considered to be close contacts and need to get tested and isolate for 14 days," says NSW Health.

Balmain pub shut down for breaches of COVID-19 restrictions

The Unity Hall Hotel in Balmain is the first venue in NSW to be formally closed for one week after it was found to be breaching public health orders.

Authorities from NSW Liquor & Gaming found the pub was not following COVID-19 safety plan requirements while hosting two birthday parties, just one day after receiving a penalty notice for other breaches.

The venue will be closed for seven days from 5am today in addition to having been fined a total of $10,000 by Liquor & Gaming and NSW Police.

"The venue was fined $5,000 after our inspection on 5 August, where inspectors identified an out of date COVID-19 Safety Plan, inadequate sign in processes relating to not recording times of entry and digitising records, and a lack of physical distancing between chairs and tables," says Liquor & Gaming director of compliance Dimitri Argeres.

Liquor & Gaming says a penalty notice was issued for those offences on 7 August.

When police attended the pub on 8 August in response to a complaint from a member of the public they observed a private function of 32 guests who were dancing, standing and mingling while consuming alcohol.

Police fined the venue $5,000 and then referred the matter to Liquor & Gaming to consider further action.

Liquor & Gaming reviewed the CCTV which corroborated breaches of physical distancing; 10-person limits on bookings; dancing; and staying seated while consuming alcohol.

"This is the risk posed by not following the Public Health Orders and not adequately implementing COVID-safe practices. People in large groups who are known to each other are far more likely to mingle including by dancing and this increases the risk of transmission," says Argeres.

"Each person brings with them a history of interaction with others in the community which means the more people in a group, the more close contacts they are sharing across that group.

"To repeatedly not comply with the Public Health Orders poses a clear and significant risk to public health."

Updated at 9.27am AEST on 9 September 2020.

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