Sydney on edge as government backs NSW in cluster fight
The Federal Government is confident New South Wales has done everything possible to contain a spiralling coronavirus outbreak on Sydney's northern beaches.
Over the past 24 hours, there has been a 700 per cent rise in tests for coronavirus on the northern beaches, which the cluster has grown to 68 cases.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the NSW track and trace team was a gold standard globally.
People are seen lining up at a COVID-19 testing centre at the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Sydney's northern beaches is on lockdown, as a cluster of COVID-19 cases continues to grow causing other Australian states and territories to impose restrictions on travel ahead of the Christmas holidays. Getty
"There is no question that they have an outstanding system," Mr Hunt said, in an attempt to reassure Sydney residents as other states and territories snapped their borders closed ahead of Christmas.
Mr Hunt said federal regulators at the Therapeutic Goods Administration are working over Christmas and the New Year period to try and clear vaccines for early next year.
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"We are on track for the first vaccines to be rolled out in March ... we have teams that are working around the clock right through the break.
"That is about making sure that we have the safest assessment of our vaccines."
Mr Hunt said with 700,000 cases globally Australia will always be at risk of an outbreak.
"There will inevitably be cases, a touch, a breath, a surface that (brings an infection) to Australia and we have to respond," he said.
Mr Hunt said he was concerned for people in NSW alone and isolated over Christmas.
"Reach out, give them a call," he urged.
He called 2020 "our hardest year" since the WWII.
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