Northern Beaches hoping for Christmas miracle after record testing numbers

Residents of Sydney's Northern Beaches have an anxious wait to see if they will get the same Christmas privileges as other families after attending COVID-19 drive-through testing clinics in record numbers today.

More than 100,00 COVID swabs were done in the Northern Beaches today as authorities work to shut down the cluster in time to ease restrictions on Christmas day.

Lines at the Manly Hospital testing clinic were said to be the "longest ever seen" while those at the Curl Curl testing location as said to be several hours long.

READ MORE: Get tested for coronavirus if you have been to these NSW venues

Police were out in force today around Northern Beaches suburbs, making sure locals were complying with current restrictions and politely reminding them of their responsibilities under current health rules.

Yesterday, officers raised eyebrows after fining a number of motorists who were using their phones while stationary in the line for the Bondi Beach drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic.

Approximately nine people were booked for using their phone, seven of whom have had their infringements downgraded.

In NSW it is illegal to hold and use a mobile phone at any time while driving.

"The NSW Police Force has reviewed a number of traffic infringement notices that were issued to motorists in the Eastern Suburbs on Saturday 19 December 2020," NSW Police said in a statement.

"Of the nine infringement notices issued, seven were changed to cautions and two were reviewed and deemed appropriate to stand."

Yesterday more than 38,000 NSW residents came forward to be tested for the virus, setting a new benchmark for daily tests since the start of the pandemic.

NSW Health is urging anybody in the state with even the mildest symptoms – such as headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat or a runny nose – to come forward immediately for testing.

Everyone who is tested is also urged to then isolate until they receive a negative result.

The lines come as Sydney's Northern Beaches endures a stay-at-home public health order, to be reviewed at midnight tomorrow night.

READ MORE: Sydney on edge as government backs NSW in cluster fight

Today there are just eight new cases of COVID-19, taking the total number linked to the Northern Beaches to 91.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said today's figures are a "pleasing" reduction from yesterday's case numbers, when 30 new infections were announced.

"To date, every single case we've had to date has been linked to the Avalon cluster, and that's how we want to keep it," Ms Berejiklian said.

READ MORE: Returned Victorian traveller tested positive to COVID-19 after visiting Sydney hotspot

"Although, obviously some venues outside of the Northern Beaches have been impacted and there are issues that health officials are going through today."

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