11.30am
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The number of new daily cases of COVID-19 in NSW has almost halved for the second day running, with the state reporting eight cases to 8pm on Monday night.
There were also 10 cases in returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
Seven of the locally acquired cases are linked to the Avalon cluster - which now has 90 cases - and one remains under investigation.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said this eighth case may end up being internationally acquired, as it was found in a quarantine nurse involved in the transfer of patients at the international airport.
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Ms Berejiklian highlighted that the lower case number had been found among a record 44,466 tests reported to 8pm last night.
"This was a record we did not expect," she said, adding that she was "proud and deeply grateful that people had responded" to calls for more testing.
"NSW is really pulling together to get through this stage of the pandemic."
However she said it was concerning that the number of potentially exposed venues had continued to grow, and asked people to continue following the public health orders.
She said she was still planning to make an announcement tomorrow about what restrictions for Greater Sydney, Central Coast and Wollongong would look like over Christmas.
"There is not reason for us at all to consider changing what is happening in NSW regional communities," she said.
10.15am
A VICTORIAN who returned from the Northern Beaches in NSW has tested positive for COVID-19.
Health Minister Martin Foley confirmed the case was a 15-year-old girl from the Moonee Valley local government area who had visited several high-risk exposure sites in Sydney.
Mr Foley said the teenager drove home from NSW with her mother and arrived back in Victoria late on December 17.
The girl isolated with her family and was then tested for COVID-19 on December 20. The positive test result was returned on Monday.
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Mr Foley said the girl's mother had also been tested but returned a negative result.
The health minister said there were limited close contacts to the new case and no known exposure sites.
Authorities have already interviewed the girl's close contacts and would begin interviewing secondary close contacts on Tuesday.
Mr Foley said Victorians needed to work hard to keep COVID-19 case numbers low.
"We should take this as a really significant lesson that this is not over," he said. "That 53 days is not a vaccine.
"The vaccine doesn't start rolling out until March. It will take a very long time to get to all Australians.
"We need to work hard every day between now and when every Australian is vaccinated to keep us all safe. This points out just how highly infectious this thing is and how easy it is to transmit around the country."
Under changes to the NSW border, anyone coming into Victoria from the Greater Sydney area and the NSW Central Coast would be subject to 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine.
Mr Foley said 17 people have already been brought into quarantine under the scheme.
"That is 17 people who will be spending their Christmas and their New Year, not as they planned, but in hotel quarantining circumstances," he said.
"So my message to anyone trying to enter Victoria from New South Wales is don't. You won't get in, and if you do, you'll be spending your time at Christmas and New Year in hotel quarantine."
Earlier
THREE new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Victoria.
Department of Health and Human Services data released on Tuesday showed two of the new cases were acquired overseas, while one case was acquired interstate. All of the cases were in quarantine.
There were no locally acquired coronavirus cases in Victoria for the 53rd consecutive day. There were also no further deaths.
There are 11 active COVID-19 cases in quarantine in Victoria.
A DHHS spokesperson said 15,521 people were tested for the virus on Monday.
It came after the NSW Northern Beaches coronavirus cluster grew to 83 cases. There were 15 new cases reported in NSW on Monday.
The border between Victoria and NSW closed again this week, after the Victorian government declared the Greater Sydney area and the NSW Central Coast as "red zones".
The Northern Beaches area of NSW has been declared a "hot zone".
That means people who live in those communities or have visited those communities since December 11 should not visit Victoria.
Passengers who arrive from a red zone or the hot zone will be transferred to hotel quarantine where they will be required to remain for up to 14 days.
Victorian travellers from the red zone areas who did not arrive home before 11.59pm on Monday will be subject to 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine.
Returning Victorian travellers from the hot zone will not be permitted to enter Victoria.
The rest of regional NSW is designated as a "green zone" but residents from those areas will still need to apply for and receive a valid permit to enter Victoria.
People living in local government areas along the border will not need a permit, but will be able to use a valid ID with their address - like their driver's license - to travel between Victoria and NSW.
Victorians are strongly advised not to travel to Sydney as they may not be able to re-enter without undertaking hotel quarantine for 14 days.
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