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Bondi Bowling Club slammed as ‘worst venue’ for COVID-19 safety breaches

A large group of people spotted at Bondi Bowling Club.

A large group of people spotted at Bondi Bowling Club. Photo: Supplied

Bondi Bowling Club has been hit with a $10,000 fine after inspectors called it the “worst venue to date” for breaches of coronavirus rules.

Officials from Liquor and Gaming NSW visited the venue on August 29 and spotted multiple breaches of physical distancing and hygiene regulations.

Offences included groups of more than 10 people, no social distancing at the bar, patrons mingling, dirty cups and plates left on tables and inadequate sign-in processes.

Liquor and Gaming director of compliance Dimitri Argeres said the breaches had been discovered on a routine check.

“We are still on a cliff edge, but you wouldn’t know it if you went to Bondi Bowling Club on 29 August,” he said.

“The venue was operating as though the COVID safety measures were optional.

“This presented a pretty grim picture of patrons and staff who are simply ignoring the restrictions everyone else has to live with and putting the entire community at risk.”

NSW reported five new cases in the 24 hours to 8:00pm, one of which was a returned traveller in hotel quarantine. The rest were locally acquired and linked to the CBD cluster.

The total number of CBD cases is now 61.

NSW Health said a case to be reported in Sunday’s update is a health worker who did two shifts at hospital emergency departments while infectious.

The worker did a shift at Concord Hospital on September 1, from 2:00pm to midnight, and Liverpool Hospital on September 3, 8:00am to 6:00pm.

NSW Health’s Christine Selvey said the worker had worn full personal protective equipment at all times while dealing with patients.

“All patients and staff members who were in contact with the health professional are being contacted and are being advised to get tested and self-isolate,” she said.

Dr Selvey also reiterated an alert for Kuleto’s Cocktail Bar on King Street in Newtown, where one of today’s reported cases attended on the night of August 28.

Anyone who went to the bar for at least an hour between 6:30pm and 9:30pm must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of a negative result.

The NSW liquor authority has launched a new safety feedback portal at the NSW Government website for people to submit complaints and suggestions about businesses under COVID-19 regulations.

To date, government inspectors have issued 105 fines totalling $469,000 for COVIDSafe breaches.

Previously, the Garry Owen Hotel in Rozelle had been tagged the worst offender by inspectors.

The pub, in Sydney’s inner-west, was slammed for “blatant non-compliance” with public health orders.

Bondi Bowling Club is a popular venue. Photo: Facebook/Bondi Bowling Club

Man’s bid to bribe NSW-Vic border police

On the state’s southern border, a man allegedly offered a police officer $1,000 in an envelope in a bid to enter NSW from Victoria.

A vehicle was stopped by police at the Barmah Bridge checkpoint on Friday afternoon.

The 66-year-old man could not produce a valid border permit and instead offered the money to police.

He was arrested and charged with bribing a member of the police.

He was given strict conditional bail and will appear before court in November.

ABC

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