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Health

Sydney news: Fog covers Sydney City, interstate travel rules tightened and grants given to locked-down businesses

Sydney shrouded in thick layer of fog in the morning

Here's what you need to know this morning.

Fog blankets Sydney roads

Heavy fog has caused major delays to all nine ferry services on Sydney Harbour.

The F1 Manly ferry, right through to the F9 Watsons Bay ferry have been cancelled as the fog has plunged the harbour into grey.

Motorists have also been advised to take extreme care on the roads as the fog causes traffic concerns.

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of dangerous road conditions in all suburbs due to reduced visibility.

New travel rules

NSW Health introduces new rules for arrivals from Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia.  (AAP Image: Joel Carrett)

NSW health authorities have tightened the rules on people travelling from interstate following COVID-19 outbreaks in several states and territories across the nation.

From today, anyone travelling to NSW who has been in the Northern Territory, Queensland or Western Australia in the last fortnight must complete a declaration form.

The same rule is already in force for people who have been in Victoria in the previous 14 days.

"The information gathered from travel declarations is vital to allow NSW Health to contact travellers if necessary," a statement said.

Health officials have urged people not to travel to locked-down areas in other states and territories and reminded any interstate travellers they are required to follow the stay at home orders currently in place in NSW.

COVID-19 grants take the pressure off

Business groups have welcomed the relief package announced yesterday by the NSW government which will allow small businesses to receive grants from July 19.

Businesses with less than 20 full-time employees across the state can claim $5,000, $7,000 or $10,000 grants depending on their losses.  A tourism or hospitality business can claim the grants if it pays staff less than $10 million each year. 

Chief executive of Business NSW Daniel Hunter says while it's "never enough" it will provide enormous relief to many business owners.

"This package is aimed at that immediate loss of business, the immediate cost write-offs that businesses have to face and so it's trying to cover that somewhat," he said.

"Obviously, there are businesses out there that have suffered  much more economic loss than this."

Fatal Macquarie Fields fire 

Police are treating the fire as suspicious. (Supplied)

The body of a teenage boy has been found after a house fire at Macquarie Fields in Sydney's south-west.

Around 1:35am, Fire and Rescue NSW attended a house fire on Montana Way, but were unable to enter the two-storey townhouse because the fire was so intense.

All other people home were able to escape the blaze. 

A crime scene has been established and the fire is being treated as suspicious.

Exposure sites list updated

A long list of additional potential COVID-19 exposure sites has been released by NSW Health overnight including gyms, restaurants, retail shops, and bus routes.

Anyone who attended the Bondi Junction Fitness First Gym last Friday morning is being urged to contact health officials, get tested and isolate for the full 14 days.

Other venues that infectious people visited include the Uniqlo retail store in Sydney's CBD, the Club Marconi Gaming area in Bossley Park,  a Kingsgrove nail salon, and Bunnings in Ashfield.

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