Here's what you need to know today.
Newcastle to Brisbane flight an exposure site
People who flew on the first flight from Newcastle to Brisbane since Queensland's border was reopened have been deemed close contacts — and will spend Christmas in quarantine.
Queensland Health on Tuesday night identified Virgin flight VA1105, which landed in Brisbane about 12:03pm on Monday, as an exposure site after a passenger tested positive.
Everyone on a subsequent flight that left Brisbane for Townsville at 2:05pm that same day, VA375, has also been deemed a close contact and must isolate.
It comes as health authorities are probing whether a suspected Omicron outbreak in Newcastle was sparked by a person who breached self-isolation rules.
NSW Health has been ordered to investigate the activities of the person by Health Minister Brad Hazzard, and NSW Police has confirmed it was making inquiries.
It is believed the outbreak at The Argyle House, which has now topped 200 cases, was seeded on December 8 during an event attended by a person who had also been at a Sydney boat party six days earlier.
Clusters were seeded at both events, with the Omicron variant detected in infected revellers.
Mr Hazzard said the person who attended both venues may have broken rules ordering them to self-isolate for seven days after being deemed a close contact.
NSW Health released an alert about the infected boat party late at night on Tuesday, November 7, less than 24 hours before the Argyle event began in Newcastle.
Restrictions lift for the unvaccinated
Further COVID restrictions were lifted overnight despite the NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard admitting the relaxation of measures, including for the unvaccinated, will likely lead to a further surge in the growing case numbers.
There were more than 800 cases reported yesterday, the highest daily figure in NSW since the end of lockdown.
A quarter of them are in the Hunter region and most of those are linked to a super-spreader event at a Newcastle nightclub.
But Mr Hazzard has told ABC Radio Sydney the lifting of restrictions for unvaccinated people, and scrapping of density limits and mandatory QR code checks at some venues, will see COVID cases continue to rise.
"It will, I think you're right, but what it also says is that people have to take individual responsibility. We are not concerned at the present time that the health system won't cope. In other words, to put it in the positive, we think the health system will cope," he said.
Backlash over easing restrictions
One venue in the Illawarra on the NSW south coast says the decision to lift restrictions for the unvaccinated has put them in a difficult position.
From today, NSW residents are permitted to enter businesses including licensed premises regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Illawarra Hotel published a social media poll asking patrons whether they wanted unvaccinated people inside the bar.
Owner Ryan Aitchison said they are concerned they will be targeted online if they choose not to allow unvaccinated patrons.
"Just from putting up that poll we got the most threatening messages we have ever had," he said.
"You are literally trying to please everyone and getting some horrific things said to you and knowing that is going to go straight to your reviews. It is a lot to stomach."
"Businesses want to be well-reviewed online and the fact that we can be held to ransom by a small and very noisy section of society is not a good feeling."
Newcastle cancellations
Newcastle's tourism and hospitality operators say they are seeing cancellations as the city's COVID outbreak worsens.
Businesses are cancelling end of year functions and restaurant bookings are also diminishing, Newcastle Tourism Industry Group president Kent Warren said.
He said many people want to increase their chances of being with friends and family for Christmas.
"As much as we are disappointed it is understandable and what we are thankful for is that the consumers are moving themselves as opposed to waiting for the government to move which I think is right," he said.
At around 200 cases and climbing, the COVID-19 outbreak stemming from a Newcastle nightclub is being billed as 2021's largest superspreader event in Australia.
The latest outbreak started when a person infected with the Omicron variant visited The Argyle House nightclub on December 8.
State send-off for Holocaust survivor
The life of Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku will be celebrated at a state memorial service at Sydney Town Hall today.
Mr Jaku, who described himself as the "happiest man alive", died aged 101 in October.
Born in Germany and under the Nazi regime, he was sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp and later to Auschwitz, where his parents were murdered.
Having narrowly survived, he moved to Australia during the 1950s and became one of the founders of the Sydney Jewish Museum.
"This is my message, as long as I live, I'll teach not to hate," he wrote in his autobiography, published last year to mark his 100th birthday.
