Covid 19 coronavirus: Sydney residents flock to Bondi Beach, bars despite lockdown

People at Bondi Beach, Sydney this morning. Photo / News Corp Australia

Bars and restaurants in Sydney were packed in the final hours before parts of the city went into a seven-day lockdown.

Partygoers in Bondi, Coogee, Surry Hills and the CBD were determined to enjoy their last hours of freedom before going into lockdown for a week.

From 11.59pm last night about a million people who live or work in the four Sydney councils of Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and the City of Sydney will only be allowed to leave the house to shop for essential items, seek medical care, exercise outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer, or to work or study if they couldn't do so from home.

Surprisingly, Bondi Beach was full of beachgoers this morning, despite the CBD being in lockdown.

"There are no more words for the selfishness of those in this picture," Twitter user Sam Maher said.

Other Sydneysiders reported a large gathering of people at Coogee Beach for essential exercise, which is allowed under the one-week lockdown restrictions.

"Gladys has tried to spare the people but the lockdown is needed. Have you seen how many people were at Coogee Beach this morning for essential exercise? Ridiculous," Marion McGrath said.

The Royal Hotel in Randwick was crowded inside and out last night, just hours before Sydney's partial lockdown kicked in. Photo / Supplied

It came as NSW Health issued a massive quarantine order for one of the city's tallest apartment buildings, the 40-storey, 300-unit Elan complex in the heart of Kings Cross.

All 500 residents are being tested and have been told to isolate after one resident tested positive for Covid-19. The entrance to the building has been blocked.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged those affected by the lockdown to do the right thing and abide by the rules.

"Please know that this is in order for us to ensure that this doesn't take a hold for weeks and weeks," she said.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said officials would be cracking down on Covid-19 compliance.

"It would appear that there may be a small number of people who don't comply with the expectations. The guidelines are there with the public health orders. That's disappointing," he said.

"We will, though, now, be having orders that will be effective requiring that people comply with those guidelines effectively."

Yesterday afternoon, urgent alerts were put out for 22 new Covid exposure sites across Sydney, including a supermarket and department store.

By last night more venues were added in Bondi, Double Bay, Waterloo and Kensington.

A wedding at Doltone House in Sylvania Waters has also been pinpointed as another potential superspreader event, with many of the 200 guests receiving texts about contact with a positive case.