
Sydney is closing more of its beaches until after Easter as crowds defied social distancing rules and gathered to take in the sun and sea over the weekend.
From Tuesday, five beaches will be closed until after the Easter long weekend, according to the Northern Beaches Council.
They include:
- Dee Why Beach
- Manly
- Shelly Beach
- North Steyne
- Queenscliff
The closures will be reviewed on April 14 ahead of any decision to reopen.
New South Wales health authorities said Manly and Dee Why beaches have become hotspots for community transmissions of Covid-19.
“If people continue to hang out and loiter, we will have no choice but to keep closing the beaches like we have been over the past few weeks," said Mayor Michael Regan.
It comes about two weeks after authorities closed the city's iconic Bondi Beach after massive crowds gathered there.
On March 27, the Sydney district of Waverley Council reported more coronavirus cases than any district in Australia, Mayor Paula Masselos said in a statement.
Waverley includes some of Sydney's famous beaches, including Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte.
