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Taylor Swift party at Sydney pub turns into superspreader Covid event

At least 97 people have tested positive for Covid-19 after attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance party held at Sydney's Metro Theatre on Friday, December 10.

NSW Health issued an alert on Thursday evening about the "On Repeat: Taylor Swift Red Party" which had at least 600 people who arrived after 9pm on Friday deemed close contacts.

NSW Health said it was likely some of the new cases were the Omicron variant.

A photo of the front of the Metro theatre where 97 people tested positive after attending a Taylor Swift dance party was held on Friday. Source: AAP
Almost 100 people tested positive for Covid after attending a Taylor Swift dance party on Friday. Source: AAP

Those who attended the event are being told to immediately get tested and isolate for 7 days.

Household members of close contacts have also been told to get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received by everyone in the household.

Case numbers surge in NSW

The news of the event comes as NSW records 1742 new cases, the highest NSW has recorded since the pandemic began. The state has now recorded 122 cases of the Omicron variant.

There were no deaths recorded, with 192 people in hospital, 26 of them in ICU.

The cases recorded at the Taylor Swift party come after two men received fines for allegedly skipping self-isolation to go clubbing in Newcastle before testing positive.

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The party was in celebration of Taylor Swift's album 'Red' being rereleased, though Taylor herself was not present. Source: Getty/File

The two 20-year-olds attended the Argyle House nightclub on Wednesday evening, the same day both had been ordered to self-isolate as they were close contacts of Covid cases.

More than 200 people acquired the virus at the party.

One man was fined $10,000 over the breach and a separate visit to another house. The other man will have to pay $5000.

Newcastle Festival cancelled over Covid fears

The jump in case numbers has caused health authorities to cancel a Newcastle music festival as the regional city becomes the epicentre of the Omicron-fuelled outbreak in NSW.

"NSW Health considered that the ongoing spread of Covid-19 in the Newcastle area, where the majority of a record number of cases are the Omicron variant of concern, presents too great a risk for the festival to take place this weekend," they said.

"NSW Health continues to be concerned about the ongoing spread of Covid-19 in the Newcastle area, where several venues and events have now seen extensive transmission.

"NSW Health again asks everyone across the community to continue to be particularly careful and practise Covid-safe behaviours."

With AAP

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