Police raid Sydney Sunday church service

A night-time curfew has come into effect for people living in Sydney’s coronavirus hotspots as police raid an evening church service, where 60 people defied the state’s tough lockdown orders.

After two consecutive days of COVID-19 case numbers in excess of 800, a raft of new public health rules are in place, including the requirement for everyone in NSW to wear masks outside their homes unless exercising.

A strict 9pm to 5am curfew is in force those living in the dozen Sydney local government areas of concern.

On the eve of the curfew, police issued 31 fines after 60 people attended an illegal church service in the hotspot area of Blacktown in Sydney’s west.

Responding to a tip-off, police went to Christ Embassy Sydney church at 7.30pm on Sunday and found about 60 adults and children inside the Fourth Avenue building, participating in a sermon.

Police said there was no QR code at the entrance and some of the congregation came from other hot-spot LGAs, including Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Liverpool.

Thirty adults were fined $1000 each and the church $5000.

Police Minister David Elliott said he was “quite stunned” by the reckless behaviour.

“Churches are there to profess the message of hope and love and to have those people endanger communities ... is extraordinary,” he told Sydney radio 2GB on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Bank is ramping up its staff vaccination program, opening vaccination centres, initially in Sydney’s LGAs of concern.

Earlier this month the bank opened its first centre in Parramatta, with centres in Bankstown and Hurstville opening last week while centres at Blacktown, Cabramatta, Auburn, Liverpool and Campbelltown will open this week.

There are also plans for more stand-up vaccination centres in other LGAs of concern.

“The pilot program is currently open on a voluntary basis to all CommBank employees, their families and members of their household, who live in the NSW LGAs of concern. Priority access is given to those in customer-facing roles,” the bank said in a statement.

Another mass vaccination hub is opening on Monday at Penrith Panthers where people aged 16 to 39 living in that western Sydney LGA will be given priority to get a Pfizer jab.

Meanwhile, hardware stores, office supply stores and other retail premises must close in hotspot LGAs except for click-and-collect purchases, and all exams and education activities will move online, except the HSC.

All of NSW is in lockdown and police have ramped up enforcement of restrictions as authorities battle to contain the spread of the Delta strain.

NSW reported 830 locally-acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday - another daily infection record - as well as three deaths.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered at the Queensland-NSW border on Sunday to protest changes to entry requirements between the states, including a man on a large white horse.

NSW Police said protesters had crossed the border between Queensland at Coolangatta and NSW at Tweed Heads, with eight people arrested and 54 fined for breaching public health orders.

Lockdown settings will remain in place in regional NSW until at least August 28 and in Greater Sydney until at least September 30.