Odd isn't it? Victoria coped not just with a hardcore second lock down but a mask mandate - for many months. Masks are still required in a number of scenarios in the garden state.

As is this case in NSW. And yes, NSW Health recommends masks are worn in a range of circumstances and situations. But there's no hardcore mask mandate, not even on Sydney's northern beaches where the cluster totals more than 125.

Authorities extended the beaches lockdown until January 9 after NSW recorded another five cases of community transmission of COVID-19. Yet, interestingly, there will be a brief reprieve for small indoor gatherings on the northern beaches on NYE and New Year's Day.

Granted, the numbers are not outrageous, not even remotely so. But Australia has set a high bar. As we all are fully aware, the Aussie bar and the US one are poles apart.

In the US there were 151,824 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the United States on December 27.

The New York Times reports that over the past week, there has been an average of 184,911 cases a day, a decrease of 12 per cent from the average two weeks earlier. But soon will come the after-effects of Christmas and the world awaits New Year celebrations.

It was made clear today by the NSW Premier that Sydneysiders' NYE party will be a televisular affair. Fireworks yes, but just on the TV.

Plans to allow selected frontline workers specific foreshore vantage points have been shelved, Ms Berejiklian said today.

"Unfortunately we're going have to cancel that. We think it's too much of a health risk having people from the regions and from Sydney and from broader regional areas congregate all in the CBD and the advice to date has to all of us be try to avoid the CBD and so on New Year's Eve."

NSW Health also announced the state's 56th COVID-related death - a man in his 70s who contracted the virus in March but who had recently tested negative. He died from respiratory complications.

Across the country, the quarantine system seems to be doing its thing - with three new cases of COVID-19 in Western Australia; two in Victoria; and one in South Australia - all in hotel quarantine.

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