Quarantine-free travel from New South Wales to New Zealand to pause
Ten new community cases of COVID-19 were announced on Tuesday in NSW, taking the Australian state's recent community cases linked to the cluster to 21. The pause came into force from 11:59pm on Tuesday and will be in place for 72 hours initially. This decision will be reviewed on Thursday. COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says this decision follows a public health assessment earlier on Tuesday which found that while the overall risk to public health in New Zealand is currently low, there are still several unknowns. This includes a case that was infectious while in the Sydney community and a primary school age child with no clear link established yet. Anyone who has only been in Norfolk Island and not in NSW is still eligible for quarantine-free travel.
New Zealand health officials are also updating health advice for anyone already in Aotearoa who has recently visited Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction mall. It follows a new case of COVID-19 reported in Sydney on Tuesday that is connected to the busy mall. Anyone who was at this mall, including the car park, any time between June 12 and June 18 should contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453, get tested, and stay home until they get a negative test result, or remain isolated if told. NSW public health officials are continuing to add new locations of interest, and anyone who has been in Sydney since June 11 should check the NSW Health website. Anyone at locations of interest at the specified times should call Healthline on 0800 358 5453, get tested, and self-isolate until they return a negative result. Anyone who was at a location of interest at the specified times cannot travel to New Zealand within 14 days of the exposure event.
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Christmas Eve busiest shopping day of the year with more than 500,000 sales
Busiest shopping day of the year
Peak time 12 noon-1 pm - 563,303 transactions
Per second peak - 167 transactions
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Number of sales beats Black Friday, but lowest Christmas Eve in six years
Christmas Eve has been the busiest shopping day of the year with 9,745 sales a minute at its peak.
Payments company Worldline says noon to 1pm saw 563,303 sales recorded on its network, down by about 7 percent on a year ago.
The company's network covers about three-quarters of the electronic terminals in operation.
Worldline did not have a dollar value for spending, but the peak number of transactions was the lowest for the past six years and well shy of the record 679,436 in 2019, before the pandemic.
Earlier this month it noted rising sales in the first three weeks of the month, but they remained 1.3 percent lower than 2024, with most parts of the country trailing the previous year's spending.
Official data from Stats NZ to the end of November showed a small rise in spending on the previous month, to 1.6 percent higher for the year.
Retail spending has been subdued as households have remained cautious because of high prices and a slow benefit from lower interest rates, and as well as concerns about the soft labour market.
However, recent surveys have shown improving consumer sentiment with ANZ bank's monthly report showing confidence at its highest level in four years.
Boxing Day is traditionally the country's favourite shopping day, but with Black Friday spending also softer this year the amount going through retailers' terminals may also be down on a year ago.
Adding a dampener to consumer spending may be the recent rises in longer term fixed mortgage rates because of higher wholesale rates.
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Poll: Is it ok to regift something that you have been given?
🎁 Holiday Gift Chat!
Do you ever regift?
What’s your take on asking for a receipt if a gift doesn’t fit?
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79.2% Yes! It's better to regift what I don't need
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20.8% No. It's the thought and effort that matters
Exclusive Christmas Sleep Deals - Up to 65% OFF Beds!
Hi neighbours,
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Don’t miss out, give yourself the gift of quality sleep this Christmas!
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