Dec 31 (Reuters) - Australian shares were poised to open lower on Thursday amid worries over the economic impact of stricter restrictions in Sydney ahead of New Year's eve celebrations to prevent a new coronavirus outbreak.
The New South Wales government restricted household and public gatherings in the country's most populous city, hoping to avoid a "super spreader" event after having detected a fresh cluster of coronavirus cases in the city earlier this month. local share price index futures YAPcm1 fell 0.4%, a 91.4-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark ended down 0.3% at 6,682.4 on Wednesday, snapping a three-day gaining streak.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 inched up 0.2% by 2129 GMT.