EPA-EFE / MICK TSIKAS
Residents of Sydney and surrounding cities and towns have hoped over the past week to avoid complete closure. However, a new jump in the number of people infected with the corona virus has prompted the NSW government to make a decision on a 14-day lockdown last Saturday at noon.
The wider area of Sydney, Wollongong and the areas of the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast, will be in isolation until midnight on July 9, which means that the normalization of life could at least start the next day, on Saturday, July 10.
Until then, all residents of these parts of NSW, or over six million people, are ordered to stay at home, except in situations where going out is really necessary.
Justified reasons for leaving are:
x Going shopping for groceries and other necessary things;
x Providing or receiving health care, as well as going for vaccinations;
x Exercise or some other form of recreation, mostly in groups of up to 10 people;
x Going to work for those who cannot work from home or are employed in positions of essential importance.
NSW Prime Minister Gladys Beredjiklian said that all the decisions of her government since the beginning of the pandemic were made on the recommendations of health experts, and that this is the case this time as well.
– It is known that we do not want to burden the citizens unnecessarily, but unfortunately the situation is now such that we had to withdraw such a move. As I said, we are going through a period that is the most frightening since the beginning of the pandemic, and that is proving from day to day – said Beredžiklijan.
After 17 new cases on Friday afternoon and another 12 on Saturday, state authorities fear that there will be a new jump in the number of infected people. Especially since this is a new – delta strain of the virus, which health officials claim is far more contagious and more easily transmitted than other mutations that have appeared and circulated in Australia.
Prime Minister Beredžiklijan assessed the situation as “the most frightening since the beginning of the pandemic”, precisely because of the ease with which the infection is spreading. She emphasized that it would not make sense for the lockdown to be introduced for a few days, because that would not give enough time to the services that monitor the contacts of the infected to do their job properly and contribute to curbing the spread of the virus.
– The best recommendation of health experts at this time was to close Sydney, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast for two weeks. Of course, if there is a significant improvement in the situation in the meantime, we will certainly consider and assess the situation – Beredziklian did not rule out the possibility of abolishing the “lockdown” earlier if the conditions for that are created.
The Prime Minister of NSW especially emphasized how important it is that this locking of urban areas protects regional parts of the country, where there have been no cases of infection for a long time.
– Therefore, certain measures and restrictions will apply to regional parts of NSW, because we do not want it to happen if someone transmitted the virus to rural areas to spread the infection due to carelessness. That is why I am asking you to endure this period and for all of us to respect the measures. This is nothing new, we already know that “drill” – she said.
The Prime Minister added that in the regional parts of NSW, a maximum of five visitors per day will be allowed in households, and that masks will be mandatory in all public enclosed spaces, such as shops, restaurants, pubs…
Health Minister Brad Hazard in particular underlined that all employers must enable their employees to work from home, except for those workers who perform essential duties and whose presence at the workplace is necessary.
– It is a clear request to stop the movement of the population within the community as much as possible. We are extremely worried about the current situation, because the “delta” variant of the virus is spreading faster than anyone could have imagined. It is up to us to oppose in the best possible way and to stop the virus – Hazard said.
PERMITTED
– Leaving the house to buy groceries
– Going to the doctor or giving some to others
– Going to work or college if it is not possible to work from home
– Going out for exercise, mostly in groups of up to 10 people
– Performing funerals in the presence of a maximum of 100 people
IS NOT ALLOWED
– Visiting or receiving guests
– Operation of catering facilities (except delivery and takeaway food)
– Holding weddings and wedding celebrations
– Gathering of believers in churches (service allowed in the presence of a priest and two assistants)
– Organizing picnics, sports events and other types of gatherings
The closure “coincided” with the holiday
Lockdown came again at a time when many families were preparing to travel. This time it is not a state or religious holiday, but a two-week school holiday that began on Saturday. Everyone who has already traveled from the city to the regional parts (starting on June 21) will be obliged to stay at home for the next two weeks.
As Chief Health Officer Dr. Carrie Cent explained, they will be able to go to the store to buy food and drink and can enjoy the backyard of the houses or accommodation where they went, but they are not allowed to go to restaurants, pubs and other similar places.
State aid
No one should be stressed about the financial situation and the economic impact of the “lockdown”, said NSW Prime Minister Gladys Beredjiklian. She emphasized that the support to all affected businesses will be announced in the coming days, and the assistance of the Federal Government for situations of natural and natural disasters will be paid.
There will be no weddings
As of today, all weddings are banned in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Wollongong and the Central Coast. During the weekend, a concession was made as a sign of sympathy with those who scheduled the wedding, but for newlyweds who planned the wedding between June 28 and July 10 – there will be no wedding. When it comes to funerals, they will be performed every day and during the lockdown, but with the presence of a maximum of one hundred people, who will have to comply with the regulations of four square meters per person.
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