NSW extends lockdown, 642 new cases
New South Wales has extended its lockdown and put tough new restrictions in place after recording 642 locally acquired Covid-19 cases overnight yesterday and four Covidrelated deaths.
Greater Sydney will remain in lockdown until the end of September, while restrictions will remain in place for rural and regional communities until at least August 28.
At least 41 of yesterday’s cases were infectious while in the community. Yesterday’s Covid-related deaths include an aged-care resident in her 80s from Sydney’s inner west who died at Royal North Shore Hospital; a man in his 70s from southeast Sydney who died at St George Hospital; a man in his 80s from western Sydney who died at Nepean Hospital, and a woman in her 80s from southwest Sydney who died at Campbelltown Hospital.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said police would be enforcing a 9pm to 5am curfew from Monday in Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and some suburbs of Penrith.
The only people allowed to leave their homes during these hours will be authorised workers.
“We feel for you, we’ve imposed a lot of restrictions on you already . . . But we don’t want to see more of you lose loved ones,” Berejiklian said.
“It’s heartbreaking when you see a disease rip through families. Families who aren’t vaccinated are suffering the most.
“I apologise deeply to the vast majority of people in these communities who are doing the right thing, but for our own health and safety moving forward we need to make these difficult decisions.”
NSW Commissioner Mick Fuller said police had asked for additional powers. “These additional powers, including the curfew are, from a
police perspective, about stopping the spread of the virus,” he said.
In addition to the curfew, outdoor exercise will be limited to one hour a day.
From Monday, all NSW residents will also be required to wear masks outdoors unless they are doing strenuous exercise.
“Our concern is that when people are walking past a group of people or accidentally bumping into people, that can cause that fleeting contact can cause transmission, and even when you’re exercising, you need to have the mask unless you’re doing strenuous exercise,” Berejiklian said. news.com.au