New restrictions for New South Wales after record rise in cases

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian yesterday announced tougher restrictions for the state including further limits on outdoor exercise, shopping and funerals, as she warned the lockdown may be extended after another record rise in Covid-19 cases.

Outdoor exercise has been reduced from 10 people to two people, and only within 10km of home. Only one person is allowed to leave home for essential shopping except under “exceptional circumstances”. Funerals will also be reduced to 10 people.

The state recorded another 44 cases of community transmission yesterday, the highest daily increase since the latest outbreak began after Thursday’s record of 38. The Premier said restrictions would continue until cases of the Delta variant “get to zero or close to zero”.

“Unless there is a dramatic change, unless there is a dramatic turnaround in the numbers, I can’t see how we would be in a position to ease restrictions by next Friday, and that is why all of us need to work together,” Berejiklian said.

The new restrictions come as the NSW Government considers abandoning its “zero Covid” goal, accepting that the Delta strain will circulate in the community.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday that senior ministers have acknowledged the state has reached a “fork in the road”.

“We have to decide whether we accept a lockdown so that we get cases down to zero or whether we do what no other state has done and accept the virus will circulate in the community,” one unnamed minister told the newspaper.

Infectious diseases expert Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah from Melbourne's Alfred Health described the reports as “irresponsible commentary”.

“We have to return to elimination, we need to return to Covid zero as quickly as possible in order to prevent our hospitals from overflowing and our cemeteries from overflowing.”