NSW officials have refused to reassure residents restrictions will ease on Friday, warning one group of people may “keep us in lockdown a lot longer” NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard says “entitled” people breaking the rules and throwing parties may “keep us in lockdown”. Speaking at Monday’s Covid-19 update, NSW leaders repeatedly refused to reassure millions of residents of Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, and Wollongong. The two-week lockdown would end on Friday as scheduled.
NSW recorded 35 new cases overnight, bringing the total in the outbreak to 312.
At least three of the new cases were linked to a rule-breaking party, officials said.
When you hear of parties in the middle of a lockdown, you have got to say, what is the thinking of some of these people?” Mr. Hazzard said. “I would say that those people who are thinking that the rules are somehow not for them, that they are more entitled than the rest of us not to listen, you have to listen because you may be the people who spread this and keep us in lockdown for a lot longer than the rest of the community would like.” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the next few days would be “absolutely critical” in determining whether she would release NSW from lockdown on time.
I know everybody is keen to understand what will happen beyond Friday’s lockdown, as am I,” she said. But I can tell you with certainty that the next few days will be critical in allowing our health experts to collate the data we’ve had in the last week and then present their advice to the government.” Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys hinted that NSW Police were bracing for the lockdown to be extended.
I ask people to stick with us,” he said.
Police want to see people comply. It makes our job far more accessible, and we (still have) a little way to go. So please don’t become complacent. The police won’t become complacent. We are rostered right throughout the rest of this week and preparing for what might be ahead so.
Please, we ask people to continue to be with us on this journey.” Ms. Berejiklian claimed the stay-at-home orders had “been effective in not doubling and tripling the figures we were worried about. It has allowed our contact tracers to maintain control over the virus. Still, it has foreshadowed that, unfortunately,y when a small number of people do the wrong thing,g it does result in different cases,” she said.
Chief health officer Kerry Chant refused to say whether the lockdown would end on Friday.
I do not comment until I’ve looked at all the data,” Dr. Chant said. Every day brings a new set of data and challenges, and what we think in the morning can change in the afternoon. I’m pleased we’ve had some people come forward for testing over the weekend, allowing us to link unlinked cases. The more certainty we have that we have tracked down every single transmission issue, that provides us with a lot more confidence in advising the government.”
