Oh shit. Greater Sydney’s lockdown has been extended until the end of September, and a 9 pm to 5 am curfew will be enforced from Monday, August 23 in the city’s 12 LGA’s of concern.
A curfew is now on the horizon, and face masks are now mandatory outdoors, except when exercising. This rule applies to when you leave home, or across the state, including in regional NSW.
Regional NSW remains in lockdown until August 28.
The move towards tougher restrictions comes after NSW recorded another 644 locally acquired COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period.
At least 71 cases were circulating in the community for all or part of their infectious period, while the isolation status of 506 other cases remains under investigation.
#BREAKING New rules for the LGAs of concern from Monday:
* 9pm-5am curfew
* Outdoor exercise limited to 1hr a day
* More stories to shut: office supplies, hardware, plant nurseries
* Government issued worker permits required for authorised workers from or entering LGAs— casey briggs (@CaseyBriggs) August 20, 2021
Currently, 470 people are being treated for COVID-19 in hospital, with 80 people in intensive care, and 27 on ventilation.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian this morning described the curfew and extension as “final measures” to drive COVID-19 cases down.
If that sounds ominous, it’s because it is.
Below is a list of the local government areas that have been listed as ‘of concern’:
Bayside.
Blacktown.
Burwood.
Campbelltown.
Canterbury-Bankstown.
Cumberland.
Fairfield.
Georges River.
Liverpool.
Parramatta.
Strathfield.
Penrith.
The suburbs of Caddens, Claremont Meadows, Colyton, Erskine Park, Kemps Creek, Kingswood, Mount Vernon, North St Marys, Orchard Hills, Oxley Park, St Clair and St Marys, have also been listed.
Starting at 12.01 am on Monday, a curfew will be in place from 9 pm to 5 am in the LGAs and suburbs of concern to help reduce the movement of young people.
The Premier has repeatedly told us there is no evidence that curfews work. The Police Commissioner last week said he didn’t see any reason to think a curfew would work. Today, they announce a curfew #nswpol
— Alexandra Smith (@AlexSmithSMH) August 20, 2021
This curfew will not apply to authorised workers, emergencies or medical care.
Premier Glayds Berejiklian said on Thursday that September and October would be “difficult” months for NSW residents as the goal of “COVID zero” becomes increasingly undoable.
However, she said there was “light at the end of the tunnel,” as vaccination numbers continue to increase.
It’s important to note that the introduction of curfews is now the sure-fire indication that NSW’s government has colossally fucked up its handling of the delta variant.
After all, only in July did Berejiklian say:
“I am not the type of premier that is going to be asking citizens to do things that (won’t) have any effect. The fact is (curfews) will not … reduce the number of cases.”
Huge backflip by Premier GB in NSW : curfew introduced, lockdown extended in Sydney till end of Sept, mandatory mask use outdoors , click & collect for Bunnings etc
— Minh Le Cong (@ketaminh) August 20, 2021
Stay inside, and wear a mask – be competent where others clearly can’t.
