NSW and Victoria’s lockdowns compared

Gladys Berejiklian claims the NSW restrictions are the strictest Australia has seen, but Victorians dispute that. See the list to compare.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has sparked online backlash with her comments about the Covid-19-plagued state having tougher restrictions when compared to any other state across the country.

At a press conference on Thursday, Ms Berejiklian was asked if the NSW Government’s strategy to control the Delta outbreak had failed given cases continue to rise with 239 recorded and more still infectious within the community.

Sky News reporter Andrew Clennell asked: “With these numbers today, will you admit that your strategy has failed, that you have failed? You said the settings were right. That’s not true …

“Can you see now that you made a mistake and the strategy is failing, and this death of 1,000 cuts, a little bit of restrictions every day is not working and you have to come down hard?”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks to the media during a COVID-19 press conference in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

Ms Berejiklian replied: “Well, we have harsher restrictions in place than any other state has ever had and even if you look at mobility data, which we have access to, the vast majority of our citizens are actually doing the right thing. If you compare our mobility data to when Melbourne was in lockdown, the majority of our citizens are doing the right thing but as we know, the Delta strain is a game-changer and it is so contagious. We also know that it only takes a very small number of people to do the wrong thing to cause ripple effects which can cause a setback.”

How is the following comment substantiated?
"We have harsher restrictions in place than any state has ever had,”

— Simon Keily, M.Ed 🏳️‍🌈 (@aus_teach) July 29, 2021

All of Australia when Gladys said that NSW has harsher restrictions in place than any other State has had #covid19#SydneyOutbreak#SydneyLockdown#GladysMockDownpic.twitter.com/UeP0NcH23w

— Gleeko (@GleekoBlog) July 29, 2021

Later in the press conference, she said emphasised that rules and behaviour need to change to beat the virus.

“I appreciate how disappointing it is for people. If you don’t change what you’re doing, the numbers aren’t going to change,” she said.

“The numbers will keep going up until we change things. That is why reducing activity, reducing mobility, increasing compliance, these harsh measures are the harshest Australia has ever faced in a lockdown – can I make that very clear.

“These are the harshest measures any place in Australia has ever faced but we need to do that but based on the health advice, our list of critical workers is the shortest that any State has had.”

Straight after her comments came criticism from Victorian Premier Dan Andrews who urged the NSW government to listen to his advice to fight Sydney’s spiralling Covid outbreak, saying “it worked” against Victoria’s deadly second wave.

The Victorian Premier has repeatedly urged NSW health authorities to impose a “ring of steel” around Sydney, and even look at imposing a curfew.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews again urged NSW to heed his advice. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Paul Jeffers

He urged NSW to take his recommendations on board as the outbreak was not just a Sydney problem, but a national problem.

“This is not an academic thing, I’m asking for something that we did, and it worked,” Mr Andrews said on Thursday.

“Now, I can only ask. The points that have been made around Sydney is about trying to keep the virus where it is now not have it not having spread.

“There’s a difference of opinion, I’ve made our position very clear.

“All I’m doing is telling others what worked here and it’s through painful, tragic, bitter experience that we are able to advise what actually works,” he said earlier this week.

“The NSW government have a different view.

“I would respectfully say to the NSW government you’re not just making decisions for NSW, you’re making decisions for the whole country.”

Now we look at a comparison between some of NSW and Victoria’s restrictions:

*NOTE: Restrictions listed for Victoria below are Stage 4 restrictions from their lockdowns, and restrictions in NSW come from the NSW Health website

REASONS TO LEAVE HOME IN VICTORIA

Over the five lockdowns Victoria has had, four essential reasons have been:

*Shopping for essential goods or services;

*Work or study if you can’t from home;

*Seeking or giving care; and for exercise.

When vaccines became available, this became another reason to be able to leave the house.

REASONS TO LEAVE HOME IN NSW

A reasonable excuse is if you need to:

*Obtain food or other goods and services in your local government area, within 10km of your home, if reasonably practicable, attend to the personal needs of the household or for other household purposes (including pets), help vulnerable people.

*Only one person per household may leave the home to obtain food or other goods and services each day (you may take a dependent person with you if that person cannot be left at home on their own).

*Leave home to go to work if you cannot reasonably work from home or are an authorised worker living in the Blacktown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool or Parramatta local government areas

*From Thursday 29 July 2021 authorised workers living in the Campbelltown, Georges River or Parramatta local government areas can leave home

*Leave home for education if it is not possible to do it at home

*Exercise and take outdoor recreation within your local government area or up to 10km from your home.

*Go out for medical or caring reasons, including the need to get a Covid vaccine.

WORKERS IN WESTERN SYDNEY

Those living in the Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool or Parramatta local government areas who cannot work from home can go to work if it is within the local government area in which they live.

But they cannot leave the local government area that they live in to go to work unless they are an authorised worker.

There are also Covid testing requirements for works in Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland and Fairfield.

MASKS IN VICTORIA

Under Melbourne’s stage four rules, mask use indoors and outdoors was compulsory – and this is currently in force throughout Victoria, even though lockdown technically ended on Tuesday night.

MASKS IN NSW

In Greater Sydney, when you leave home, you must carry a face mask with you at all times.

You must wear a face mask:

*in all indoor areas of non-residential premises

*at certain outdoor gatherings

*if you are on public transport

*in a major recreation facility such as a stadium

*if you are working in a hospitality venue

*in indoor and outdoor areas of construction sites, except when an exemption applies such as when wearing a face mask creates a safety issue or there is a worksite emergency

*when working in an outdoor area.

*Face masks must be worn at indoor or outdoor areas of a fresh food market including:

– Sydney Markets at Flemington Markets

– Sydney Fish Markets.

APARTMENT BLOCKS

You must wear a fitted face mask when you are in an indoor area of common property in a residential building that is strata titled, community titled or company titled.

You do not need to wear a mask inside your own apartment.

Common areas where you must wear a mask include a shared foyer or lobby of an apartment block lifts, stairwells and corridors, shared laundry facilities.

Masks must be worn by anyone entering including residents and visitors, building managers, concierge staff and cleaners, people providing goods and services including tradespeople and contractors, people delivering food, mail and parcels.

OUTDOOR AREAS

Wear a face mask whenever you are:

*near other people that you do not live with, including your family, friends, neighbours or people you work with

*walking in a busy street

*near other people in a park or a crowded place

*working in an outdoor area

*outdoors next to food and drink premises or retail premises (such as queuing outside a cafe)

But for eight LGA hot spots of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool Cumberland, Blacktown Parramatta, Georges River, and Campbelltown from midnight Friday, masks are now mandatory in all public indoor and outdoor settings.

CURFEW IN VICTORIA

Melbourne had an 8pm -5am curfew in August last year – there was to be no movement outside aside from essential workers and seeking medical treatment and if you were required to provide care to someone.

Anyone found outside for an unapproved reason could be fined.

Anyone could visit a partner from 5am to 8pm. If they were at a partner’s house when curfew began they had to stay at that house. All the stage four restrictions applied, including staying within a 5km radius and only one person visiting the supermarket each day.

People could not leave their house to pick up a takeaway order after 8pm but food delivery services were allowed to operate during curfew hours because they were permitted workers.

Anyone out after 8pm would face a fine of $1652.

CURFEW IN NSW

There is currently no curfew in place.

PLAYGROUNDS IN VICTORIA

Were roped off and unable to be used. This applied also to outdoor gym equipment.

PLAYGROUNDS IN NSW

Playgrounds and outdoor gyms are not roped off.

TRAVEL IN VICTORIA

This was limited to just 5km from your home in August.

TRAVEL IN NSW

From midnight Friday, residents in the 8 hotspot LGAs are not allowed out of their LGA and the maximum distance they can travel from home has decreased from 10kms to 5kms, unless under “exceptional circumstances”.

This also means that the resident’s new “singles bubbles” partner must also live in the hotspot LGA and be within 5kms.

Greater Sydney residents can still travel within their LGA and within 10km of their LGA.

RING OF STEEL IN VICTORIA

In August, Melburnians thinking of leaving the city were met with roadblocks manned by police and the military who turned vehicles around if they didn’t have a valid reason for departure.

RING OF STEEL IN NSW

There is no ring of steel involving police and military, but there are tougher measures with a police presence for those in eight hotspot LGAs of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool Cumberland, Blacktown Parramatta, Georges River, and Campbelltown.

On Thursday July 29, NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller formally requested the Australian Defence Force to assist with ongoing COVID-19 compliance operations across southwestern and western Sydney.

Mr Fuller said the police force would be “significantly expanding” with 300 ADF personnel requested to “boost its operational footprint”.

“I have now made a formal request to the Prime Minister for ADF personnel to assist with that operation,” Mr Fuller said.

EXERCISE IN VICTORIA

Residents could exercise with another person from their household. This was restricted to only an hour a day in August last year.

But it was also restricted to two hours per day with one other person not from your household or your partner in the February and July lockdowns this year.

EXERCISE IN NSW

Stay within your local government area or within 10km of your home if you live in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Shellharbour.

If travelling by a private vehicle (car), do not share a car with people you do not live with.

You can exercise with one other person that you do not live with.

If you live with more than two other people, you can all go out together for exercise.

From midnight Friday, residents in the 8 hotspot LGAs are not allowed out of their LGA and the maximum distance they can travel from home has decreased from 10kms to 5kms, unless under “exceptional circumstances”.

SHOPPING IN VICTORIA

One person from your household could shop for essential supplies once a day. But they must stay within 5km of home and must not shop during curfew between 8pm-5am.

SHOPPING IN NSW

Stay within your local government area or within 10km of your home (unless the food or goods and services are not reasonably available locally).

If travelling by a private vehicle (car), do not share a car with other people you do not live with.

Only 1 person per household may leave their home each day to shop for food or other goods and services.

No browsing in shops is allowed.

You may take a dependent person with you if that person cannot be left at home on their own.

Go directly to and from the shops to get what you need. Do not spend time looking at other things.

WEDDINGS

Weddings were banned in Victoria and are banned in NSW.

FUNERALS

Funerals were allowed in Victoria with up to 10 people. It is the same in NSW.

PLACES OF WORSHIP

They were closed in Victoria and also in NSW.

CONSTRUCTION AND RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE IN VICTORIA

Residential construction work was allowed to continue during stage 4 restrictions in August last year subject to a number of restrictions.

These were permitted:

*Early stage residential land development

*Small-scale construction work, including renovations on unoccupied properties

*Large-scale construction work

All permitted construction work must:

*Have a High Risk Covid Safe Plan in place that is regularly updated.

*Allow no more than one worker per four square metres of enclosed workspace.

*Limit movement of workers between different sites where possible, and only with appropriate guidance.

*You could commence new construction projects as long as the stage 4 restrictions are complied with.

CONSTRUCTION AND RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE IN NSW

Until further notice, work at construction sites — and also renovations, repairs, maintenance and cleaning services that can be provided in the home — in the Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool and Parramatta LGAs are not to be carried out — unless the work is urgently required.

From Thursday 29 July 2021, work and activities in preparation for construction work at construction sites in Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour LGAs — but excluding the Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool and Parramatta LGAs — may be carried out.

Originally published as NSW and Victoria’s lockdowns compared