Coronavirus NSW: Social distancing fails ahead of joint police and ADF operation to enforce quarantine of travellers
NSW Police and the Australian Defence Force will work together to ensure people returning from overseas travel remain quarantined in their hotels or face fines or jail as the state pleads with people to maintain social distancing measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
NSW
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If you can stay home, you must stay home. That is the message the NSW government repeated on Saturday as NSW Police Minister David Elliott announced a joint operation with the Australian Defence Force would start at midnight Sunday to enforce quarantine measures of travellers returning from overseas to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Mr Elliott called on Sydneysiders to work with police who were facing an increasingly tough time as they enforce social distancing measures including breaking up large gatherings.
But some Sydneysiders are finding it hard to adhere to social distancing measures and face on the spot fines if they continue to flout the rules.
It comes as the number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in NSW jumped by more than 200 in 24 hours to 1617 infections and a 91-year-old resident at the Dorothy Henderson Lodge became NSW’s 8th COVID-19-related death.
In Sydney’s east people were out at Rushcutters Bay to exercise, socialise and walk their dogs in surprising numbers and Maroubra Beach was closed after large numbers of people flocked to the shore on Saturday.
It is the second weekend that lifeguards have been forced to sound the shark alarm and order people out of the water and off the sand because many were ignoring the social distancing measures.
Beachgoers and people out walking and exercising continue to appear oblivious to the threat of coronavirus with people gathered along the Coast Walk from Bondi to Maroubra and beyond.
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Surfers were also spotted paddling alongside one another in proximity not adhering to the 1.5m social distancing rule.
People started arriving at Maroubra Beach from 7am and, within two hours, lifeguards began warning people they would be forced to close the beach if more than 500 people gathered.
Finally, at 11.30am, with police cars and emergency service vehicles with lights flashing parked on the boardwalk, that closure came.
Unlike last weekend, most surfers and beach goers listened and started leaving.
But a core group of surfers have appeared unwilling to leave despite lifeguards taking to jetskis to ride out and tell them to leave.
But, as people left the beach, more began arriving in cars, dressed in swimmers, carrying towels as if it was just another beautiful day in the Emerald City.
The public’s failure to practice social distancing along the coast has prompted Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) on Saturday to issue a statement urging people to stay away from the beach, in particular, during the upcoming school holidays.
The message comes after the federal government thanked Australians for taking heed of the measures this week and called on people to continue to stay at home unless it was absolutely necessary to go out to buy essential items.
“The Easter school holidays are when we traditionally see large numbers gather on our beaches and whilst we recognise that this is often part of our culture, at this present time, Surf Life Saving Australia is urging the public to adhere to the Government warnings, particularly with respect to social distancing,” said SLSA President Graham Ford AM.
“We all have a role to play to combat COVID-19 and as community leaders, we recognise our role, and unlike most years where we encourage people to visit our coastline and swim between the flags, this year our message is necessarily different – stay safe, stay home and help stop the spread of COVID-19 – please stay away from the beach.
“Some surf lifesaving services have taken the decision to adjust and/or withdraw their patrols as a result of COVID-19, meaning that the level of front line support from our volunteer surf lifesavers may not be as the public would normally expect, it simply won’t be as safe for people if they were to visit some beaches people would normally visit.
“The safety and wellbeing of Surf Life Saving volunteer lifesavers, who are critical to our community, is also at the forefront of all our minds when considering these decisions.”