Northern Rivers lockdown: Is it really needed, or should it be lifted?

The Northern Rivers has entered its second week of stay-at-home orders, but not everyone thinks lockdown is necessary, or that it will prevent further Covid cases in our community.

Northern Rivers families are struggling in lockdown.

We are well and truly into lockdown on the Northern Rivers, and pressure is building as families juggle working from home with homeschooling, and others battle loneliness and mental health issues.

The lockdown was sparked by three confirmed Covid-19 cases – Zoran Radovanovic and his two sons – who came to Byron Bay from Sydney.

They were admitted to Lismore Base Hospital, and the 52-year-old and his 19-year-old son were later charged with public health order breaches.

A number of official Covid exposure sites were listed by NSW Health and anyone who was at the venues at the times of concern should immediately isolate and get tested.

Lockdown was extended to all of regional NSW on Saturday, August 14.

Since then, Covid-19 fragments have been discovered in the sewerage at South Lismore, Ballina and Lennox Head.

Covid-19 fragments have been detected at the Ballina Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Today, Deputy Premier John Barilaro said there was a 50/50 chance of lockdown being lifted on Saturday.

But is a lockdown truly warranted?

Health officials say it is the only way to stop the spread of the virus and fines for breaching the stay-at-home rules have been increased.

But not all local residents are convinced.

On The Northern Star’s Facebook page, the majority of commenters said lockdown should be lifted on the Northern Rivers.

Byron Bay has been a very quiet place since the lockdown was announced on August 9 and then extended in a regional NSW-wide measure until August 21.

Gemma Rose Shrubb said the situation was “ridiculous”.

“Lift the lockdown and give everyone their livelihood back,” she wrote.

“People I know are struggling to make ends meet having their businesses affected, not to mention mental health and domestic violence ... our numbers are nothing to be alarmed by at this stage.”

Antelope Rose: “All I can say is lift the lockdown! Some single parents aren’t coping with doing work from home, while doing homework and keep mentally sane. We got no cases so let us live our lives but with safety.”

Sharon Armstrong: “Mental illness will affect more than Covid ever will. Get vaccinated and let’s get back to living.”

Megan Flynn: “Many living in fairyland thinking we will have zero cases and can live with zero cases. Ain’t going to happen. We need to learn to live with it. Locking down until you believe is gone is just going to break Australia even more than it’s already doing.”

However Leslie Burns said until people started doing the right thing, “no-one is safe”.

“Come on people, we are in this together. Do the right thing and stop spreading it,” Leslie wrote.

Nancye Atherton said she wanted the lockdown to stay in place “because of all the visitors in the area and not wearing masks”, while Ingrid Dewhurst said lifting lockdown was not work the risk.

Kaylee Crouch: “Yes, we should stay in lockdown, and yes it sucks, but there’s evidence that there’s Covid in our sewage. It’s worrying because we haven’t recorded any new cases.”

Debbie Field agreed the sewerage testing was a worry.

“They’ve got to stop the Sydney exodus up here,” she wrote.