NSW Health grants Auburn Gallipoli Mosque special COVID exemptions
In a bizarre double standard, when St Mary’s Cathedral wanted permission to accommodate 300 mass-goers they were knocked back, but a mosque in Auburn was granted a special exemption.
Opinion
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Australians have been extraordinarily docile and obliging about COVID-19 restrictions on their freedoms, in a way that Americans never would be.
However, the social contract implicit in bowing to unprecedented government authority is that everyone is treated the same.
So what game was NSW Health playing when it granted Auburn Gallipoli Mosque a special COVID-19 exemption to quadruple the allowed number of worshippers to 400 for Friday Eid al-Adha prayers six weeks ago, while rejecting for the third time requests from St Mary’s Cathedral to relax the 100-person cap?
Are Catholics more contagious than Muslims?
Under NSW coronavirus restrictions in place from July 1, places of worship are limited to 100 people, or one visitor per four square meters.
Good luck to Auburn mosque, but fair’s fair.
St Mary’s already has been twice rejected for exemptions to allow more than 100 people in the enormous cathedral to celebrate the ordination of new priests.
Now, for a third time, its request for a permanent exemption to accommodate up to 300 mass-goers has been rejected, even though it would still easily allow four square meters per person to social distance.
In an extraordinary email dated September 4, Dr Richard Broome, Acting Executive Director, Health Protection NSW, explains his rejection of St Mary’s request to NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant: “A specific exemption for St Mary’s would create a precedent that could lead to widespread relaxation of the gathering rule and a substantial increase in the number of large gatherings.”
Well, yes. Which is why Catholics and other religious observers assumed the Auburn mosque precedent would apply to them.
Broome went on to claim: “People who participate in church gatherings may be older than average and at greater risk of serious illness if they acquire COVID-19.”
Broome clearly hasn’t seen all the Catholic churches brimming with children and babies. In any case, he should trust elderly or infirm people would be sensible enough to stay home and not put themselves at risk. This is the advice Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher gives to parishioners.
Broome concludes his advice with the observation that “hospitality venues are permitted to allow up to 300 people in separate areas of the premises with individual groups less than 10. Several outbreaks have been associated with very large pubs and clubs in NSW.”
If that’s the case, why are pubs and clubs allowed three times as many guests as churches?
This sort of arbitrary picking of winners by faceless health bureaucrats will end in tears. There must be one rule for all, no special favours, or Sydneysiders will stop being so amenable.
Miranda Devine is in New York for 18 months to cover current affairs for The Daily Telegraph