COVID northern beaches: failure in push for restrictions to be eased

Despite intense political lobbying and community pressure, strict lockdown rules on the northern end of the northern beaches will not be lifted early.

Residents living in the northern end of the northern beaches, including Louise Jones with her dog at Avalon, will remain cut off from the rest of Sydney due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Picture: Tim Hunter.

A push for the NSW Government to ease strict COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in the northern zone of the northern beaches has failed.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro confirmed at 11am that the area will still be cut off from the rest of NSW until at least January 9.

Locals at Avalon and other areas around Pittwater, have been in strict lockdown since before Christmas. Picture: Jeremy Piper

The confirmation that the lockdown will remain in place until at least this Saturday, January 9 comes after health officials detected another community acquired COVID case at Avalon yesterday.

Mr Barilaro said at 11am it was a household contact connected to the Avalon cluster. It was a man in his 20s. This brings the total number of cases for the Avalon cluster to 149.

But there had been mounting community and political pressure to lift the lockdown.

Businesses and residents in the northern end of the northern beaches had also been complaining that they had to endure strict lockdowns while there were no similar rules for western Sydney despite an outbreak of the disease centred around Berala.

Residents in the northern end of the northern beaches are not able to cross the Narrabeen Bridge, except for essential reasons, during the COVID lockdown. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Liberal federal MP for Mackellar Jason Falinski had been calling on Premier Gladys Berejiklian to lift the lockdown and allow the Pittwater area to have the same restrictions as the rest of Greater Sydney.

State Liberal MP for Pittwater Rob Stokes also made representations to Mr Barilaro.

“None of us want to be living under these restrictions for a moment longer than is necessary – we want to be reunited with family and friends, and we want to see our local small businesses thriving again,” Mr Stokes said on Facebook.

Despite meeting with Mr Barilaro and senior NSW health officials this morning in a final lobbying effort to have the restrictions eased, the strict orders will remain in place.

“I know you’ve been doing it tough,’ he said.

“We make these decisions to protect everybody — you, your family, the state and the nation.

“That is why we will continue to have restrictions in place, as we previously flagged, up to the 9th of January 9

“I understand it hurts . . . we are doing this to protect everyone long term.”

As part of the strict lockdown conditions, stay at home orders mean people in the northern end of the northern beaches can not leave their homes except to shop for essentials; travel to work or education if they could not work or learn from home; exercise; get medical care or supplies, or to fulfil carer’s responsibilities.

Newport Beach during the COVID lockdown. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Residents can only leave this area for essential reasons, including to buy food or access goods or services that are not available in their zone.

No visitors are allowed to people’s homes.

On Tuesday Mr Falinski called for businesses in the Pittwater zone to be allowed to reopen immediately. He also called on the NSW Health officials to urgently look more closely at ending the Pittwater lockdown sooner than January 9.

Mainstreet businesses were complaining they were missing out on vital revenue during the northern beaches lockdown. Photo Jeremy Piper

In a Tweet Mr Falinski asked: “Isn’t it time to give us back our freedom?”

“I do not believe there is a good argument for inflicting further economic damage needlessly,” he also Tweeted. “These businesses should be allowed to open before the weekend as long as they can demonstrate they can operate under COVID safe condition.”

Mr Falinksi said some locals had not seen close family members since before Christmas, yet they only lived a few kilometres apart.

Santa’s helpers Nigel Berridge and Sarah Le-Hanie, from Avalon, getting tested on Christmas Day at the pop-up Avalon COVID 19 testing station. Manly locals have not been able to see loved ones since well before Christmas: Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“Given the risk elsewhere in Sydney, and the response to that risk, they are asking me why they remain under lockdown and I do not have a good answer. We shouldn’t just accept the date has been set and cannot be looked at,” he Tweeted.

More to come.