Coronavirus NSW: Just two new COVID-19 cases in the state
As NSW recorded two new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, people still continued to flock to Sydney’s eastern beaches. Randwick Council will today decide whether the closure rules will be relaxed, and Waverley Council is set to reopen beaches tomorrow.
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NSW recorded just two new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours as health authorities managed to keep testing rates at a weekend high of more than 4000 kits deployed.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged people to continue getting tested if they displayed any symptoms that could be indicators of a COVID-19 infection.
Ms Berejiklian also encouraged people to download the federal government’s new coronavirus tracing app.
This comes Randwick City Council will decide today whether restrictions at Maroubra, Coogee and Clovelly beaches will be relaxed from tomorrow.
Waverley Council will reopen beach access from tomorrow more than a month after hordes of Bondi Beach-goers broke social distancing rules.
CALL FOR ‘ILLOGICAL’ BEACH RULES TO BE EASED
Swimmers and surfers are being warned to obey council rangers instructions and follow beach closed signs to avoid being fined when more eastern suburbs beaches reopen tomorrow.
Access to the water for swimmers and surfers will be opened at Bondi and Bronte Beach on Tuesday morning following month-long closures.
During that time beachgoers have ignored council restrictions and displayed disgraceful behaviour towards staff members patrolling the public spaces.
“People have been abusing our rangers and lifeguards. Some of their behaviour has been disgraceful,” Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos said.
“Council has the power to issue fines to people who are not complying with a council direction – which includes if someone is not observing a sign. We can fine people for going on the beach if it is closed.
“Our rangers and workers deserve to be respected. They’re there to ensure the people’s safety. If people have been given fair warning and continue to ignore the signs then fines should be issued.”
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A council spokeswoman confirmed rule breakers could be fined $110 by rangers.
On Monday morning cloud skies did not stop people flocking to open beaches this morning with exercisers calling for an ease on “illogical“ restrictions.
Most people were well behaved at Coogee, Maroubra and Clovelly which were opened strictly for exercise purposes from 6am-9am.
Randwick City Council lifeguards patrolled Maroubra on jet skis, paddle boards and in buggies making sure surfers, swimmers and runners were abiding by social distancing rules.
Just before 9am the shark alarm sounded, with lifeguards blasting directions over the loudspeaker rounding up swimmers and surfers.
“It’s coming up to 9 o’clock, you have five minutes to finish up your exercising. We hope you enjoyed your activities this morning. Unfortunately we have to close the beach,” a lifeguard said.
Five police patrolled the two gated exits speaking with people confused about the ever-changing restrictions, as the police chopper flew overhead monitoring crowds.
Everyone was off the beach by 9.10am.
Maroubra local surfer Peter Gibson said the three-hour exercise restrictions were “illogical”.
“I don’t think it’s fair and it doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Mr Gibson said.
“It means more people are all together in a compressed amount of time, when we’re wanting people to be spread out. It just seems illogical.”
NEW COVID-19 CASES
NSW continues to keep new coronavirus cases to a minimum after the state passed more than 3000 people diagnosed over the weekend.
Ms Berejiklian said the numbers were pleasing but warned people not to get complacent just because progress was being made.
“In the last 24-hour batch of testing, we had 4400 people come forward and get tested. That’s excellent, given for the same period last week, it was only 1300,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We want to get those testing rates up, not just during the weekdays but also on weekends and out of the 4400 people who got tested, only two were positive for COVID-19, which is again a good result.”
The new cases were detected in one returning traveller, and one known contact of a confirmed case.
It comes as an additional 19 people recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries to 2227.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant said NSW Health was aiming to ramp up testing in the hot spots of Lithgow, Blue Mountains, Hornsby, Lane Cove and the Northern Beaches.
TRACKER APP
more than one million Australians downloaded and registered for the COVIDSafe app within four-and-a-half hours of registrations opening yesterday.
Once installed and running, the COVIDSafe app uses Bluetooth to look for other phones that also have the app installed.
To be effective, users should have the app running in the background when they are coming into contact with others.
Ms Berejiklian said the app was important to stopping the coronavirus spread.
“I also do want to encourage all NSW citizens to download the COVIDSafe app,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“It is a vital tool in helping our officials get information to people as soon as possible about contacts and who might have the virus and who might be under threat of getting the virus.”
ENERGY BILL RELIEF
The state government has announced a $30 million boost to an energy payment supplement program, designed to give bill relief to those doing it tough.
The boost takes to yearly maximum limit of vouchers for families with both energy and gas to $1,600, a boost of $400.
The funding boost is part of a $100 million package already announced.
Energy minister Matt Kean has also encouraged seniors to apply for the Seniors Energy rebate, which gives eligible seniors bill support of $200 per year.
He said 110,000 people who are eligible for the rebate are yet to apply.
NAVIGATING LOCKDOWNa
Ms Berejiklian said residents were allowed to make “care stops” to see loved ones.
“If you are providing groceries or support … that’s fine so long as you are practising social distancing,” she said.
She added that it was important that eager shoppers across the state practice good hygiene and social distancing even as restrictions ease.
“We have essentially said if a shop is open you can go buy something as long as there is social distancing. We’ve not been specific on what’s essential or not, it’s up to you to determine that. It’s not for government to decide,” she said.
“We have seen more businesses reopen their doors and that’s a positive thing … but what government needs to do is to make sure that when you set foot in a retail store it’s safe. “
Ms Berejiklian ruled out the idea of a “regional first“ approach to relaxing lockdown laws.
“It would concern me if anyone in the state became complacent,” she said.
“We want one rule for NSW because we know that this can really spread quickly … we have to be vigilant wherever we are.”
Originally published as Coronavirus NSW: Just two new COVID-19 cases in the state