NSW has run out of ideas to get on top of Covid

The daily NSW press conferences have become grim viewing for millions. But today it seemed like the state was out of ideas.

OPINION

It’s hard to believe just last week, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian was talking about easing restrictions in some parts of Sydney from August 28.

Any of that positivity was completely gone when Ms Berejiklian fronted for her daily press conference today at 11am to announce another record bad day for NSW.

The 356 cases announced today was another grim milestone.

Up to 254 were infectious in the community for at least part of their infectious period — which probably explains why Ms Berejiklian and chief medical officer Kerry Chant looked so defeated.

Sydney is now in its seventh week of lockdown, and yet more than 70 per cent of new cases were in the community while infectious.

And if people aren’t following the rules now, it’s hardly going to get any better. Lockdown fatigue will only get worse.

Dr Chant was pressed on this point, but beyond saying the government is always looking at ways to “support the community comply”, she put it back on Sydney residents.

“Once you’ve got that force of infection, it’s really hard to turn it around,” she said.

“And that’s why I think we all need to redouble our efforts. I appreciate that those communities have been heavily impacted.

“I think that we need to further work with those communities to really ensure that compliance.”

Dr Kerry Chant says compliance remains a key part to getting on top of cases.

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NSW seems out of ideas beyond pleading with people to get vaccinated.

And based on the latest figures, NSW won’t reach 70 per cent of the population fully vaccinated - the magic figure Scott Morrison says will mean no more lockdowns - until November 4.

That’s still 86 days away.

Dr Chant is hardly someone you could accuse of letting emotions get the better of her during these length press conferences each day, but today she seemed at her wit’s end.

“We need to further decrease mobility and the community needs to adhere to the orders,” Dr Chant said.

“So we’re still seeing a lot of unnecessary movement of people. We’re also seeing compliance gaps.”

There are still calls for NSW to go hard and impose tougher restrictions, but what more can it do?

Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour last week said residents didn’t see a way out of this and urged the government to provide a road map on how it ends.

Maybe a bit of hope would help these locked down LGAs comply with the rules a bit more.

Several LGAs where cases are an issue are already in an even tougher lockdown, with movement limited to 5km and residents not allowed to leave their LGA.

Ms Berejiklian was asked again about a “ring of steel” being imposed, but was adamant it would do nothing.

“If we thought that they would have a significant or even marginal impact, of course, we’d do those things. But there is no evidence to suggest that that is the case,” she said.

Compliance was used multiple times in Dr Chant’s answers today.

“A large proportion of the community do (comply). But a small proportion of the community don’t,” she said.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard says people need to start showing some ‘common sense’.

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And that requires a whole of Government action and one is to support people with food and access so they don’t have to take actions to go to work when they’re sick.

“It’s about policing in terms of increasing compliance. It’s also about working with community leaders to better explain.

“There are some communities where we need to increase the understanding about the seriousness of Covid — how it’s transmitted and the implications.

“We also need to discuss vaccination. If there was a simple silver bullet, that would be the case. But from my public health perspective, I’m not happy that the case numbers are increasing and we certainly need to do all we can.

“But compliance will be one of those components of it.”

It’s hardly encouraging stuff for Sydney residents.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard — never one to sugar-coat anything — was more blunt than Dr Chant.

“If people applied the rules, if they complied with the rules and law and applied an element of common sense and modicum of decency to the rest of the committee, we would be fine,” Mr Hazzard said.

How can cases start to drop — let alone start to think about easing restrictions — when getting people to comply with the lockdown remains the biggest issue.

The daily press conference has been difficult viewing for Sydney residents. Today, they could be excused for walking away feeling like our state is out of answers on how to turn things around.

Oliver Murray is editor of news.com.au