Live Breaking News: 'Disturbing' Woolworths mask confrontation caught on tape

Shoppers at a busy Sydney Woolies were left shaken after a man allegedly "exploded" at fellow customers who "politely" asked him to wear a mask.

Shoppers at a busy Sydney Woolworths were left shaken after a man allegedly "exploded" at fellow customers who "politely" asked him to wear his mask properly.

The North Shore Times reports police were called to Neutral Bay Woolworths yesterday afternoon after a man was seen yelling at shoppers.

"It was quite disturbing – a gentleman said to this guy politely, 'Mate do you mind putting your mask over your face', and the response was he basically exploded like a firecracker," a witness told the newspaper.

It comes as NSW recorded 89 new cases today, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian saying she would update Sydneysiders on the all-but-certain lockdown extension by Thursday at the latest.

This live blog has now ended. You can find yesterday's blog here.

Updates

4:07 pm July 31, 2021

Smith makes a splash with opening dive

London-based Australian journalist Latika Bourke has described the country's international border closures as verging on "cruel and extreme".

The Sydney Morning Herald correspondent told Ten's The Project that the human toll from the border closures was "heart-breaking".

"It means it is another person who can't get back to see perhaps their parent before they die, it is somebody separated from somebody's new child, somebody separated from perhaps their even own partner or another family member in some way," she said.

"In 2021, when lots and lots of Australians overseas have been fully vaccinated, and are waiting for a viable and safe pathway into the country, it's beginning to look cruel and extreme."

She added, "I think that there is not really any other country in the world asking its citizens to pay such an extraordinary price as Australians are asking of each other."

Source: Channel Ten

Bourke said it was as if Australia was "a penal colony again and we are not allowed in or out", whereas in the UK, come next Monday, most Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted.

"Make no mistake, Britain is a giant test-tube of an experiment right now," she said. "We are going hell for leather come Monday."

Commenting on a savage critique of Australia's vaccine rollout in the respected Financial Times newspaper overnight, Bourke said the criticism was fair despite the UK's far higher death toll.

"If you asked me that question seven months ago, we could emphatically say, no, it is not fair to be taking pot-shots from London – but the vaccines have drastically changed Britain," she said.

"Seeing Australia continue with elimination policies which are extreme and vast when it cannot convert it into a vaccine rollout like Britain has done, that is why I think it is fair to have some critique of Australia."

Latika Bourke joins us from London to try and explain why UK tabloids are referring to Australia as a 'feather duster' in relation to our slow vaccine rollout…still don't really know why though. pic.twitter.com/FF08KalEaU

— The Project (@theprojecttv) July 13, 2021

3:48 pm July 31, 2021

Incredible footage has emerged of kilometres-long testing queues in Fairfield, after the state government announced mandatory Covid-19 tests every three days for residents who need to leave the area for essential work.

The dramatic public health order, which comes into effect from midnight tonight, was announced on Tuesday morning in a bid to identify "undetected chains of transmission of the highly infectious Delta variant".

Video shared by the Cabramatta Community Facebook page tonight shows hundreds of cars queuing to get into the testing site at Fairfield Showground.

Source: CabramattaCommunity/Facebook

"Avoid the Fairfield Showground area, especially Smithfield Road between Canley Vale Road and King Road," the page wrote.

"Traffic is an absolute nightmare there at the moment, with cars queued past King Road and Canley Vale Road in both directions. That's a 2km stretch!

"Most cars are in the lane turning into the showground which is good, but some cars are realising late or queue jumping, which puts a stop to both lanes.

"There are lots of other testing locations around us, so please go and get tested somewhere else, or if you're doing your three-day testing (i.e. non-urgent, please go another time)."

3:27 pm July 31, 2021

San Marino within a whisker of historic first

NSW Police are investigating after an altercation over a mask unfolded inside a busy Sydney Woolworths on Monday.

The North Shore Times reports that police were called to Neutral Bay Woolworths yesterday afternoon after a man was seen yelling at shoppers.

The man allegedly responded aggressively after fellow shoppers asked him why he wasn't wearing his mask around his mouth, and instead had it covering his chin.

Social media video of the incident, which has since been taken down, reportedly showed the man yelling at one of the shoppers, saying "don't come up to me" before telling security staff three men were "hassling" him.

"It was quite disturbing – a gentleman said to this guy politely, 'Mate do you mind putting your mask over your face', and the response was he basically exploded like a firecracker," a witness told The North Shore Times.

"He was yelling and screaming to the point where he was trying to shirt-front one of the shoppers at the front of the store. There were a lot of people around at the time and particularly some of the older people looked pretty intimidated and distressed."

Police told the paper no charges or infringement notices had been issued in relation to the incident to date.

Source: North Shore Times

Source: North Shore Times

Source: North Shore Times

Source: North Shore Times

3:12 pm July 31, 2021

Best mullet in golf making late charge

Here are some more details of the NSW government's specific support measures, in addition to the Commonwealth payments available for individuals and businesses.

NSW says the total Covid-19 relief package will now be up to $5.1 billion, including more than $1 billion from the federal government.

"This is a mighty package aimed at ensuring the NSW economy bends in the storm but doesn't snap," NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said in a statement.

"We will come out the other side with a few scrapes but more determined than ever."

Picture: Christian Gilles/NCA NewsWire

NSW's 2021 Covid-19 package

• An extension to the previously announced business grants program. This means eligible businesses with Australian wages below $10 million can claim grants between $7500 and $15,000 to cover the first three-weeks of restrictions, and takes the potential size of the program to $2.1 billion.

• Up to $2 billion committed to the scheme to provide cashflow support to businesses to help them retain staff, to be delivered together with the Commonwealth.

• Payroll tax waivers of 25 per cent for businesses with Australian wages of between $1.2 million and $10 million that have experienced a 30 per cent decline in turnover, as well as payroll tax deferrals and interest free repayment plans.

• A new grants program for micro businesses with a turnover of between $30,000 and $75,000 which experience a decline in turnover of 30 per cent. The businesses will be eligible for a $1500 payment per fortnight of restrictions.

• A capped grant of up to $1500 for residential landlords who are not liable to pay land tax who reduce rent for tenants estimated at $210 million.

• Land tax relief equal to the value of rent reductions provided by commercial, retail and residential landlords to financially distressed tenants, up to 100 per cent of the 2021 land tax year liability.

• Introduction of legislative amendments to ensure a short-term eviction moratorium for rental arrears where a residential tenant suffers loss of income of 25 per cent due to Covid-19 and meets a range of criteria.

• No recovery of security bonds, or lockouts or evictions of impacted retail and commercial tenants prior to mediation.

• Deferral of gaming tax assessments for clubs until 21 December 2021 and hotels until 21 January 2021.

• A $75 million support package for the performing arts sector to be administered by Create NSW.

• A support package for the accommodation sector worth $26 million.

• $12 million in additional funding for temporary accommodation for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

• $5.1 million in NSW funding to support mental health.

Source: NSW Government

2:27 pm July 31, 2021

The federal government will offer cashflow support to affected businesses of up to $10,000 per week.

The payments are tied to 40 per cent of payroll, and range from $1500 per week for sole traders to a maximum of $10,000.

"That will come at a cost between the Commonwealth and states of around $500,000 a week, met equally by the state and the Commonwealth government," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

2:25 pm July 31, 2021

Scott Morrison is speaking in Sydney now to announce new financial assistance measures.

The Prime Minister says the Commonwealth Covid-19 Disaster Payment is being increased from $500 to $600 for people who have lost more than 20 hours of work, and from $325 to $375 for people who have lost between eight and 20 hours.

"You can get that payment right now," Mr Morrison said.

"You don't have to have lost your job, you don't have to have left your employer. It doesn't matter who your employer is. If you are lost those hours, you can access that payment right now."

1:52 pm July 31, 2021

A mum who was filmed calling staff at a southwest Sydney chicken shop "f***ing b*****s" after they refused to serve her for not wearing a mask says she does not regret the foul-mouthed outburst.

Video of the incident on Sunday went viral on TikTok, prompting pleas from shop staff to be patient and remember "we are people".

The woman was with her husband and children attempting to order lunch at Frango Charcoal Chicken in the Fairfield suburb of Smithfield, in the epicentre of the city's Covid-19 outbreak, when she was refused service due to the NSW mask rules.

Picture: The Daily Mail

"You know what, you're being f***ing b*****s," she says in the video. "I know my rights."

She tells the staff she has a medical exemption and that "today at the shops, the police saw my exemption, and I continued shopping without a f***ing mask".

Staff tried to apologise, but the woman spoke over them.

"No you're not sorry," she said.

"You know what, you guys are just on a power trip now. People have medical reasons – I can't wear a mask."

Speaking to The Daily Mail today, the woman, who gave only her first name Lulu, admitted that she "cracked it" at the workers but said the video had been blown out of proportion.

Source: @planetartaurusnest/TikTok

Lulu told the outlet she had actually been "quite polite and very helpful" trying to show staff she had a medical exemption due to her asthma.

"There's no reason to refuse me service," she said.

"I didn't think it was much of an issue because I had the exemption. Obviously I'm only human, to get treated like that, I'm going to lash out. I don't regret it. It's a build-up effect of what happened. A human can only take so much of being criticised."

She claimed she wasn't anti-mask and had tried to wear masks last year, but "nearly passed out, I had a panic attack" due to her asthma and so sought an exemption from her GP.

"I understand there's a virus going on and people are scared but it doesn't give them the right to treat people like nothing and refuse them service for food," she said.

"Businesses are struggling at the moment they should be grateful they're getting business, instead of turning it down."

After the video went viral, a Frango staff member said they had been instructed not to let mask-less customers into the store.

"We are people," the staff member said.

"We are in an area where Covid-19 cases are through the roof and we are still trying to work."

1:12 pm July 31, 2021

While Greater Sydney may not be getting out of lockdown at the end of this week as planned, today's figured revealed a glimmer of hope that the state is heading in the right direction.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has repeatedly said the number of cases out in the community while infectious needs to get to as close to zero as possible before the lockdown can end.

Picture: Covid-19 data

While this may seem ominous with 21 of today's cases in the community while infectious, a look at the number of cases in isolation for their full infectious period reveals a bit of positive news.

Journalist Juliette O'Brien posted a tweet showing the percentage of cases who were in isolation for their full infectious period over the past nine days.

Of today's 89 cases, 62 per cent were in isolation while infectious, a jump from the 43 per cent the day before.

* Correction – 62%

Does not include those in part or under investigation.

— Juliette O'Brien (@juliette_io) July 13, 2021

1:04 pm July 31, 2021

Despite her deputy Premier repeatedly saying this morning that the lockdown wouldn't be lifted on this week, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has once again refused to make an official announcement.

Asked when NSW residents can expect an announcement on the lockdown, Ms Berejiklian said it would be either "today or Thursday".

"We will, as a government, take the health experts' advice on what we announce as the next stage of the lock down beyond Friday," she said.

"As I have said before, and as Dr Chant and the minister has said, I would love to say exactly when the end date will be but that is up to all of us in part."

Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Ms Berejiklian once again said the number of infectious people in the community needed to drop significantly before the lockdown can be lifted.

"When we get that number of at least 21 people who have been infectious in the community as close to zero as possible is when we will be able to exit lockdown," she said.

"That is the target we need to aim for. The overall number of cases is important for us to understand what the virus is doing, but what the number that we really worry about are the number of people walking around in community with the virus.

"Unless that gets down to zero or close to zero, we can't get out of the lockdown."

1:01 pm July 31, 2021

Despite the new public health order relating to essential workers, Health Minister Brad Hazzard has refused to explicitly define what meets the requirements of essential work.

"We have indicated to try and define that is challenging. I think, in terms of essential work, the employer and the employee would know whether that particular worker was essential to the particular circumstances," he said.

Mr Hazzard said it will be left up to the employer and the employee as to whether the work is essential.

"My message also to the employers particularly is if you don't need to have someone come from an area that is suspect and obviously has major covid concerns presently, then perhaps it might be an idea to make arrangements for a worker from another area," he said.

"You can spend your lives looking for loopholes in these things and looking for reasons to duck and weave but the answer is use common sense, work with the public health officials to try and achieve what we need to achieve."