Flout mask laws and risk arrest

The NSW government is quietly confident Sydney’s lockdown can end later this week, but warns it will come down hard on ‘wacko’ anti-vax campaigners who flout rules.

People wearing protective face masks queue for their vaccination. Picture: AFP

The NSW government is quietly confident that Sydney’s lockdown can end later this week as planned, but has warned that it will come down hard on “wacko” anti-vax campaigners who flout face mask rules.

NSW recorded 16 new locally acquired cases on Sunday, with 13 of those in isolation while infectious, a result Premier Gladys Berejiklian said was evidence the lockdown – due to end on Friday – was working.

The figures were a significant drop from the 35 cases announced the previous day, with Ms Berejiklian expressing optimism that “we are seeing numbers go the right way”.

“But I do say cautiously that could still bounce around,” she warned. “And we’ve seen in the last few days how easy it is for people to unintentionally do the wrong thing, or intentionally do the wrong thing, and that can result in more cases.”

Evidence of that was plentiful in Sydney at the weekend, with beaches, parks and shops packed with people not observing mask and social distancing rules.

The government has been criticised by epidemiologists for not clamping down on non-essential shopping, after several retail stores were identified as hot spots, including fashion outlet H&M in the city.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard, however, continued to insist on Sunday that the biggest threat was closer to home.

“Right now the most dangerous place is actually our homes,” Mr Hazzard said.

Too many people were visiting friends and family for social reasons, he said, and not for the prescribed purposes such as providing care and assistance to a vulnerable person.

“If you do have the need to go to someone’s home, it would be very wise for you to avoid kissing, cuddling, closeness,” he said.

“Any proximity at all can mean that this virus can get you and spread it then to others when you leave that house.”

NSW authorities have indicated they will be taking tougher action against business owners who deliberately flout mask-wearing rules, following a number of cases in which anti-vax campaigners have repeatedly breached public health orders.

One of the owners of a Southern Highlands organic food store was arrested at the weekend for a second time after refusing police requests to wear a mask.

Police had returned to The Organic Store in Bowral after two previous visits only to find 20 people in the store, including two female employees, not wearing face masks. The two women stated they had no intention of complying and were arrested.

The owners had already been arrested on Thursday, with one charged with hindering police in the execution of duty and issued with a notice to attend court for not wearing a fitted face covering when indoors at a business. The other owner was charged with assaulting an officer in the execution of their duty. The store has previously displayed a sign saying: “If you have had any vaccine in the last 10 – 14 days please do not enter. For hygiene reasons no masks in store please.”

The owners frequently post anti-vaccination messages on their social media accounts, including one that falsely claims: “Shedding is real. Non-injected people are getting sick just being in proximity to an injected person.”

Mr Hazzard has warned that those defying the law with “wacko views” will not be tolerated.

Police have also taken action against the owners of a Jindabyne cafe after numerous Crime Stoppers reports that masks were not being worn on the premises.

The pair were arrested, charged and bailed last week but when police returned they again found staff and customers without masks, and with no QR code or sign in sheet. Police have applied to the Department of Health seeking a closure order on the store.

NSW Deputy Commissioner Gary Warboys pledged on Sunday to continue taking action to close down “those businesses that want to make a statement around their views or their opinions” by breaking the law.