Sydney a ghost town as the city enters a two-week lockdown as case numbers spike
Ghost town transformation as city empties for two-week lockdown.
The usually bustling streets of Sydney are empty yet again as the city begins a two-week lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of a Covid-19 outbreak.
The CBD looks like a ghost town, with shopping malls shut down.
Only a few people are spotted, masked up, while doing essential grocery shopping, walking their pets or exercising in the city.
Under new restrictions that began at 6pm on Saturday, people in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong are only allowed to leave home for four reasons:
- Shopping for food or other essentials
- Medical care or compassionate needs
- Exercise outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer
- Essential work, or education if you cannot do it at home
Funerals are allowed with a maximum of 100 guests and subject to the 4 sqm rule.
Restrictions for the rest of NSW include:
- No more than five visitors in homes
- Masks are compulsory in all indoor non-residential settings
- The 4 sqm rule applies indoors and outdoors, and drinking while standing at indoor venues is banned
- No dancing at indoor hospitality venues or nightclubs
- Dance and gym classes are capped at 20 people and masks must be worn
The lockdown is expected to run until 11.59pm on July 9.
Meanwhile, NSW recorded 30 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 overnight — all of which were linked to the Bondi cluster.
“Of the 112 locally acquired cases recorded since 16 June 2021, when the index case (patient zero) for the Bondi cluster, a driver who transported international flight crew, was reported, 110 are linked to this cluster and two remain under investigation,” NSW Health said in a statement.
However, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said a number of people were in the community while infectious and that was a significant concern.
“All are linked to the Bondi cluster; 11 were in isolation throughout their infectious period and a further three cases were in isolation for part of the infectious period,” chief health officer Kerry Chant said on Sunday.
“What we are hoping over coming days is that we announce cases that have been in isolation for that fully infectious period.”
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