CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
After 12 months of being the nation’s punching bag, Victorians are seething this week as NSW white knuckles through a quarantine outbreak – with what looks to be successful results.
Sydney is down to 11 new cases today, after a spike of 16 yesterday. Today’s slight decrease in community transmission is a relief for the public.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian remains firm that she does not think her state will have to enter a Melbourne-style lockdown, even though the Bondi Cluster is now just as big as any of those Victorian outbreaks that triggered the Andrews government into shutting shit down at the drop of a hat.
This logical and rational response to a developing public health concern has been a cause of great frustration for the Victorians, who were really hoping it was Sydney’s turn to be ridiculed for being scaredy cat pussies who suck at contact tracing.
However, with only slightly tighter social distancing restrictions in greater Sydney, it seems that Victorians will be denied the opportunity to beat their chests and say I told you so.
In a rare turn of events, the NSW government is today received praise from right across Australia for their brave decision to keep the economy and schools open in the face of an outbreak. A welcome change of tune for one of the most arguably corrupt state governments of all time.
It is a bold strategy not yet seen in any other states.
Queensland and South Australia prefer to respond to outbreaks with a ‘long weekend’ style of quick lockdowns, while WA opts to just not let anyone into their state and refuses to take in overseas arrivals.
But Berejiklian’s resistance isn’t receiving too much praise on Smith street today, as one local rockabillyphile from the north end of Collingwood cracks the shits.
“It’s just ridiculous. It’s reckless. I actually think it’s criminal negligence” says Olga Pyrenees (35), a recently unemployed candlemaker who lost her job in the 17th Melbourne lockdown.
“Who do they think they are to make these kinds of risks, and find other ways to manage this situation”
“This won’t go away unless they completely shut down their economy with ever-changing timelines and no concrete assurances”
“The people need to be locked inside. Not seated at restaurants and pubs! They need to be told what to do and they need to obey what they are told what to do!”
“LIKE WE DID!!!!!!”
