CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
After a long 16 weeks of financial ruin and medical misinformation, the state of New South Wales finally hit the 80 per cent double-jab milestone on Saturday,
The target was achieved a week earlier than expected, and has triggered the lifting of further restrictions for people who are fully jabbed in Sydney.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said there was a lot of hope and optimism after last week’s easing of restrictions.
“There is a bright summer ahead as we open up our state. We are doing it in a safe way,” he said.
The freedoms currents being enjoyed in the big smoke have also provided great motivation for the people of rural NSW, who are rushing to match Sydney’s efforts with the jab roll-out, now that they’ve finally got access to enough doses.
As for today’s new list of can-haves, the Premier has now ruled that 20 visitors will be allowed in homes – and groups of 50 can gather outside.
Community sport can resume and masks are no longer mandatory in offices or outdoor settings, unless you are a front-of-house hospitality worker.
Dancing indoors and outdoors is now permitted in pubs, and at weddings – as well the long awaited return of ‘vertical consumption’ also known as ‘drinking while standing’.
However, while businesses around the city are ecstatic with the return to operating – it seems not everyone is quite comfortable with the roaring return to normal life.
Perrottet revealed today that he has received thousands of emails from Sydney residents who went too hard over the weekend.
“A lot of people are begging me to shut the pubs down again” chuckled Perrottet this morning.
“I’ve copped a vast number of emails with subject headings that just say ‘Shut it down’ and ‘That’s enough freedom for now’…”
“A lot of Sydney voters are scared about the prospect of being able to go to the pub every day, whenever they want, for the rest of their lives”
Perrottet says as someone who once got drunk at a Living End gig at Sydney Uni in 2003, he can sympathise with these poor people.
“I really can” he laughed.
“But I hate to break it to you…”
“It will take a shelling raid from the Chinese military to lock this city down again”
