COVID-19: City of Sydney, Eastern Suburbs Locked Down For One Week

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Friday announced “stay at home” orders for the city of Sydney and the eastern suburbs of Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick. The public health lockdown orders come as NSW health announced 22 new local cases of COVID-19, with the current Bondi cluster outbreak rising to 65.

The areas that will be affected include, Sydney CBD, Darlinghurst, Glebe, Bond, Coogee, Paddington, Vaucluse and Double Bay. There are only four reasons to leave your home if you live in any of the affected LGAs – shopping for food and essential goods, medical care (including for getting vaccinated) or compassionate needs, exercise outdoors and essential work or education if you cannot do it at home.

Business in the four LGAs, including establishments and nightclubs on Oxford Street, Sydney’s gaybourhood, will have to close down for a week.

“I appreciate this is a blow for businesses in those communities,” said Berejiklian, adding, “Unless you’re providing essential food and services – that is take away food and services or grocery services of that nature, we don’t expect those businesses to remain open in the next week,” she said.

“This will have a big impact on local businesses and I have already spoken to government about supports and will be engaging with business chambers throughout the day to learn what would help,” said Alex Greenwich, Independent MP for Sydney, in a tweet.

Lockdown To Last For A Week

Berejiklian said that the government had accepted the recommendations of the public health department, and the settings that were announced previously will be extended till midnight Friday. In addition, stay at home orders would come into effect today at 11.59 pm.

“So in the four local government council areas of Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and the city of Sydney – if you live or work in those local government areas, you need to stay at home unless absolutely necessary,” said the Premier.

“The necessary reasons include – if you can’t work from home and you have to work outside of home. If you can’t get educated at home and you have to get educated outside of home. If you exercise outside, although we don’t want any more groups than 10. And if you need to provide care or compassion to a relative. And fourthly, of course, if you need to buy essential goods or services. So these are the only reasons we want anybody who lives or works in those four local government areas to leave their home.”

Oxford Street Affected

Update by Stonewall Hotel on Facebook.

Some Oxford Street establishments, including Stonewall Hotel, had announced that they will shut their doors for a week, even before the new restrictions were announced.

“Due to the evolving COVID 19 outbreak in NSW we have made the decision to temporarily close for 1 week from Thursday 24th June. The Safety of our Customers, Staff and Entertainers is our main priority at this time. Please stay safe and we look forward to seeing you all soon,” the hotel said on social media.

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