Living in limbo: where next for COVID-19 restrictions in NSW? DeborahSnow
Liam Donohoe, the 23-year-old president of Sydney University's student representative council, has never seen students so angry and dispirited. Most classes are still online, faculties are dropping courses and cutting staff while fees stay the same, part-time work has evaporated and international students struggle to pay rent.
Yet harsh or not, at least Victorians have a road map. In NSW the government has avoided laying down clear numerical markers for when remaining restrictions on gatherings and business might be lifted."The government here is working towards something called ‘COVID-normal', which is life while COVID-19 is around, and I think we're getting pretty close to that," a senior government source said this week.
Shaw believes some sort of cold comfort lies in having black and white rules to follow. "In a curious way, in Melbourne, while they are railing against it there will probably be more people who will say well at least I know where I stand," she says. The association also wants councils to allow more "activation" of outdoor areas as the weather warms up. "Many businesses say they could double the size of their venue by having outdoor laneways, and adjacent parks and unused parking lots activated", Lambert says.
But far from loosening restrictions, McLaws believes NSW should be tamping down further, even on the current low figures. Prior to the second wave, she estimated that the "safe" or "green" zone for community transmission is a rolling figure of five cases or less a day over a 14-day period, or a cumulative total of less than 100 cases over a fortnight.
"If you ignore it, it's like a wilful child ... it will just get out of control. My advice and experience is don't wait - don't wait until it gets so bad that youto implement stringent public health measures. Outbreak management is best done pre-emptively."
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