Video: Sydney, Australia, Is Placed Under Full Lockdown to Curb Outbreak

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From 6 p.m. today, all of greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong will go into a lockdown with stay-at-home orders in place until midnight, Friday, the ninth of July. So essentially, a fortnight from midnight yesterday, all of greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong will go into lockdown with stay-at-home provisions. What does that mean? It means all of us have to stay home unless for the four following reasons. Unless we have to work outside the home or get educated outside the home — and given school holidays, that obviously doesn’t apply. But if you must work outside the home, you’re able to do that. If you need to seek medical attention, including getting a Covid test, getting a vaccine or any other medical attention, you’re allowed to. And you’re also allowed to leave the home for care and compassionate grounds as well. And obviously, you’re allowed outside to purchase goods, essential goods and services. If we’re going to do this, we need to do it properly. There’s no point doing a three-day lockdown and then having the virus continue to bubble away in the community. Now, if after seven days there’s a dramatic change in the trend. Well, obviously, we’ll evaluate the situation. But at this stage, the best health advice we have is that a two-week period or until midnight, Friday, the ninth of July is necessary in order to make sure we get to our target of zero community transmission, which has always been our target from the beginning of the pandemic.

The New York Times