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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian Says State Won't Go Back Into Lockdown Despite Coronavirus Case Increases

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian Says State Won't Go Back Into Lockdown Despite Coronavirus Case Increases

'We cannot shut down every time we have a cluster of cases​​'

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Parts of Melbourne have been plunged back into lockdown as Victoria continues to see numbers of new coronavirus cases in triple figures.

North of the border, New South Wales has started to see small outbreaks, leaving many to wonder whether the state will follow Victoria's lead.

Last week, the Melbourne metro and Mitchell Shire areas were placed into Stage 3 Stay At Home Orders, meaning people were only allowed to leave their home for work, school, groceries, exercise, care or compassionate reasons - or essential trips like a doctor's visit.

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However, it appears NSW will try to manage any further outbreaks without a lockdown.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has told Channel 9's A Current Affair: "Until we have a cure, we have to live with it. We cannot shut down every time we have a cluster of cases.

"We cannot keep shutting down, reopening, shutting down and reopening. That is not a good way for us to manage the pandemic because it creates chaos for people. It creates chaos for businesses who are employing people and it makes us lose confidence in the future.

"I think what we are going to have to accept during the pandemic is that we are always going to have cases. We are always going to have outbreaks.

"I don't ever want to be in a situation again where we have to lock down NSW. We've done that, we did it well, we came together and now what we need to do is keep working together. Take the health advice, get tested, stay home... keep everybody safe."

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The only issue is that many people aren't staying at home. With restrictions easing across many facets of life, loads of people are once again soaking up the pubs, restaurants, gyms and resuming socialising at home.

With that in mind, Ms Berejiklian said it would be better if people had social distancing at the front of their minds.

While many might be resuming life as normal, the Premier said we will all have to make sacrifices.

"I had not hugged my parents for months. That is a decision I have taken because I'm extra careful," she said. "All of us have to make sacrifices, all of us have to take actions to protect the wider community.

"But we also need to accept that children need to be educated, people have to go to work...we cannot be in lockdown forever and no community could be."

Experts have suggested Sydney is at low risk of echoing the situation in Melbourne due to the latter's high density living situations.

The number of people infected from one hotspot in Sydney's south-west has now grown to more than 30. People who were at The Crossroads Hotel in Casula have been told to get tested if they visited between 3-10 July.

Featured Image Credit: Channel 9

Topics: News, Australia