On the day the NSW Government allowed the easing of restrictions on public gatherings, dining and outdoor activities, two of the key agencies involved with protecting the community from the spread of coronavirus joined forces to issue a sombre warning: “This is not over,” said NNSW CE Wayne Jones, agreeing with a journalist’s suggestion that locals are becoming complacent about the risks of transmission.
“You only need to go to the shops to see that,” Mr Jones said. Richmond Police District Crime Manager Detective Chief Inspector Cameron Lindsay added that on the previous day two people in downtown Lismore had been charged with breaching the distancing and travel rules.
On that same day, the LHD advised that two cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in local residents, bringing the total number of cases to 57 (of whom, 51 had recovered).
Emphasising the essential public health messages of distancing, frequent hand washing, avoiding touching public surfaces and one’s face, Mr Jones took obvious satisfaction from telling the media that his LHD had the highest testing rate in NSW, and given Australia’s position on the world stage, this meant we have one of the highest globally.
Despite that, or more accurately because of it, “It would be naïve to think we won’t see more cases,” he said, adding, “This is certainly not over… [however] it’s good news that we’ll be able to move about more freely and catch up with our friends and family.”
Chief Insp Lindsay agreed that enforcing social distancing and other compliance measures is extremely challenging for police, especially in locations such as our popular beaches. Fortunately, he said, none of his officers had contracted coronavirus.
