The Central Coast will not come out of lockdown on September 11 amid continuing concern over escalating COVID-19 case numbers in the region.
While announcing easing of restrictions in much of regional NSW, Deputy Premier John Barilaro said on September 9 that with case numbers still high, stay at home orders would stay in effect on the Central Coast, along with various other regions in the state.
At September 9, there were 167 confirmed cases on the Coast.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said when the region’s lockdown was last reviewed in August there were 45 active COVID-19 cases, but that number had more than tripled since.
“For the first time, there are active COVID-19 cases in every single postcode across the Central Coast,” Crouch said.
“The only way we can beat the Delta strain is by getting everyone vaccinated.”
Crouch confirmed that the slight easing of restrictions for the region announced on August 26 will remain in force.
This allows for groups of up to five fully vaccinated people to gather outdoors within the LGA or within 5km of home outside the LGA from September 13.
As Premier Gladys Berejiklian outlined a roadmap for coming out of lockdown once the state attained a 70 per cent rate of double vaccination, Crouch reminded Coasties that the regional percentage on the Coast to date is around 40 per cent.
“I am calling for everyone on the Central Coast to remain vigilant and follow the stay-at-home rules,” he said.
Crouch said the state was on track to reach the 70 per cent milestone in mid-October, but only fully vaccinated residents would be permitted to take advantage of easing restrictions.
“There are approximately 21,000 Central Coast residents getting vaccinated each week which is good progress, but we need to do better,” he said.
“Both brands of the vaccine are safe, effective and free and both brands also reduce the likelihood of death by over 90 per cent.”
Meanwhile, case numbers on the Coast have more than doubled in the past week.
On September 3, eight cases were confirmed; two linked to previously notified cases, one linked to a worksite cluster in Sydney and five under investigation.
On September 4, 15 more residents tested positive; 14 linked to known cases and the source of infection for one under investigation.
Fourteen were infectious in the community.
Seven more cases were announced on September 5; five linked to known cases and the other two under investigation, with five cases in the community while infectious.
September 6 saw the announcement of eight more cases; seven linked to known cases and one under investigation.
Then, on September 7, 22 cases were confirmed; 19 linked to known cases and three under investigation.
Eleven were in the community while infectious.
September 8 saw 15 more cases announced; nine linked to known cases and the source of six under investigation, with 13 in the community while infectious.
And finally, on September 9, another 22 cases were announced; 13 linked to known cases and nine under investigation.
Of these, 20 were in the community while infectious.
Multiple Central Coast exposure sites are being announced daily.
Residents are urged to continue checking the NSW Health website for exposure site locations, times and dates.
Terry Collins
This allows for groups of up to five fully vaccinated people to gather outdoors within the LGA or within 5km of home outside the LGA from September 13.
So I live at Erina can I go to Gosford. It is further then 5km
But it is within the LGA.
How about fully explaining what they are saying.
Give an example to explain what the restriction are.
Yes you can.
I’ve had my first dose of vaccination and find these lockdowns hard times to do anything apart from going to shops it’s so confusing
I find the whole thing brutal. I call the lockdowns home arrest while the government cherry-pick who they support financially. For me the timing couldn’t have been worse and it feels as though they are punishing healthy people.
It also highlights our economic woes and a ‘welfare’ system that doesn’t work. I think its proven that no-one can have a life with an income of less than $750 per week and yet in our lovely country where we pride ourselves on equality we ‘help’ out of work people into a poverty trap. Sticks and carrots ? I call it financial bullying.
You didn’t warn about moderation ?
Yes thank you Sonia, we run community newspapers and as such operate under those norms. We moderate our letters to the editor for defamation, outrage or liable as we do this forum. The recent High Court ruling affirmed our obligations to moderate, we’re not happy about that entirely though that’s the situation as it stands.