COVID-19 has locked down half Australia but there’s no easy solution for how to unlock it. Following the rules would be a good start though.
COVID-19 case numbers continue to climb across Sydney, with 136 cases recorded overnight — a record high for 2021. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian called the situation a “national emergency” as she called for the federal vaccine rollout to focus on Sydney.
It’s not clear what labelling the outbreak a “national emergency” will do. The National Emergency Declaration (Consequential Amendments) Act was legislated only last year after the bushfire royal commission and can be declared by state and territory administrators if “extraordinary measures are required to prevent or minimise the effect, or likely effect, of that emergency on the territory”.
It could signal harsher restrictions for the state, with more residents in Sydney’s west not allowed to leave their local government area unless they’re on a list of authorised workers.
What is the most important thing Australians can do to get out of lockdown? Read on.
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