Australia's Bondi Beach closed after crowds defy coronavirus rules

[rooster59]

Australia's Bondi Beach closed after crowds defy coronavirus rules

By Lidia Kelly

 

FILE PHOTO: Beachgoers enjoy a sunny day at Bondi Beach despite growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, March 20, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

 

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian officials closed Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach on Saturday after thousands of people flocked there in recent days, defying social distancing orders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, amid an unusually warm autumn spell.

 

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the crowds on the country's most famous strip of sand were "unacceptable" as he reported the number of infections across Australia had risen to 874. The death toll was seven, unchanged from a day earlier.

 

New South Wales state police minister David Elliott announced Bondi's closure, warning "this is going to become the new norm" if people did not comply with regulations that prohibit more than 500 people gathering at a non-essential event.

 

"This is not something we are doing because we are the fun police," Elliott said in a televised news conference. "This is about saving lives."

 

"We will be closing down the type of iconic activities that unfortunately we've come ... to love and adore about our lifestyle."

 

Elliott said lifeguards who patrol the state's many beaches will conduct head counts and, if there are more than 500 people at any one location, the beach will be closed and people ordered to move on.

 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced stricter rules on socialising on Friday, requiring indoor venues such as bars and restaurants to maintain a density of no more than one person per four square metres (43 sq f) of floor space. The overall limits of 100 people gathered indoors and 500 outdoors remained in force.

 

In Victoria, the state government responded to public pressure and revoked an exemption given to Crown Resort Ltd's <CWN.AX> Melbourne casino from those tougher rules.

 

"We are practicing what we were told to do," a Crown representative told Reuters by telephone.

 

Crown and Sydney rival Star Entertainment Group Ltd <SGR.AX> are licensed to operate a total of more than gaming 4,000 machines. Both introduced social distancing measures last week, including switching off every second electronic gaming machine and table, but their shares have tumbled on concerns about their future revenue.

 

The Australian response to the coronavirus pandemic, while unprecedented, has been less severe than in parts of Europe and North America where higher rates of infection have led to more sweeping public lock downs.

 

Schools in Australia remain open, with Morrison citing medical advice despite some criticism of that tactic.

 

However, Victoria state partially broke that national agreement on Saturday when it ordered public schools in the state to close for two days next week to trial the viability of online education for pupils.

 

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly; editing by Jane Wardell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-21

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[Matzzon]

That´s real dumb nuts!

[ThaiBunny]

"Bondi Beach has been temporarily closed amid confusion over the NSW government's attempts to enforce a limit of 500 people on the beach, as the state experiences the biggest jump in the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases to date.  Waverley Council also closed Bronte and Tamarama beaches on Saturday afternoon after NSW Police Minister David Elliott said the NSW government would enforce restrictions on crowds at beaches, with lifesavers withdrawing from the iconic beach and alerting police where crowds exceed that number."

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/unacceptable-health-minister-blasts-beachgoers-amid-coronavirus-crisis-20200321-p54chw.html

[tifino]

if they adopted rectul sunning protocol

- social distancing would be guaranteed

[rudi49jr]

Lot of people are just extremely selfish and refuse to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation. They don’t feel sick, and apparently they don’t know - or don’t care - that they can be infected and spread the virus anyway. It’s just very irresponsible behavior. For instance, Belgium closed all bars and restaurants, so many Belgians just hopped across the border into Holland to overcrowd the bars and restaurants there. Fortunately they are closed now as well. 

[keith101]

More than likely 95% young people who only think about themselves .

 

Australia now has 1051 confirmed cases with the majority in NSW , SO THIS WILL POSSIBLY DOUBLE it very quickly .

 

Anyone interested in keeping a watch can go to this site , has all the stats including each state    https://corona.help/country/australia

Edited March 21, 2020 by keith101

[malibukid]

it's the new me me me generation.  were doomed

[TooBigToFit]

I wonder what effects the seasons are having on this. Australia isn't in flu season now, correct? Is it spreading just the same in the hot weather there? If flu season means something, then it would be better to get infected with this and sick in the summer when people aren't in the hospitals for colds and other flus. Wouldn't the high season for hospitals normally be fall and winter?

 

 

[Mick501]

27 minutes ago, TooBigToFit said:

I wonder what effects the seasons are having on this. Australia isn't in flu season now, correct? Is it spreading just the same in the hot weather there? If flu season means something, then it would be better to get infected with this and sick in the summer when people aren't in the hospitals for colds and other flus. Wouldn't the high season for hospitals normally be fall and winter?

 

 

Perfect weather by all accounts, and <deleted> all else to do with everything shut.  Flu season kicks off around early June.

[Tropicalevo]

38 minutes ago, TooBigToFit said:

I wonder what effects the seasons are having on this. Australia isn't in flu season now, correct? Is it spreading just the same in the hot weather there? If flu season means something, then it would be better to get infected with this and sick in the summer when people aren't in the hospitals for colds and other flus. Wouldn't the high season for hospitals normally be fall and winter?

 

 

It is fall (autumn) now in Australia. Winter is roughly June, July, August.

One of the great things about living in Australia is that there is an 'outside' spirit there. It is not easy for Australians to stay inside and hunker down.

 

[mfd101]

Morons. Can't stay inside for a month because no furniture inside their heads.

[bkk6060]

 

1 hour ago, malibukid said:

it's the new me me me generation.  were doomed

Yes.

What selfish, uncaring a childish people.

Shameful...

Edited March 21, 2020 by bkk6060

[GreasyFingers]

4 hours ago, keith101 said:

More than likely 95% young people who only think about themselves .

 

Australia now has 1051 confirmed cases with the majority in NSW , SO THIS WILL POSSIBLY DOUBLE it very quickly .

 

Anyone interested in keeping a watch can go to this site , has all the stats including each state    https://corona.help/country/australia

I think you will find most of the people on the beach are our generation, have been doing it since we were born. The younger ones would not be seen in a budgie smuggler.

 

And social distancing is 6ft. The photo seems to confirm this.

[Emdog]

Would have been nice if a real, current photo was used instead of a file photo.

Walking back Jomtien Beach this morning: only people practicing social distancing were those who came alone. Other than that, tons of foreign and Thai tourists gathered in less than spitting distance.

Forgive them, Lord, they know not what they do 90% of the time... take them unto thy bosom ASAP

[pacovl46]

4 hours ago, keith101 said:

More than likely 95% young people who only think about themselves .

 

Australia now has 1051 confirmed cases with the majority in NSW , SO THIS WILL POSSIBLY DOUBLE it very quickly .

 

Anyone interested in keeping a watch can go to this site , has all the stats including each state    https://corona.help/country/australia

In Germany the numbers have been doubling every 4 days over the past two weeks. You can check the numbers at worldometers dot info. You have to scroll down a bit to get to the country by country chart.

[tomazbodner]

These <deleted by myself> probably think that being young will make them have no complications, so who cares. But, many (maybe most?) younger generation, addicted to fast food and sugary sodas already have underlying health problems, alas not diagnosed yet, such as hypertension, diabetes, etc. Those can very quickly bring even the young generation to the mortality rate of the old generation that lived far healthier lives. They aren't immune. And media should stop focusing on the very low numbers of young fatalities in countries with far lower percentage of obese youth.

[natway09]

See you knockers ,, not only Thais

[connda]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"This is not something we are doing because we are the fun police," Elliott said in a televised news conference. "This is about saving lives."

Just keep people locked in their homes forever.  "Saving lives" works.  If locked up people won't die from other communicable diseases, people won't die from traffic accidents, people won't die from sporting accidents, people won't die from alcohol induced injures after getting tanked at the pub, people won't die from contracting food poisoning from restaurants, people won't die in airline accidents - yeah!  I'm thinking, "Keep the lock-down forever!"  Think of all the lives which will be saved!

[Iron Tongue]

Hey, better to look good than to feel good!  At least they'll die well-tanned!

 

But seriously, who wasn't stupid and invincible in their twenties?  

 

That's why strict enforcement is always needed in an emergency.

[Stargeezr]

Yup, it took the government to close the beach because people did not have enough

brains to stay away on their own.  The same for the people seen crowded together

in Florida on their beaches.  Lots of stupid people on this planet.  I think there will

be a lot more people infected, by others as they have a lax attitude about this

virus.

Geezer

[scorecard]

19 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

Lot of people are just extremely selfish and refuse to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation. They don’t feel sick, and apparently they don’t know - or don’t care - that they can be infected and spread the virus anyway. It’s just very irresponsible behavior. For instance, Belgium closed all bars and restaurants, so many Belgians just hopped across the border into Holland to overcrowd the bars and restaurants there. Fortunately they are closed now as well. 

Saw several short interviews with beach goers on Sydney TV stations. Most interviewed on the beach were selfish and ignorant & selfish e.g. '...but summer is finishing and this could be the last chance I have to go to the beach until next year...'  Attempts to get serious comments about the spread of the virus, passing the virus to other family members, distancing just a waste of time.  Sad.

[geoff65]

17 hours ago, natway09 said:

See you knockers ,, not only Thais

This is what happens when you have a wheel chair, bottle of grog and a keyboard.

[PJPom]

If the younger people actually heed the warnings and stay home I predict a large increase in the population about November or December.

[samran]

Swings and roundabouts. People perceive the dangers which are most likely to affect the most.  
 

Younger people worry about the things that they perceive will affect their future. Pollution, global warming.   Not this virus.

 

Older people give less of a <deleted> about climate change and pollution. But this virus is more proximate to them, or people they know. 
 

 

[3NUMBAS]

boguns need a wash sometimes

[overherebc]

15 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

boguns need a wash sometimes

Probably a wipe down with beer soaked bar towel is 'fine'.