In a state wide online meeting for regional media this afternoon the Deputy Premier advised the next moves on whether regional and rural lockdown will be extended or if certain areas could open.
The NSW Government crises committee were meeting this afternoon and the decision will be announced tomorrow at the 11am press conference. The crises committee is made up of seven ministers, including the Premier Gladys Berejiklian and the Deputy Premier, plus senior public servants and key agencies of government.
Mr Barilaro said they had concerns for areas who continued to have virus cases, but when asked by several journalists about areas that have no cases and what their prospects were for opening, he did not have exact answers today.
He also mentioned that if virus free local government areas (LGA) have connections to other LGA areas of concern that this could sway any decisions to open virus free LGA’s as they might be categorised as linked.
The Snowy Mountains Magazine specifically asked Mr Barilaro if the Snowy Monaro region and its connection to the ACT could impact Cooma, Jindabyne and the snow resorts of Perisher, Thredbo and Charlotte Pass from opening this Saturday.
Mr Barilaro responded by saying firstly there was that connection to the ACT which continues to have cases, and “that does play into their decision making”.
“We as the crisis cabinet, we'll have to make a decision. Do we want to go on an LGA approach or do we want to go on a state wide approach,” said Mr Barilaro.
“That's a decision that hasn't been made, but once we make that decision, if we are prepared to go on an LGA approach, we can set some criteria around that.”
“It could be something like, there are no cases, no segments through the sewage surveillance, and you're not an adjoining LGA to a local government area that may have cases. They could be the three criteria that you apply.
“That could easily in my mind work out who opens and who doesn’t, but that's only if once we map this out across the board, what that looks like as a footprint on regional New South Wales, and what risks that then poses for those areas that have no cases.
“So, I again say crisis committee has to decide the principles of what we want to do. And if we're going to extend or not extend, and if there's an appetite, at an LGA level and that will be under health advice.”
Everyone will eager await that decision tomorrow morning at the 11am press conference.
Judging from the increasing cases in Sydney, plus other regional areas, and the ACT which have had their lockdown extended to September 2, it would be a brave bet to say the snow resorts and the Snowy Monaro comes out of lockdown this Saturday. Saty tuned.
