Tale of two cities Frustration over crowds at Sydney beaches

"Parks and beaches are very low to no risk. Please media, get another story," he said in a message posted on Twitter.

The problem is of course that the media has to get this from somewhere, and it’s anchored by the biases of some very risk averse academics. There is a 10% attack rate in outdoor mosh pits! Parks and beaches are very low to no risk. Please media, get another story. #covid19aus https://t.co/CILjnzpwxb

It was a sentiment echoed by the New South Wales Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant, in Sunday’s press conference.

“In reality, outdoor environments, if people are keeping away from each other, are probably the safest environments,” Kerry Chant said.

“I would like to see that people are really respectful and they are adhering to the public health orders as they move about. If they are walking along the beach. But I would not want crowds, people engaging, people socialising, that is not what we need at this moment."

People are seen at Bondi beach in Sydney on Saturday, September 11. Source: AAP

She acknowledged the stricter COVID-19 lockdown restrictions experienced by residents in the city’s west, admitting she was "asking a lot" of them as they see pictures of the crowds in the east.

Basketball hoops have been taken down at at park in the south-western suburb of Greenacre. 

Basketball hoops removed at Northcote Park in the south-western Sydney suburb of Greenacre. Source: SBS News: Alberto Vengoa

The New South Wales member for Lakemba, Jihad Dib, said his constituents are frustrated.

"I think this is a classic example of the tale of two cities," the Labor member said.

"In some parts of the city, kids can’t even go out and play basketball. But in other parts of the city, they are quite free to roam around.

"I think that causes a fair bit of frustration and adds to the idea that we are living in a divided city at the moment."

New South Wales Police issued 502 fines for breaching the Public Health Act on Saturday.

Virus reproduction number indicates NSW outbreak is close to peaking

Epidemiologist Professor Adrian Esterman at the University of South Australia told SBS News "things are looking better" for New South Wales.

The reproduction number, also known as Reff, for the NSW outbreak has been hovering around one for the past week.

The number shows the rate of virus transmission is one COVID-positive person, on average, infects one other person. For the COVID-19 outbreak to be extinguished the Reff needs to drop below one.

Another 1262 cases for New South Wales with 7 deaths. The 5-day moving average is down to 1434, and the Reff is fairly stable at 1.06. The projected case number for NSW is 2198. so definitely things are looking better.

"When it [Reff] has gone down to one, it means you are on the way there, which is a good thing of course," Professor Esterman told SBS News.

"What we have seen in the past few weeks is a gradual lowering of the effective reproduction number from 1.2, which it was for many weeks, to 1.0 now.

"So that tells me that everything is slowing down and there is a reasonably good chance that we will hit the peak in the near future."

A physicist from the University of Melbourne has suggested the peak could be as early as September 15.

Dr Chris Billington has plotted the expected impact of the vaccination rollout in New South Wales.

His data suggests any drop in infections is due to vaccinations, not lockdown measures.

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