More deaths and cancellation of Show, ANZAC events, games
TWO more deaths due to the Covid-19 virus were confirmed on Sunday by NSW Health, bringing the State’s total attributed to the virus to four.
A 77-year-old woman died in hospital on Friday and a 90-year-old woman died on Saturday.
While testing is continuing, 210 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed, 1,482 remain under investigation, and 28,552 people have been tested and cleared.
The impact of the virus is sending shockwaves through the community and the NSW economy with the mandatory cancellation of non-essential mass gatherings of more than 500 people.
Urging the community to do the right thing, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said they would “be tough if needed”.
Also calling for the community to “be calm”, State MP for Bankstown, Tania Mihailuk, said people should follow the advice from NSW Health and “think of each other, think of the vulnerable in our community”.
State MP for Canterbury, Sophie Cotsis, also called on the Health Minister to ensure the latest information was being provided in languages other than English for multicultural communities.
Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour said the Council’s swimming pools would be closed from today, restrictions introduced to library operations and large events including Ramadan Nights cancelled, however critical services such as Meals on Wheels will operate as normal.
Public schools will remain open but assemblies, excursions and sports carnivals have been cancelled and a spokesperson for Western Sydney University, said they were progressively moving towards teaching and learning activities online and scaling down non-essential operations.
New supreme and district court jury trials have also been temporarily suspended, although jury trials already underway will continue.
NSW RSL Acting State President Ray James has also confirmed the cancellation of all public ANZAC Day commemoration services across the state.
Other cancelled public events so far include the Sydney Royal Easter Show which was due to start on April 3, and this week’s 2020 Australian Junior (U14-U18) Track and Field Championships.
The 2020 Australian Senior (U20, Open and Para) Track and Field Championships have also been postponed, and community netball competitions have been suspended until at least May 2.
The NRL will also suspend its competition until April 3 while “the season’s structure and fixture rescheduling” is considered, and the AFL will shorten its season by five games with a decision yet to be made about whether Round One will go ahead as scheduled tomorrow.
