In perhaps the most draconian move yet from any country, the Australian government has officially enacted martial law in Sydney.
After the Freedom Day protests that rocked Australia’s largest city, the Sydney lockdown was extended to at least August 28th.
But it appears the military will enforce the lockdown this time.
Military personnel will patrol the streets to prevent future protests.
I’ve repeatedly referred to Australia as an open-air prison.
But the ‘open-air’ aspect of the prison is shrinking by the day.
Here’s the latest:
Authorities in Australia have called in the military to occupy parts of Sydney and enforce the country’s latest draconian COVID-19 lockdown.https://t.co/UgQxrNsGaM
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) July 29, 2021
Australia’s biggest city Sydney posted a record one-day rise in local COVID-19 cases on Thursday and warned the outbreak would get worse, as authorities sought military help to enforce a lockdown of six million people poised to enter its sixth week.
Australia has struggled to contain an outbreak of the highly infectious delta variant in and around Sydney in recent weeks, which threatens to push the country’s $2-trillion (Australian) ($1.85-trillion) economy into its second recession in as many years.
Despite an extended lockdown of Sydney, the state capital, New South Wales recorded 239 locally acquired cases in the past 24 hours, the biggest daily rise since the pandemic began.
“We can only assume that things are likely to get worse before they get better given the quantity of people infectious in the community,” New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.
Berejiklian said one more person had died from COVID-19, taking the death toll from the current outbreak to 13 and the overall national total to 921.
With little sign that recent restrictions are reducing case numbers, Berejiklian said new curbs would be imposed on the southwestern and western areas of Sydney where the majority of COVID-19 cases are being found.
More than two million residents in eight Sydney hotspots will now be forced to wear masks outdoors and must stay within five kilometres of their homes.
Military help requested
With even tighter restrictions set to begin on Friday, New South Wales Police said it had asked for 300 military personnel to help enforce lockdown orders.
“With an increase in enforcement activity over the coming week, I have now made a formal request to the prime minister for (Australian Defence Force) personnel to assist with that operation,” New South Wales police Commissioner Mick Fuller said in an emailed statement.
Sky News had this to share:
Sydney has remained under stay-at-home orders since late June as the country – which has largely kept infections under control during the pandemic – struggles to contain an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant.
On Thursday, New South Wales reported a one-day record rise in COVID cases of 239 – the biggest increase in Australia‘s most populous state since the pandemic began.
Officials warned the outbreak is poised to get worse.
Now, stricter lockdown measures will begin on Friday, and residents in Sydney’s eight hotspots will be required to wear masks outdoors and told they must stay within three miles of their homes.
New South Wales Police said it has asked for 300 military personnel to help enforce the measures. It comes after thousands of protestors marched on the streets, carrying signs demanding “freedom”.
Victoria and South Australia came out of lockdown on Wednesday after managing to contain smaller outbreaks.
“We can only assume that things are likely to get worse before they get better given the quantity of people infectious in the community,” New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian.