SYDNEY (Reuters) – With Sydney beach suburbs locked up due to coronavirus uprising, residents of Australia’s largest city came in for the highest number to be tested for COVID-19 , hopes to hold back tougher restrictions over Christmas.
Even at Bondi Beach, 45 km (28 miles) away from a coronavirus flame, drivers were queuing bumper-to-bumper in long lines around the famous beach waiting to be admitted to a driving test center.
“People are better safe than sorry,” said Bondi resident Jess Bloom, walking near a car queue.
New South Wales (NSW) state officials said 15 people had tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the beach uprisings. north to 83. New cases were down from 36 the previous day.
NSW wants to keep the release out, NSW has opened dozens of new test sites, some running 24-hours a day.
State health authorities said a record of more than 38,000 tests had been performed in the past 24 hours.
American tourist Eric Edstrom, visiting Bondi after completing a 14-day quarantine at a hotel, said Australians’ perceptions of COVID-19 were “completely different” from home.
“The tolerance is much lower here, which I think is a really good thing,” Edstrom said.
“If we compare and contrast the two responses with the two countries, I think a lot of people in the United States would prefer to experience the Australian style.”
NSW imposed restrictions on Saturday in Sydney’s northern beaches area, where more than 250,000 people were, after several cases surfaced, based on two food and entertainment places on the seafront in Avalon.
Australia has fared significantly better than most other countries, recording just under 28,200 cases and 908 deaths since the outbreak began.
Written by Sonali Paul; Edited by Karishma Singh