Sydneysiders have made a mockery of the city’s shutdown with a day at the beach turning the lockdown into a lie down in the sun.
Streets around the world famous beaches of Coogee and Bondi were packed with locals making the most of the wintry sun which saw temperatures rise above 25C.
Despite pleas from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to stay at home, thousands took to the beach to sun bake, prompting police to call in air support to order people off the sand.
Eastern Suburbs beachgoers have made a mockery of the Sydney shutdown with a day at the beach turning the lockdown into a lie down in the sun. Seen here is one Bondi beachgoer on Sunday
beach police patrols individually checked IDs and the addresses of sunbathers and swimmers on the ground.
A police helicopters bellowed at sunbathers from above while beach police patrols individually checked IDs and addresses of sunbathers and swimmers on the ground.
NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia they had deployed 22 crews at beachsides in the Eastern Suburbs, from La Perouse in the south to Camp Cove at Watson’s Bay, incluidng Bondi, Coogee, Bronte and Maroubra.
They issued 29 personal infringement notice fines, and warned 35 others, with another 44 businesses also inspected in the area.
Police helicopters bellowed at sunbathers from above
‘Nearly 1000 people were spoken to, ensuring they were complying with the LGA requirement,’ said a NSW Police spokesman. ‘Officers were also enforcing QR codes at large retailers at Maroubra, Bondi and Eastgardens.’
For weeks, Ms Berejiklian has been begging Sydneysiders to only leave their home for essentials like exercise, shopping, vital work or getting vaccinated.
‘Assume that you have the virus, or that people you come into contact with have the virus,’ she has repeatedly told the state.
‘We can’t afford to have people who have the virus going about their business.’
Streets around the world famous beaches of Coogee (seen here) and Bondi were packed with locals making the most of the wintry sun which saw temperatures ride above 25C
Hundreds ignored pleas from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to stay at home and instead packed the streets of Coogee (pictured) and Bondi
Gladys Berejiklian has been begging Sydneysiders to only leave their home for essentials like exercise, shopping, vital work or getting vaccinated. Seen here is a take-away restaurant in Coogee on Sunday
But those words appeared lost on locals and visitors to the sun-soaked suburbs who turned out in big numbers to enjoy the unseasonably warm winter weather.
The disappointing scenes played out as the another 239 Covid cases were confirmed in Greater Sydney, including nine in one inner west aged care facility in Summer Hill.
The premier renewed calls on Sunday for Sydneysiders to get vaccinated amid the worrying case numbers.
‘Today is August 1 and I am calling upon the people of greater Sydney, and New South Wales, to come forward and get vaccinated,’ she said.
The premier’s pleas appeared lost on locals and visitors to the sun-soaked suburbs who turned out in numbers to make the most of the unseasonably warm winter weather. Pictured here is Bondi Beach on Sunday
For weeks, Gladys Berejiklian has been begging Sydneysiders to only leave their home for essentials like exercise, shopping, vital work or getting vaccinated. Seen here is the scene at the north end of Bondi Beach on Sunday
‘To get to the 70 per cent target we need 9.2 million jabs. To get the 80 per cent target we need 10 million jabs. We have been talking about this in NSW for some time.’
The figures announced on Sunday marks the second time the state has reported a record 239 cases – after first recording the number on Thursday. Cases then dipped to 170 on Friday before jumping back to 210 on Saturday.
There are 54 patients being treated in the intensive care unit with a large number under 60 including seven in their 20s, five in their 30s, two in their 40s and six in their 50s.
The premier renewed calls on Sunday for Sydneysiders to get vaccinated amid the worrying case numbers. Seen here are two young women exercising at Bondi Beach on Sunday
A large proportion of those seen in the beachside suburbs on Sunday were in the under 30s age group.
NSW deputy chief health officer Dr Jeremy McAnulty warned younger Sydneysiders aged between 18 and 30 were the biggest spreaders of the virus.
‘We are seeing cases at high rates in those age group,’ he said on Sunday.
‘This is the age group that tends to be a link between kids, younger people, and older, elderly relatives.
NSW deputy chief health officer Dr Jeremy McAnulty warned younger Sydneysiders aged between 18 and 30 were the biggest spreaders of the virus. A mix of ages are seen here walking at Bondi Beach on Sunday
‘They are working, they have big social networks, if you are in that age group it is important that you be aware that you are very vulnerable to the infection, as we have seen in ICU numbers you can get serious disease.
‘It is important you come forward for vaccination.’
Health authorities have also raised concerns about the lack of people coming forward for testing.
On Saturday, photos emerged of a Bondi Covid test centre sitting empty while a Fairfield clinic was packed with residents.
A large proportion of those seen in the beachside suburbs on Sunday were in younger under 30s age group, as seen here in Bondi Beach on Sunday
A local resident who went to get tested at 3.30pm told Daily Mail Australia the empty clinic was concerning.
‘If no-one is getting tested in the eastern suburbs, that could mean lots of cases are going undetected,’ he said.
The exposure list has also grown with three busy buses, a train line fruit markets, pizza shops, bakeries, a Target store and a cheesecake shop among the new venues.
Among the new exposure sites is the 400 bus running between Bondi Junction and Clovelly, and a Woolworths in Double Bay.
South Eastern Sydney Local Health District – which included Bondi and Coogee – has had 301 positive cases in the four weeks to July 30. A couple are pictured here exercising at Coogee Beach on Sunday
Bondi is part of the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, where there have been 301 positive cases in the four weeks to July 30.
That test rate in that LHD – 270 per 1,000 – lags behind South Western Sydney LHD on 450, Sydney LHD on 312 and Western Sydney LHD on 281.
Waverley LGA initially led the city in testing after the current outbreak began in the arera on June 16, but rates have fallen off as the focus of the disease spread to the south-west over the past month.
The premier renewed calls on Sunday for Sydneysiders to get vaccinated amid the worrying case numbers. Seen here is the popular sea pool at the north end of Coogee Beach on Sunday