Top cop says Australia’s ‘she’ll be right’ attitude must change as thousands continue to flock to beaches a day after four coronavirus deaths
- NSW’s top cop Mick Fuller says Australia’s ‘she’ll be right attitude’ has to change
- Manly Beach was finally shut on Sunday, as thousands continued to flock there
- Social distancing laws were ignored as people gathered in groups more than two
- The Manly and northern beaches area has 468 cases – one of Australia’s highest
- Four people died in NSW on Saturday, with three passengers from Ruby Princess
- Commissioner Fuller announced criminal investigation into Ruby Princess fiasco
New South Wales’ top cop says the seriousness of COVID-19 is somehow yet to sink in among residents in some of country’s richest suburbs.
Manly Beach was finally closed by local authorities on Sunday after a second straight weekend where thousands of locals flocked to the beach, putting sunny skies ahead of the coronavirus threat.
Its closure came eight days after all beaches in Sydney’s eastern suburbs – including Bondi and Coogee – were shut off to the public.
Sydney’s south-east has 580 confirmed cases, while the northern beaches have 468, ranking them the worst two districts in Australia.
Asked about people in these areas who continued to go to the beach until they were forced to shut, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said the ‘she’ll be right attitude’ needed to change.
New South Wales’ top cop says the seriousness of COVID-19 is somehow yet to sink in among residents in some of country’s richest suburbs such as Manly (pictured) where thousands of people were out and about on Sunday morning
People were seen ignoring social distancing laws introduced to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The northern beaches of Sydney – of which Manly is the focal point – has the second most number of cases of coronavirus in NSW
Authorities were finally forced to close Manly Beach on Sunday afternoon, despite similarly popular beaches in Sydney’s eastern suburbs – another COVID-19 hotspot – being shut down last weekend
‘I think the Australian culture is everything will be all right, it’s a nice sunny day and I am going to see it out at the beach,’ Commissioner Fuller said.
‘I think because the mortality rate hasn’t been like overseas because we’ve managed it so well, I think there’s still a relaxation in some people.
‘We have done such a great job, but we still have winter coming and I think it is going to be one of our biggest challenges.
‘We know the temperatures, we know what’s going to be a hot day – local governments need to get out early (and shut beaches).’
Despite the strict crackdown on non-essential public gatherings being in place since last Sunday, people continued to flaunt the rules over the weekend.
Incredible photos from Manly showed people stopping to talk and chat in groups of more than two as they walked along the beach.
The brazen disregard for COVID-19 measures comes despite four coronavirus deaths in NSW on Saturday, all men aged 61, 76, 80 and 91.
Three of the men were passengers on the doomed Ruby Princess cruise ship.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller (pictured) said the ‘she’ll be right attitude’ needed to change
Beachgoers continued to put sunny skies ahead of the coronavirus threat on Sunday (pictured) despite news that four more people had died from the virus on Saturday
There are more than 5,600 confirmed coronavirus cases in Australia, with a total of 34 deaths
Also on Sunday, Commissioner Fuller announced a full criminal investigation into the handling of the Ruby Princess debacle.
A total of 622 passengers on board the cruise liner, which docked in Sydney Harbour under the cover of darkness on March 19, have tested positive for COVID-19 – among them 342 NSW residents.
The deaths of three passengers on Saturday sees the cruise ship total rise to 10.
Mr Fuller said it was ‘too early to tell’ whether a crime was committed, but said there was ‘no doubt’ coronavirus was brought off the ship.
‘The only way I can get to the bottom of whether our national biosecurity laws and our state laws were broken is through a criminal investigation,’ Mr Fuller said.
‘From my perspective, there are many unanswered questions, and I certainly can’t answer those for you today.’
NSW Police homicide squad boss Jason Dickinson will lead the investigation and the state coroner will be notified.
Commissioner Fuller announced a criminal investigation into the Ruby Princess debacle to be led by NSW Police homicide squad boss Jason Dickinson