Dawn patrol in Sydney’s locked down south-west and a phalanx of khaki-clad military personnel pair off with police officers and spread out across the suburbs.
They walk through the deserted streets of Bankstown city centre, abandoned apart from essential workers and those queueing for Centrelink next to the police headquarters.
On the steps of the concrete office block, Graham and Yvonne Williams wait in the chill winter sun for their turn to register as the latest victims of the lockdown.
They haven’t seen their grandchildren in months. Yvonne, 70, just lost her job in administration and Graham, also 70, desperately misses his family.
Their hearts break when they see photos of Sydneysiders in the wealthy eastern suburbs making a mockery of the lockdown by sunbathing on the beach or drinking in the street.
‘They should all be shot,’ they say, perhaps only half-joking. Standing a social distance away from them, Caroline Portelli, 63, agrees. ‘Line ’em up in front of a firing squad,’ she adds.
Dawn patrol in Sydney’s locked down south-west and a phalanx of khaki-clad military personnel pair off with police officers (pictured) and spread out across the city
For sisters, beautician Amal , 24, and school teacher Christine, 22, pictured above, who preferred not to give their surnames, the problem is confinement and a life put on pause.
Alex Tiricovski, 28, pictured here with his wife, Vivienne, 25, has lost his security job because of the lockdown and believes the recent tough talk from the premier has all come too late
Canterbury-Bankstown LGA became ground zero of Sydney’s worst outbreak since the pandemic hit our shores after a surge in cases a week ago – and is a focus of some of the most stringent lockdown measures in Australia.
There’s been 1,679 cases in the past four weeks – almost three times the number of previous top hotspots Liverpool and Fairfield. Half were from an unknown source. Neighbouring Cumberland is quickly catching up with 1,259 cases.
As a ‘local government area of concern’, no-one can travel more than 5km from their home, no visiting friends or neighbours or family, and testing every three days for every essential worker.
No-one is allowed out for recreation, only exercise, with basketball hoops even removed from courts where local kids once played. Everyone must wear a face mask even while outdoors – despite little evidence transmission happens outside.
Yet despite these severe infringements on liberty, NSW cases soared on Thursday hit another record high of 681.
‘Everybody’s worried,’ admits maintenance worker Sam Moujaber, 60. ‘A couple of my friends have it, and they’re in intensive care now.
‘The daughter of my workmate brought it home with her. She got sick and her father took a couple of days off to look after her.
‘Then he collapsed on the floor. He’s now been transferred to St Vincent’s ICU and is fighting for his life while his daughter is in Liverpool ICU.’
Police and military are seen here walking through the deserted streets of Bankstown city centre, abandoned apart from essential workers and those queueing for Centrelink next to the police headquarters
Bankstown schoolteacher Christine, 22, pictured, believes the lockdown is a waste of time and should be lifted because more people die from other causes than Covid
People in the Western Suburbs say they are infuriated that they only ever see high profile military and police enforcement in the west. For them it is a tale of two lockdowns – easy in the east, and so much worse in the west. Seen left is a healthcare worker in Bankstown and right full-time mother Emma Latuhni, who feels she’s being bullied into taking the vaccine
What is happening here should be happening everywhere. There should be the same sort of police presence on the beaches
Retiree Michelle O’Connor-Davies, 59
Army, navy and air force personnel have all been drafted in for the war against Covid in the west and south-western suburbs.
Every day they set out with a long list of names and addresses of thousands of Covid-positive locals and knock on their doors to check they are self-isolating.
But locals say they only occasionally see them patrolling the city streets, and their presence is more reassuring than threatening.
What infuriates them is that they only ever see this enforcement in the western suburbs.
For them it is a tale of two lockdowns – easy in the east, and extreme in the west.
‘I wouldn’t mind if they got the whole army and police force out on the streets,’ retiree Michelle O’Connor-Davis, 59, said.
‘But what is happening here should be happening everywhere. There should be the same sort of police presence on the beaches.’
Canterbury-Bankstown became ground zero for Sydney’s current outbreak after a surge in cases a week ago and a focus of some of the most stringent lockdown measures in Australia. Seen here is a police checkpoint in Guildford on Thursday
As a local government area of concern, no-one can travel more than 5km from their home, no visiting friends or neighbours or family, testing every three days for certain workers, no-one allowed out for recreation, only exercise, and everyone must wear a face mask while outdoors. Seen here are police enforcing the compliance measures in Guildford on Thursday
Retiree Michelle O’Connor-Davies (right), 59, pictured is frustrated by scenes of packed beaches in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. First aid worker Tony (left), 53, said his life had become Groundhog Day
In Bankstown’s shopping strip, the semi-open-air greengrocer is the only spot busier than Chemist Warehouse, but everyone is wearing a mask.
‘People here get pulled over by police if their mask just slips off their nose,’ full-time mum Emma Latuhoi, 34, said.
‘But in the east you see the police just walking past people sunbathing. That just wouldn’t happen here.’
Ms Latuhoi said she could live with the lockdown restrictions – but she feels she’s being bullied into having the vaccine by the government.
She has a relative overseas who died after getting his jab, and another is in hospital with blood clots.
‘I’m not an anti-vaxxer,’ she stressed. ‘But… I don’t feel it is safe. I’m a mother, I have kids.’
All Covid vaccines went through rigorous three-stage trials and were only created in record time due to the titanic effort and billions of dollars thrown at fixing the world’s biggest challenge since World War II.
Their results are being constantly monitored and their formula improved not because they are still being trialled, but to combat new variants like Delta and improve efficiency.
In Bankstown’s main shopping strip, the semi-open air greengrocer seen here is the only spot busier than Chemist Warehouse, but everyone is wearing their mask
Despite the high-profile police and military presence, seen here in Bankstown on Thursday, NSW cases soared to a new record high of 681
Army, navy and air force personnel have all been drafted in for the war against Covid in the western suburbs, as seen here in Bankstown on Thursday
You can’t blame Gladys for the virus but you can for her response – and they just keep changing the laws. Are we going to build a great dividing wall to cut us off from the rest of the city?
Unemployed security guard Alex Tiricovski, 28
The Bankstown tide has turned firmly against premier Gladys Berejiklian in the wake of the tightened lockdown. Overwhelmingly, the feeling is that she reacted too slowly when the outbreak first began.
Alex Tiricovski, 28, lost his security job because of the lockdown and believes the recent tough talk from the premier came too late.
‘She should have hit the nail on the head at the start, not now,’ he said. ‘We’re fighting an uphill battle now.
‘You can’t blame her for the virus but you can for her response – and they just keep changing the laws. It’s a headscratcher for me.
‘What’s next? Are we going to build a great dividing wall to cut us off from the rest of the city?
‘It’s bad for the mental health.’
After two months in lockdown, everyone’s world is getting smaller, they said. With a 5km limit on movement and no way to see family outside the home, time slows.
‘It’s like Groundhog Day every day,’ said first aid worker, Tony, 53, who declined to give his surname.
‘I’m just going to work, I’m coming home, I’m going for a walk, I’m going shopping, I’m coming back home – just doing the right thing, every single day.’
Every day military and police, seen here in Bankstown on Thursday, set out with a long list of names and addresses of thousands of Covid positive locals and knock on their doors to check they are self-isolating
Bankstown local Amal, seen here, says her life has been put in limbo by lockdown and going downhill, unable to make plans for the future while the virus spreads and lockdown continues
For sisters beautician Amal , 24, and school teacher Christine, 22, who also preferred not to give their surnames, the problem is confinement and a life put on pause.
They live at home with their parents and siblings and patience is wearing thin after being cooped up together for two months.
‘We’re a big family and it’s stressful,’ Christine said. ‘It’s hard. We’re up in each other’s faces all the time.
We’re in limbo. What do we do with our lives? My sister is supposed to be getting married next year … we;re in our twenties and our lives are on hold
‘The lockdown is a waste of time. The numbers are still going up. We should just let it rip and deal with it. A lot of people die from natural things more than die from Covid.’
Amal believes there was a key moment for the premier to show leadership and take control proactively and prevent a long, drawn-out lockdown.
‘When Gladys stopped all the construction workers for two weeks, that was the perfect opportunity for her to lock down everything and really stamp on it,’ she said.
‘She should just have said then that everybody needs to stay home except hospitals and medical centres.
‘But now we’re in limbo. What do we do with our lives? My sister is supposed to be getting married next year – do we try to plan that or give up on it?
‘We’re in our twenties and our lives are on hold. Our lives have just gone downhill.’
She added: ‘I can see why people are committing suicide. People are going crazy.
‘We’re fortunate enough to have each other – but some people are just in a single home. It must be so hard.’
‘People here get pulled over by police if their mask just slips off their nose,’ Emma Latuhoi said. Seen here are police and military leaving a briefing at Bankstown police headquarters
The Bankstown tide has turned firmly against premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) in the wake of the tightened lockdown. Overwhelmingly the feeling is that she reacted too slowly when the outbreak first began
‘What’s next? Are we going to build a great dividing wall to cut us off from the rest of the city?’ asked Alex Tiricovski. Seen here are NSW highway patrol police officers setting up a roadblock in Guildford to enforce lockdown restrictions
Back on the steps of Centrelink, Caroline Portelli is planning the rest of her day. She has been swab tested every three days and will get tested again after signing in.
‘I have a list of text messages as long as your arm – negative, negative, negative,’ she laughs.
‘I do housekeeping for a lot of people but I can’t do my job because of lockdown. I’m here now to see if I can claim anything because I haven’t worked since June 20.
‘I’ve lived in Bankstown since I was seven years old and it’s been the best thing that I’ve ever known. And then suddenly this mess comes along and it’s just heartbreaking.
‘I’ve been baking instead – I’ve never baked so much in my life… you’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do to get through this.’
After two months in lockdown, everyone’s world is getting smaller, locals in Bankstown said. With a 5km limit on movement and no way to see family outside the home, time slows. Seen here is a police roadblock to enforce rules in Guildford on Thursday
Bankstown shopping strip (pictured) is lined with shuttered shops shut down during the current lockdown. Here a police van enforcing lockdown restrictions in the main local retail area
Jobless housekeeper Caroline Porelli 63, has lived in Bankstown since she was seven and ‘it was the best thing I’ve ever known – until this mess came long. It’s just heartbreaking.’ Seen here are military personnel and police enforcing Operation Stay Home in Bankstown on Thursday