Dom Perrottet Just Eased A Bunch Of Restrictions But Kerry Chant Was Nowhere To Be Seen
Restrictions will ease from next week.
Just one day into his role as New South Wales Premier, Dom Perrottet has already changed the state’s COVID-19 roadmap.
In a press conference on Thursday morning, Perrottet unveiled a number of new changes that will take effect from Monday, October 11 for fully vaccinated people.
Changes to NSW restrictions include:
- Up to 10 visitors in the home (up from five)
- Up to 30 people at outdoor public gatherings (up from 20)
- Up to 100 people at weddings or funerals (up from 50)
- Indoor swimming pools to reopen
- Choirs of up to 10 fully vaccinated people to perform in places of worship.
From 80% fully vaccinated, further NSW restrictions will ease, with October 25 earmarked as the day we can expect these changes to come into effect.
Freedoms at 80% double dose include:
- Masks optional in the office for fully vaccinated people
- Up to 20 people in the home
- Up to 50 people outdoors
- Up to 3,000 people at controlled and ticketed events
- Nightclubs to reopen for seated service only
These are all pretty exciting announcements for New South Wales, but unlike most other significant COVID-19 announcement for the state, NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant was noticeably absent from the press conference.
Perrottet was grilled in his first significant press conference as the state’s leader, with a journalist asking if it was “disrespectful” that he did not invite Chant.
“What does it say to your respect of Dr Kerry Chant that you wouldn‘t invite her here today as one of your first major (press conferences). It is a bit disrespectful isn’t it?” 9 News reporter Chris O’Keefe asked Perrottet at the press conference, adding that “if it’s a health crisis the chief health officer should be here”.
“Well, it’s also an economic crisis as well,” Perrotte clapped back.
“I sat down with the Health Minister and Dr Chant yesterday. We went through some of these potential changes.
“We went through the opportunities to make some sensible amendments, some stable and steady amendments to the roadmap and I think the changes today are sensible.”
Chant’s absence is particularly noteworthy on the announcement of mask mandates changing, considering she has always warned that COVID spreads much faster indoors.
However, Perrottet explained the logic behind the new mask rules in more detail on ABC News Breakfast following the press conference.
“Face masks, obviously, are important. But ultimately … they’re an impediment for people going back into the office, so we made some changes last night,” he said.
Junkee has reached out to Dr Kerry Chant for comment regarding her absence.