Public health expert raises concern over NSW’s ‘confusing’ Christmas rules

A public health expert has expressed concern about the “confusing” rules for people in NSW after the Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced a slight easing of restrictions over Christmas.

Visitors allowed in the home differ depending on the region over the Christmas period from December 24-26.

Eight coronavirus cases were recorded in the state in the last 24 hours out of 42,000 tests as health authorities work to control the spread from the Northern Beaches cluster.

Adjunct Professor Bill Bowtell from the University of NSW said confusion and uncertainty among Australians is the “great friend of the spreader coronavirus”.

“There’s nothing the coronavirus likes better than confusion, unfortunately it doesn’t understand Australian suburban boundaries or postcode locations,” he told Shane McInnes filling in for Tom Elliott on 3AW Drive.

“And it doesn’t read long lists of venues and places where it’s not allowed to go.

“When you make those gains, you have got to move quickly to consolidate them and to knock it out of business, so deciding there will be a respite for Christmas … it’s very reminiscent of the confusion we had way back in March.”

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