The Shadow Minister for Health Ryan Park has called on the NSW Government to give the community clearer guidelines in relation to lockdown timelines and to publicly release the health advice on which it bases decisions.
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Mr Park has written to the NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard suggesting publicly releasing health advice would help inform the community about the nature, impact and consequences that this virus.
"What we are getting is a lot of people would like a better understanding of what's behind the decisions the government is making," Mr Park said.
"We know the decisions are not made lightly, but we we think it important that advice be made public and then we are likely give people a better understanding on why the very strict rules imposed on our freedoms at the moment. Transparent, clear and accurate information is vital during a global pandemic."
Mr Park said lockdowns should be staged in two-week period rather than running them close to expiration dates, which is Friday for this current lockdown, to give the community and business greater certainty.
"We've been saying to the government they need to try and give as much notice as possible," Mr Park said
"It is very unlikely we are out of this lockdown on Friday, let's give parents and people trying to run businesses some certainty. And if it is going well and we come out early then that is a bonus.
"People have lives to run. I think lockdown should be done in two-week periods. The government has to realise they are dealing with people here."
Mr Park said he believed whether Wollongong and Shellharbour should continue to be included in the lockdown was a "live discussion" with the government, but at this stage the decision needed to be respected.
"At this stage we have hot spots 40 minutes away, we have venues popping up here and we know there has been traces of COVID found in sewage works," Mr Park said.
"This is very close to a part of the world we interact with for business, education and life and so we have to understand what the health advice is and we have to respect it."
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Julian O'Brien
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury and former editor of The Advocate (North-West Tasmania). Journalism is simply about telling good stories well and we do so now across a broader platform than ever before. Our role as a regional masthead is to not only share the stories our readers care about but to be a passionate torch bearers for community at every opportunity. We are stronger together.
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury and former editor of The Advocate (North-West Tasmania). Journalism is simply about telling good stories well and we do so now across a broader platform than ever before. Our role as a regional masthead is to not only share the stories our readers care about but to be a passionate torch bearers for community at every opportunity. We are stronger together.
