Australian state grants new 'reward' for fully vaccinated subjects: One extra hour outside your home each day



Outside observers could be forgiven for thinking today's Australians are not citizens of a free nation but instead remain prisoners of a penal colony as the nation's "zero COVID" strategy continues to strip the people of their freedoms.

Take the state of New South Wales (which includes the capital city of Sydney) for instance, where people have been suffering under the lockdowns that have forced people to remain in their houses except for four narrowly defined, state-permitted reasons to exit their residences, as reported by Australia's 9News:

  • shopping for only essential items;
  • care and compassionate reasons — but just one visitor allowed;
  • work or education that can't be conducted remotely; and
  • exercise for one hour in groups no bigger than two and within five kilometers from home.

Naturally, there is a mask mandate everywhere, including outside — except when exercising, though a mask must be carried while exercising.

Plus, there is the curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. that they dare not violate unless they find themselves behind bars.

But the people in power in NSW want their subjects to know that they've got good news: They're "rewarding" fully vaccinated people with one additional hour of outside recreation time.

And the media were happy to characterize the government's move as the "reward" the authorities billed it as — with 9News calling it "a small gift" — while the premier of NSW, Gladys Berejiklian, patted herself and fellow power holders on the back this week with her announcement that people under her control who have been fully vaccinated will "have additional freedoms" come Sept. 13.

Image source: Twitter/9News video screenshot

"Thank you to the millions of people across NSW who have come forward to get vaccinated. From Monday, 13 September, you will have additional freedoms if you have had both doses," she tweeted, along with a statement highlighting the guidelines on "new freedoms for vaccinated."

Thank you to the millions of people across NSW who have come forward to get vaccinated. From Monday, 13 September,… https://t.co/3SsNWcNNaL

— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) 1629944333.0

On that day in mid-September, the statement said, all NSW folks who have received both doses of the vaccine will be allowed to gather outdoors for an additional one hour — and the government wants people to understand that the graciously granted extra hour of outdoor recreation is "in addition to the one hour allowed for exercise."

● For those who live outside the LGAs [local government areas] of concern, outdoor gatherings of up to five people (including children) will be allowed in a person's LGA or within 5km of home.

● For those who live in the LGAs of concern, households with all adults vaccinated will be able to gather outdoors for recreation (including picnics) within the existing rules (for one hour only, outside curfew hours and within 5km of home). This is in addition to the one hour allowed for exercise.

The statement also teased more "freedoms" to be given to well-behaved, fully vaxxed citizens once they get 70% of people vaccinated, including "a range of family, industry, community and economic restrictions to be lifted."

Deputy Premier John Barilaro praised the move as a "clear pathway forward," and promised that if his people will just obey, then "having a meal with loved ones, or having a drink with friends is just around the corner."

And if Aussies are really good, the Sydney Morning Herald reported, the government is toying with letting them get their hair cut come mid-October.

The highly-anticipated reward for the fully vaccinated in New South Wales is tonight out in the open after Premier… https://t.co/pak5AWFNRS

— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) 1629983975.0

Anonymous tipster calls police on Sydney church service. Officials slam worshippers for violating lockdown



Police in Sydney, Australia, broke up a church gathering and handed out the equivalent of more than $25,000 USD in fines to congregants for violating the city's COVID-19 lockdown on Sunday.

An anonymous tipster reported the illegal service to New South Wales police, who found 60 people worshipping at Christ Embassy church in Blacktown at 7:30 p.m. local time, according to 9News Sydney.

The police arrived a few hours before a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew went into effect for this area, which is designated as a high-risk local government area.

A tip to Crime Stoppers has blown the lid on a church service at #Blacktown, attended by 60 adults and children.T… https://t.co/hJqwHUbQ29

— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) 1629707218.0

The church service was being livestreamed on social media before police put a stop to it. The 9News report notes that the musicians leading worship were performing without masks.

The church's pastor, Marvin Osaghae, earlier that day delivered a sermon praying for the end of the coronavirus lockdowns in the city.

"In the name of Jesus, we refuse every lockdown in our cities, in the name of Jesus go ahead and pray," he urged his congregation.

"We declare the lockdowns are over, in the name of Jesus, lockdowns are over, in the cities of NSW, in the name of Jesus, we declare the lockdowns are over," he said. "In the cities of NSW, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, Hallelujah Father, we thank you Lord."

Police said that congregants had traveled from across the western portion of the city to attend service.

Thirty adults were each fined a little more than $700 and the church was fined what would be about $3,600 in U.S. dollars for violating the lockdown.

New South Wales officials piled on criticism for the churchgoers.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian called people gathering to worship together on Sunday "very disheartening."

"I think that all of us feel the disappointment when people just blatantly ignore what's in place," she said at a news conference. "We know it is hard. And I'm hoping that obviously in the near future, we'll be able to relieve the stress on families and households. But it's always disheartening and disappointing when you see people blatantly take it upon themselves to contradict what we know works."

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said it was "disappointing to say the least" that people gathered to worship God in person.

"We know these events are superspreaders in our communities, and I think that we rely on our leaders, whether it's a business leaders, whether it's a business leader or our premier or our church leaders, to do the right thing, and this is just sending the wrong message in the communities," he said.

NSW Police Minister David Elliott said he was "actually quite stunned" by the illegal gathering.

"I mean, when you consider that churches are there to profess the message of hope and love and to have those people just endanger communities because they are actually potentially going to spread a virus is extraordinary," he told 2GB.

Earlier that weekend, thousands of Australian anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police in the streets of Melbourne. An estimated 4,000 people demanded the end of lockdown policies with chants of "Freedom!" and "No more lockdown!"