NSW lockdown catches some nomads off guard

Published: August 14, 2021

A statewide lockdown is now in effect in New South Wales.

The state this morning reported a record 466 cases of community transmission and, with growing evidence that the Covid virus is getting a foothold in multiple regional areas, the stricter measures are hardly a surprise.

But that’s not to say they won’t still cause serious headaches for grey nomads travelling in New South Wales.

Victorians unable to return home from NSW have already been gathering at the Albury Showgrounds in caravans and tents in scenes that the Age newspaper described as being reminiscent of the Spanish flu pandemic a century ago.  

The paper reports that dozens of travellers have stopped at the site just north of the border in recent weeks to complete 14 days’ quarantine inside the ‘border bubble’, prompting the Showgrounds Trust to cancel the usual five-day limit for campers.

Not since 1919 have the Albury Showgrounds acted as a quarantine camp, when rows of tents housed Victorians unable to cross the border. In that case, the NSW government had banned them from entering as Spanish flu case numbers rose in Melbourne.

Among the travellers currently at the showground are grey nomads, Kevin and Pauline Davis, who left their home in Corryong, on June 13, when NSW recorded just six cases and Victoria five.

“We thought we’d be fine if we stayed away from Sydney and the coast, we made it up to Kingaroy,” Mr Davis told the Age. “Once we got there I was suffering extreme heartburn then had a heart attack and had to spend a week in hospital.”

Mr Davis was discharged and the couple left Queensland for Victoria, only getting as far as Dubbo in central NSW by the time Victoria declared the whole of NSW a Red Zone on July 11.

“Now we’ve hit the bloody Murray River and can’t get past it … my granddaughter tried to get us a medical exemption. I’m short of breath and need to see my cardiologist, I may need a stent or pacemaker put in,” Mr Davis told the Age. “That was rejected and we’ve now been told if we stay here for two weeks and get tested three times, we can go home.”

  • Have you been caught out by the situation in NSW? Comment below.
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Absolutely ridiculous that people are being allowed to suffer and potentially die to save what number. I am nearly twice vaccinated, 2nd on the 19th but there are an average of 450+ people die in Australia EVERY DAY and we are stopping people seeing specialists, going to their own home, running their own business, educating their children.
If you think it is bad now remember all the kids of today who are being home schooled will be our leaders tomorrow.

Bob did you enjoy your soapbox? I’m 60, and twice vaccinated, not nearly twice. You know the intimate fetails of these people, needing to see specialists, running their businesses, educating their children etc. Amazing.
Last time I looked this was a grey nomad article. I do feel for this people at the border but we all know the perils of travel…. good luck on the 19th.

Home schooling temporarily has nothing to do with the next leaders. I think home schooling children during a pandamic is not an issue in the grand scheme of things when they become leaders. Look at their behaviours, manners, morals, values etc etc already. It all starts at home and was going on well before this and will keep going on. In fact how do you even know one is better or smarter than the other?

Its not only a matter of dying from Covid Bob. Patients suffering from Covid need special treatment mostly in hospitals. This overwhelmes the whole system. Patients with other complications are unable to get into the ICU and other wards. In the USA many patients needing treatment with other serious ailments are waiting at home, in ambulances and corridors. In short the whole health system breaks down. Covid vaccinations mostly keep people out of the hospitals.

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