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The Australian Medical Association has called on the New South Wales government to cancel the proposed fireworks for New Year’s Eve in Sydney as the state struggles to contain a Covid-19 outbreak.
Dr Michael Bonning, president of the NSW Division of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), told radio station 2GB that an event of that size is not manageable under current circumstances.
“Big events where there is a mix of people, especially when you see how crowded those forests are before the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney, it is difficult to guard and patrol,” Bonning said.
“We have a great commitment from the NSW government, police and emergency workers to try to keep this virus under control.
James Gourley / Getty Images
The Sydney fireworks on New Year’s Eve are world famous.
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“Do we really need to move them away to handle the fireworks too?”
On Wednesday, WADA Federal President Dr. Omar Khorshid said additional vigilance was needed to help Sydney at a time when many families traditionally blend in.
“The outbreak in New South Wales couldn’t have come at a worse time. Even if we can’t hug each other, we can celebrate Christmas through video calls this year,” Khorshid said.
“We know that a decisive response in which we act hard and move early remains the best strategy to deal with outbreaks like this, where there are gaps in information about virus transmission and potential exposure sites are widespread.
“The NSW government should consider canceling the New Year’s Eve fireworks display to discourage the crowds and avoid any confusion in its public message.”
– This article was first published on 9News and republished with permission.
