Police Spoil The Fun For Picnickers, Clashes Imminent

Dozens of picnickers are in rage, after the police came in and chased them off their treasured resorts, following official directives.

Thepicnickers had taken to trooping to the Bondi Beach, in the eastern suburbs of Sydney Australia, after heat temperatures reached 32C.

But this time round, the police appear very justified trying to enforce basic rules on social distancing in the wake of the corona virus pandemic.

The number of coronavirus infections across Australia has risen to more than 1,000 and seven people have died.

Despite that the country has banned outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people and advising people to stay indoors, large crowds of people are still flocking to beaches across Sydney, reports the BBC.

As at Friday swimmers, surfers and sunbathers packed in huge numbers onto the sand prompting the authorities to temporarily close the beach dayafter..

New South Wales (NSW) Police Minister David Elliott said in a televised news conference that lifeguards would conduct a head count of the number of people on the beach.

If numbers exceed 500, the beach will be closed and people will be moved on. If anyone refuses to move, the police will be brought in.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the beachgoers’ behaviour was “unacceptable” and called on local councils to step in to ensure people are complying with the social distancing advice. Under the advice, people should try to stay 1.5m (4 ft 10 in) apart.

Mr Elliott warned that other beaches could take similar action if people failed to comply with the regulations.

He told ABC News: “Some of the photos that I saw from this very beach, of dozens of families using communal showers and toilets is in complete denial of what this virus is all about.”

NSW Labor’s Shadow Treasurer, Walt Secord, urged the government to consider closing the beach completely.

“The decisions we make today can be life and death decisions for other people in a few days. People are ignoring the social distancing guidelines. and I just think it’s absolutely ludicrous.”

New rules on socialising were announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday. Indoor venues such as bars and restaurants must have a density of no more than one person per four square metres (43 sq ft) of floor space.

The previous overall limit of 100 people indoors and 500 people outdoors remain in place.