The Project host Carrie Bickmore has expressed her frustration over the strict new lockdown measures some Sydneysiders are having to face.
On Wednesday night’s episode, it was revealed essential workers in the Fairfield local government area must mandatorily take Covid testing every three days.
The intense new measure has caused chaos at testing centres in the area.
Some exhausted workers have been forced to queue for up to six hours, and even then some are turned away without having obtained a test.
The Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone told The Project he thought the new rule was “unfair” and begged the federal government for more resources to help the suburb’s residents get tested in a more efficient way.
“Our residents work long shifts – for them to have to go and line up six hours to get tested, it’s not on, and we’re not going to cop it,” he said.
Bickmore shared her frustrations about the new rule on-air after the interview.
“You know, you often hear about the worst of people in these times – the ones that have the illegal parties, the ones that aren’t forthcoming with information,” she said.
“Then you see those queues: People that have worked a full day, have families waiting for them at home, it’s nighttime, they wait for six hours – only to not even get in, go home, three hours later turn around and go to work…
“They’re doing that to do the right thing and to be good citizens. And to do it for other people! That is the good. I was amazed when I saw that this morning.”
Later on in the episode, the co-hosts discussed Australians who are locked out of the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.
They also revealed just how expensive and difficult it is for residents to return to Australia.
“As of today, the number of weekly international flight arrivals have been halved, leaving citizens who are stranded abroad feeling more abandoned than ever,” Bickmore said.
“Overseas arrivals have been cut from 6000 to 3000 a week in a bid to reduce pressure on hotel quarantine,” Waleed Aly went on to add.
“35,000 Aussies have registered with foreign affairs as being stuck overseas and wanting to return home.”
Kathy, joined The Project to reveal to the panel she is six months pregnant and booked to have her baby in a New South Wales hospital.
“It is just heartbreaking to feel that you are not wanted in your own country,” she said, extremely emotional.
Cristina Williams, another Australian who is simply trying to get home, described her situation as “the most exhausting and emotionally draining, financially taxing year of our lives.”
“As of today flights into Sydney can only carry a maximum of 126 passengers. For Melbourne, it is down to 13. 10 for Perth and just six for Brisbane. Under the new caps some airlines aren’t even allowed passengers so they have to rely on carrying cargo and outbound travellers to make money. It is no wonder that fares have increased. One economy flight from London to Sydney cost $36,000,” Waleed said .
“Gosh, it has been such a stressful time for so many people. I think that is a really interesting point about Australia feeling like the perfect place to be at a certain time during this pandemic and now it really does feel like we are falling behind. Don’t you guys feel that way?” Rachel Corbett chimed in.
“Absolutely,” Carrie said in agreement.
“I feel like the rest of the world is getting on with things. People are 8 per cent vaccinated in other countries and we are still under 10 per cent.
“It feels like life will take a long time to go back to normal. At the beginning of things you wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else in the whole world but here,” continued Rachel.
