'That doesn't pay rent in Sydney': Fiery moment reporter slams Gladys Berejiklian for extending the lockdown and leaving struggling small business owners 'suicidal'
Gladys Berejiklian has been grilled by a reporter for extending the lockdown with claims some small business owners have been left 'suicidal' due to the financial stress of having to shut up shop.
The New South Wales premier announced Greater Sydney's lockdown would be extended by another week until Friday July 16 following 27 new Covid-19 cases in the state on Wednesday.
As a result restaurants and bars will remain closed prompting Nine News journalist Chris O'Keefe to ask how individuals out of work could afford to live on the Federal Government's Covid-19 Disaster Payment of $350 to $500 a week.
'That doesn't pay rent in Sydney,' he said during the fiery exchange in Wednesday's press conference.
Mr O'Keefe also noted the $10,000 cash payment which was being offered to businesses in NSW that were forced to close.
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'Right now ultimately for businesses there are some that won't come back after these three weeks and there are employees right now who aren't earning a wage and the best you are doing is $10,000 cash, that is nowhere near enough?' he said.
Ms Berejiklian responded that the NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet would be discussing the matter with the federal government.
'If we need to do more we will,' she said.
'I also say this, I know how tough businesses are doing it but I also appreciate they would much prefer living in an environment where there wasn't a lockdown every second week as opposed to what we are doing now.'
Gladys Berejiklian has been grilled by a reporter for extending the lockdown with claims some small business owners have been left 'suicidal' due to financial stress
But the reporter continued to fire back, interrogating the premier on the mental health of struggling business owners.
'Do you stand by your statement that nobody should be worried about their finance service standards? We're hearing stories about business-owners who are contemplating suicide,' he said.
Ms Berejiklian said she understood the pressures lockdown placed on residents.
'Mental health for many of our citizens is big issue at the moment, especially for businesses who are trying to stay afloat and if we need to do more, of course, we will,' she said.
The extension of lockdown applies to the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Shellharbour and Wollongong, while regional NSW residents will have to continue wearing masks.
Ms Berejiklian said the decision was 'difficult' but was taken to stop the state 'living in and out of lockdown' until more people are vaccinated.
As a result restaurants and bars will remain closed prompting one journalist to ask how individuals out of work could afford to live on the Federal Government's Covid-19 Disaster Payment of $350 to $500 a week (pictured cafe in Sydney Olympic Park)
The New South Wales premier announced Great Sydney's lockdown would be extended by another week until Friday July 16 following 27 new Covid-19 cases in the community on Wednesday (pictured people exercise in Sydney's Centennial Park)
'The reason why the New South Wales government has taken this position is because we don't want to be in a situation where we are constantly having to move between lockdown, no lockdown, lockdown, no lockdown.
'What we want to do is give us our best chance of making sure this is the only lockdown we have until the vast majority of our citizens are vaccinated.
'We know the vaccine is the key to our freedom. The vaccine is key to saving lives and keeping the economy open.'
New South Wales has had 357 locally acquired cases since 16 June 2021, when the first case of the Bondi cluster - an airport limo driver - was reported.
There are now 264 cases directly linked to known cases in the Bondi cluster. There are 25 cases that are unlinked to a known case or cluster, with a further 68 who are linked to these 25 unlinked cases.
Fourteen of the new cases recorded on Wednesday had been infectious in the community.
SYDNEY'S LOCKDOWN RULES UNTIL JULY 16
Those living in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong must abide by the following:
Masks are mandatory in all indoor settings outside the home, including offices
Weddings are banned and funerals are capped at 100 people - or 1 person per 4sqm - with masks required indoors
There is no curfew but a stay at home order applies, with only four reasons to leave your home
Schools will be closed with at-home-learning replacing face-to-face classes
*The four reasons you can leave your home:
The rest of NSW (including regional areas) is subject to the following restrictions:
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