Barbecue fan sparked new wave of infections in Sydney after month without coronavirus case

SYDNEY.- A barbecue fanatic who traveled to Sydney in search of supplies to get his grill infected with coronavirus forced to impose a new round of restrictions in the largest city of Australia, which is now fighting a new wave of cases, after a month without local infections.

The steakhouse in question is a man in his fifties and authorities are puzzled because they do not understand where he was infected: You are not an employee of a hotel on the border or in quarantine, and you have not recently returned from abroad. His wife has also tested positive.

“It is a fact that at least one person, if not more, has circulated among us with the virus, not knowing they are a carrier and having potentially attended many places and events., and that is why it is so important that our response be proportional to the scale of the problem, “said Gladys Berejiklian, Head of Government of New South Wales, on Thursday to justify the imposition of 3 days of restrictions in the Sydney area.

It seems, In recent days, the man has scoured the city with the infection for supplies: he visited four grill supply stores and a butcher shop several miles away.. He ate at various restaurants – all grilled – and went to the movies to see a movie. Those who had contact with him, including the state treasurer, had to isolate themselves and were rubbed.

The people of Sydney, who thanks to the easing of restrictions for a few months can attend football games, dance, drink and sing without masks, were quick to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. The only thing missing: barbecue, a favorite pastime of Australians, culprit of the new restrictions.

“This is not to take the Sydney Covid case lightly, but it must be recognized that the man’s barbecue marathon is commendable,” one user wrote on Twitter.

“If it was vegan, we wouldn’t have to worry about it, would we…?” Another replied. “Hopefully the good boy who caught the Covid in Sydney had time to get his new grill out before he tested positive”someone else tweeted.

As of Thursday evening, homes in and around Sydney cannot accommodate more than 20 people. Chinstrap is again mandatory on public transport and inside public places, including shopping malls, theaters, retirement homes and hospitals. Singing indoors, including in temples and churches, and dancing in clubs is prohibited. In pubs, in addition, customers must drink seated.

The new cases emerge just as Australia faces legal complaints over its controversial border restrictions.

Gary Newman, a 73-year-old Australian stranded in Bangalore, took the Australian federal government’s decision to suspend flights from India, currently plagued by the virus, to court on Wednesday. Anyone, including Australian citizens, who arrives in the country before May 15 after visiting India in the previous 14 days can face up to five years in prison, a fine of $ 50,000, or both.

Newman’s lawyers challenged the ban on several legal grounds, including its alleged unconstitutionality.

Slow vaccination

While Australia has all but eradicated the virus, vaccination campaign adds delay after delay. Proportionately, far fewer people have been vaccinated in Australia than in the United States and Great Britain.

Lab results showed the Sydney BBQ case’s genomic sequence matched that of a traveler from the United States who contracted the virus in April at a quarantine hotel. Tracker cases were unable to link the two, raising fears that there are more undetected cases.

After detecting fragments of the coronavirus in the sewers of several suburbs of Sydney, in addition, the authorities have asked thousands of neighbors to be attentive to the slightest symptom of the flu or the common cold.

Outbreaks of unknown origin are of particular concern, due to the resistance of the virus and its ability to spread without a clear source. In August, when after three months the virus reappeared in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, it quickly spread to more than 100 cases: the origin of the epidemic could never be determined.

In response to new cases from Sydney, New Zealand announced the suspension of non-quarantine travel to New South Wales for 48 hours. This “travel bubble” was launched by Australia and New Zealand barely a month ago.

The Washington Post

Translation of Jaime Arrambide

The Washington Post