SYDNEY: On the surface, Australia’s Bondi Beach looks the same as every other year, with a recent bout of spring sunshine hinting at the much anticipated summer to come.
Taking advantage of the warmer weather, sunbathers took up their position on the sand, surfers in black wetsuits practiced on the small breakers near the shore, joggers gleamed and coffee-toting walkers strutted along the foreshore.
“Summer is around the corner and everyone’s looking forward to it. It’s been a long winter,” Manager of Bondi’s Lifeguard Service Matt du Plessis told media on Tuesday.
However, the summer may be a very different one, with the threat of COVID-19 weighing heavily on the minds of both beachgoers and those responsible for keeping them safe.
Case numbers in the state of New South Wales (NSW), of which Sydney is the capital, have hovered at around 10 per day for well over a month and the public are repeatedly warned that social distancing is vital to avoiding further outbreaks.
Australia’s beaches, as well as offering a relaxing escape, pose the problem of becoming virus hot zones should too many Aussies flock together at once to beat the summer heat.
Bondi alone can see over 35,000 visitors a day in the summertime, more than enough to create a major health crisis should an outbreak occur.
In March, when Australia’s fight with COVID-19 was in its earliest days, Bondi and a number of surrounding beaches were closed to the public after COVID-19 clusters emerged and crowds were seen to be ignoring social distancing advice.
After over a month, restrictions were gradually eased and Bondi returned to resemble the seaside playground it is known as around the globe.
However local officials said they are not ruling out a similarly hard line approach during the summer holiday period ahead should it be necessary.–Agencies
