NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has said he wants a contingent of 300 defence force personnel to boost efforts over the coming days to enforce lockdown rules and other restrictions imposed by the government amid the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus Delta variant outbreak.
“With an increase in enforcement activity over the coming week, I have now made a formal request to the Prime Minister for ADF personnel to assist with that operation,” Fuller said.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklean on Wednesday tightened restrictions for 2 million people in eight western Sydney local government areas, who are now not permitted to leave their council areas unless they are essential workers.
Masks will be mandated to be worn at all times, including outdoors, and people will be restricted to within five kilometres (3.1 miles) of their home.
Police will also be able to shut down businesses that repeatedly breach public health orders.
Fuller said that “nothing is off the table” in terms of stronger compliance, saying officers will be going door to door looking for people in the wrong house.
This is one of the police operations that Fuller has requested ADF personnel to help carry out.
David Elliot, the NSW state minister for police and emergency services, welcomed the move. “As I have said previously, support from the Army will add another line of defence to the NSW Government’s crackdown on COVID-19 compliance,” Elliot said.
“The Army’s unique skills and training have combined many times with those of our police officers to serve the people of NSW in times of crisis, such as the floods and severe bushfires we’ve experienced in recent years.
“This will be a functional, effective and dynamic team to fight this pandemic,” he said.
There were 239 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8 p.m. on July 28, which broke a domestic record.
She previously said in a statement that higher vaccination rates and following the health orders are the only way to guarantee that the restrictions will ease up.
The latest police call for the army’s backing comes five days after anti-lockdown protests in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane that saw dozens of thousands of people taking to the streets in a largely peaceful fashion to express their opposition to the state governments’ measures.