COVID-19 Diaries: Massive Queues Outside Centrelink

Long queues formed outside Centrelink offices around the country today as the economic affects of the COVID-19 health crisis cut deep.

After claiming the online Jobseeker system had failed because of a malicious cyber attack, the Minister for Government Services, Stuart Robert, had to retract, admitting that the system was simply overloaded.

These images were taken outside of the Centrelink offices in Surry Hills and Marrickville. People had begun lining up at dawn. The average wait, in intermittent light rain, was around 5 hours.

Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.

*click on image for full screen view
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COVID-19 Diaries: Off Broadway

Broadway, from Railway Square down to the shopping centre was dead in this morning, just after peak hour.

Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.

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COVID-19 Diaries - Spectrum of the Seas

With the Harbour Bridge and North Sydney as a backdrop, the cruise liner, Spectrum of the Seas, waits to disembark its passengers.

Last week, around 2,700 passengers from the liner, Ruby Princess, were allowed to disembark, despite cases of the virus being on board. More than 130 of those passengers have so far been tested positive. Today, one of those passengers died from the disease, bringing Australia’s death total from COVID-19 to eight.

Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.

*click on image for full screen view

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COVID-19 Diaries - Sydney Opera House

Usually bustling with tourists, the Sydney Opera House is laid bare as an unease falls across the city. In the distance to the right, the cruise liner, Spectrum of the Seas, floats on the Harbour, waiting to disembark its passengers.

Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.

*click on image for full screen view

COVID-19 Diaries

Signs have been erected at all pedestrian crossings in Sydney’s CBD asking the public not to push or touch the the traffic light button. The aim is to minimise the spread of COVID-19 via transmission through touch.

Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.

*click on image for full screen view

COVID-19 Diaries

This is the first of a series of photographs that I’ll be posting over the next few months or as how ever long it is possible, to document the small and large consequences of life in Sydney as it unfolds under COVID-19.

Yesterday, I took my bike (I’m trying to avoid public transport as much as I can) and camera, stopping along the way, to Bondi Beach on the first day it was shut off from the public, after a mass gathering there over the weekend, despite pleas for ‘social distancing’.

It was quite a sight with this vast expanse of golden sand under brilliant autumnal sunshine, devoid of the usual swarms of buffed bodies. Instead, an eerie silence, apart from the crashing of waves and soft murmurs of passersby. Entries to the beach were cordoned off and surf-lifesavers patrolled the shore line trying to get the last few defiant surfers out of the water with the threat of fines and police action.

People were on edge with one fracas breaking out on the promenade. I was abused by one member of the public as being part of “the media”, who were “worse than the virus for causing the outbreak of panic”.

In the distance, two large cruise liners floated ominously on the horizon, apparently full of passengers, some whom are suspected of having contracted COVID-19. Last week, 2700 people were let off a cruiser at Circular Quay, despite the fact the many were being tested for the virus. The consequences of that are yet to be felt.

*Click through images for full screen view

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