A rare sign of optimism in Sydney today as businesses try to get back on their feet, post lockdown.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: COVID-19 Sucks
Graffiti on a hoarding in the CBD.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Million Life
Evidence of the increasing economic downturn - homelessness, closed businesses, job losses and the heady aspirations of former times - culminate in this photograph.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Unemployment Record Rise
A sign in the shopfont window of a job recruitment agency explains that it has closed its doors due to the COVID-19 crisis.
It was announced today that Australia has experienced its steepest monthly rise in unemployment on record with around 600,000 people having lost their jobs in April. It takes the unemployment rate to around 6.2%, a number many suspect is much lower than the actual rate, which they say could already exceed 10%.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Skipping Girl
A young woman works out by herself in the deserted stands at Redfern Park, on the last day of strict COVID-19 lockdown laws, before they are slightly relaxed in NSW from tomorrow.
As of tomorrow, up to 10 people will be able to train in parks together, as long as they adhere to the 1.5 metre social distancing restrictions.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Boarded Up Shop
A woman with a shopping bag walks past a boarded up shop in Sydney’s CBD.
The NSW government has indicated it will loosen some of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on Friday in an effort to reboot the the economy, but it is yet to be seen how businesses might recover from the historic economic downturn.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: At Home With Lucerito
Lucerito, originally from Peru, stands at her apartment door, where she shares a room with four other women. Self-isolation and social distancing at home is impossible.
Lucerito is a cleaner, one of the frontline workers who have been deemed by the government as ‘essential’. They are also some of the most at-risk to exposure to COVID-19 and some of the lowest paid workers in the country.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Mother's Day
To the mothers out there who can’t be with their children today.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: At Home With Lina Cabaero
Portraits of Lina Cabaero, coordinator of Asian Women at Work, which supports and empowers migrant women who are living under the threat of labour exploitation.
Lina has recently been diagnosed with cancer and has just undergone her third treatment of chemotherapy. People with underlying health conditions are far more susceptible to COVID-19. Lina has been self-isolating at home with her family in Marrickville since the outbreak of the virus.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Lockdown Easing, Manly
On Friday, the Federal Government laid out plans to ease lockdown measures across the country. In NSW, the government has yet to move substantially on these measures, although it is flagging action in the not too distant future, possibly by next week.
Amongst the general public, there seems to be a mood for gradual opening up of lockdown laws. Unusually warm May weather has seen people pushing the boundaries of social distancing laws in public spaces, like beaches, as seen in Manly yesterday.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Old and New
An ill-placed sign outside St. Vincents Hospital juxtaposes new and old.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Azad
Azad, originally from Bangladesh, stares out at the Sydney Harbour Bridge on his daily ferry trip to Manly to clean apartments.
Cleaners have been considered ‘essential workers’ since the outbreak of COVID-19. They are also some of the lowest paid workers in Australia.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Fake News
A man reads a daily newspaper next to a sculpture of a man reading a daily newspaper. No social distancing problems for this this man (left) .
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COVID-19 Diaries: At Home With Fiona and Ryder
Portraits of photographer and single mother, Fiona Wolf-Symeonides at home with her son Ryder, 7.
Artists and those in the creative industries have been some of the hardest hit by the economic downturn due to COVID-19. Fiona has lost all of her photographic work as a result of the onset of the virus.
She has been homeschooling Ryder from their small inner-west flat in Sydney since schools in NSW closed down in March.
Fiona recently won the portrait prize for the HeadOn Photo Festival.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: At Home WIth Peter Crowfoot
A portrait of photographer, Peter Crowfoot, at home in self-isolation under COVID-19.
People living with disabilities are more vulnerable to the coronavirus and even more disadvantaged financially. While other forms of government support have been implemented and supplemented, the disability pension has not been increased. At the same time, living costs have substantially risen since COVID-19 hit the economy.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Opera From The Rooftops
Photographs from last Sunday’s opera performances from the rooftops of Kings Cross.
Local resident, Portland Georgiou, has organised the performances for the last six weeks as a way to engage communities and foster solidarity in the face of social isolation under COVID-19.
Every Sunday, singers David Carroll and Sylvie Woods have performed to local residents from the surrounding apartment blocks and curious passers-by at ground level.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Thai Community Under COVID
Images of ‘Meal In The Box’ - a volunteer group who are cooking meals for the Thai community in Sydney.
Much of the Thai community have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 led downturn of the economy. Many are young students, who are locked in to paying school fees and have no way of returning home with all international flights banned. The government is still not offering any form of support for overseas students or temporary migrants, who are now living with no income and are becoming increasingly desperate. Some are going hungry.
And many have been experiencing anti-Asian discrimination and racism, being abused on the street and on public transport.
In response, Thai chef, Dan Wichitakul, banded together friends and colleagues and formed ‘Meal In The Box’, a group who are cooking and delivering hundreds of meals to needy students from the community, 7 days a week. Newtown Thai, on King Street, whose business has seen a substantial drop since the coronavirus hit, has offered the group their premises to use. Food is being provided through local donations.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Flattening The Curve
Medical advice tells us that until a vaccine is found, social distancing, self-isolation and staying at home are the only ways to ‘flatten the curve’ and avoid the continuing global pandemic that is COVID-19.
Data from the John Hopkins University website shows that across the world, rates of COVID-19 deaths and infections seem to levelling out.
However, there are still fears that many countries have yet to feel the full brunt of the virus, especially in Africa and in parts of South America, and that a second wave could be imminent. Reliable testing and reporting of data is also an issue.
Meanwhile in Australia, social distancing regulations are being relaxed as the government tries to reignite the nose-diving economy and reduce the mental health pressures related to home isolation.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Live Streamed Services at Auburn Gallipoli Mosque
Photographs of the Iman of the Auburn Gallipoli Mosque live-streaming the traditional call to prayer and recitation of the Quran to adherents over the Internet.
The COVID-19 social distancing laws which ban mass gatherings have meant places of worship have had to close their doors to their congregations.
Normally, the the Auburn Gallipoli Mosque would be filled to its 1,000 person capacity on any given Friday, but especially during the holy month of Ramadan. Instead, today, the prayer rooms were empty, except for a few skeleton staff. So, the Mosque has turned to technology to maintain its religious obligations by live-streaming its services to the faithful stuck at home.
It is also providing more worldly services, delivering essential food drops to the elderly who have had to self-isolate.
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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COVID-19 Diaries: Observations of a City Under Lockdown
A photographic record of a day’s observations of a city under lockdown:
Two homeless men read the latest news feed at Martin Place
Signs warning of social distancing adorn a quieter than usual Pitt Street Mall as lunchtime workers go about their daily business
A view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge down a deserted city street
Street posters urge good health practice
Discarded rubber gloves lie on a back street
Masked teenaged girls glued to their mobile phones
A sign outside a shop in Newtown alerts customers of a two person limit inside
Orange crosses on the ground act as social distancing markers outside a shop
A ‘For Lease’ sign sits in a window of a small business that has just closed down
A padlocked door signals the closure of one of the hardest hit businesses: small pubs and clubs
Mandatory social distancing signs at construction worksites
Water bubblers have been shut off around the city as a public health measure
Part of an ongoing photographic series, 'COVID-19 Diaries'.
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