Gladys Berejiklian floundered while trying to answer a question about whether unvaccinated people would be allowed to visit public pools when restrictions lift.
The NSW premier was announcing 961 new Covid cases on Sunday when she was blindsided by a reporter who asked about outdoor pools.
She was told of a leaked local council email claiming staff and patrons did not need their Covid jabs to enter a public pool when they reopen on Monday.
Ms Berejiklian appeared stumped and stammered: ‘Oh look, I’ve not seen the health guidelines… I haven’t seen what you’ve seen.’
Gladys Berejiklian (pictured during a press conference on Sunday) was unable to explain whether unvaccinated people will be able to swim at public pools
‘All I know is that NSW Health has provided those guidelines to… the, the, uh… the people managing the public pools,’ she fumbled, before turning to Jeremy McAnulty from the NSW Ministry of Health.
‘Jeremy do you have? Do you want to? Is there anything you have? Is there anything you want?’ she asked, looking towards the doctor who stood off-screen.
The reporter ignored her panicked stuttering and doubled down.
‘Do they have to be vaccinated or not?’ he repeated. ‘It’s a simple question.’
‘Yeah,’ Ms Berejiklian said quietly, before she gave up and repeated information that had already been announced.
‘Obviously, the rules that we stated were at 70 per cent double-dosed – everybody has to be vaccinated,’ she said.
Ms Berejiklian (pictured) panicked after the question and turned to Dr Jeremy McAnulty for help
After almost a minute of fruitless attempts at an explanation, Dr McAnulty finally took his mask off and came to her rescue (pictured centre)
When the reporter tried to ask her again, she said: ‘I don’t know what’s in the email.’
‘Children wouldn’t have to be vaccinated, under 18s wouldn’t have to be vaccinated, so that’s clearly already been made public.’
Unsatisfied with her response, the journalist continued to demand a straight answer.
‘But do you need to be vaccinated to go to a public pool tomorrow?’ he asked.
Ms Berejiklian replied: ‘Look, that was my understanding but if NSW Health has revised that – I’ve not see the email you’re talking about.’
The reporter made the point that no one needs to be vaccinated to go to the beach or the Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain, and asked if there would be different rules for indoor and outdoor pools.
After almost a minute of fruitless attempts at an explanation, Dr McAnulty finally took his mask off and came to her rescue.
Pictured: Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain, Sydney’s inner-west, which were re-opened this year
‘NSW Health has produced Covid safety plan guidelines for outdoor pools and that encourages a range of activities to keep patrons and staff safe,’ he said.
‘Part of that is encouraging strongly for people to be vaccinated, including staff.
‘There are a range of other activities that can be done to keep people safe at pools – outdoor pools are outdoor, and by the nature of that there’s a much lower risk of transmission of Covid than indoors.’
When asked whether vaccine will be mandatory for outdoor pools, Dr McAnulty said the government would make a decision.
The sum total of the exchange was that parents and anyone else in need of a dip still have no idea if they need to be vaccinated when the pools reopen on Monday.
Outdoor pools will be open with strict ‘arrive, swim, leave’ rules and no mingling, while indoor pools will stay closed until lockdown ends at 70 per cent vaccination.
Dr McAnulty said the likelihood of community transmission at an outdoor pool was relatively low
Ms Berejiklian announced the number of new Covid cases in the state dropped from 1007 on Saturday to 961 on Sunday, with nine deaths.
New Covid-19 cases in NSW dropped to 961 with nine deaths, as the state inches closer to a post-pandemic summer with relaxed restrictions.
She also said about 85 per cent of people have now had their first dose of a Covid vaccine.
The rate of fully vaccinated people in the state is expected to hit 60 per cent within the next 24 hours.
The premier said the government is close to finalising a roadmap for when 80 per cent of people have had two jabs, but unvaccinated people may have to wait another two months to access the same freedoms.