How was Freedom Day?
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"Freedom Day" was the term given to Monday, December 7 by NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet. The day many of the harsher restrictions still impacting our lives due to the coronavirus pandemic were relaxed in our state.
From now on in there will be no upper caps on weddings and funerals. Up to 5000 people will be able to attend outdoor ticketed events. Indoor entertainment venues will be allowed a 75 per cent capacity and outdoor stadiums and theatres 100 per cent.
These are but a few of the new measures which will come into effect this week.
It has been a long, long, long 2020.
There has been a lot of hard work, sorrow and sacrifice has happened to get our community to this point.
"In terms of economic activity you're looking at hundreds of millions of dollars injected into the NSW activity every single month," the Treasurer said last week.
"The pubs have told us that today's announcement is 9000 new jobs right across our state. It's instant impact, this getting people straight back to work."
For so many people this year has been one they'd rather forget. Yet the virus is not gone. It's just being managed.
Thankfully, largely due to the fact we are an island nation, we are devoid of the great loss and tragedy we are seeing still internationally.
Last week, the US recorded more than 2800 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, smashing the previous record set way back at the start of the pandemic and leaving every single American worried about the future. There is now 100,000 Americans hospitalised with the virus and cases are hitting 200,000-plus a day. These are horrendous figures. And there are warnings there the worst is yet to come.
We can only be thankful for our situation and pray we stay that way. For now, enjoy your freedom while you have it. As we have seen so many times freedom doesn't always last.
Do you have something to say? We welcome your letters which may run in print and online.