Covid-19 in Australia: the army ensures compliance with containment in Sydney

Audio 01:19

A street in Sydney closed to the public in full containment to fight against the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19, July 31, 2021. AFP - DAVID GRAY

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

Three hundred soldiers have been deployed in Sydney since Monday, August 2 in eight working-class neighborhoods which concentrate the majority of Delta variant cases that appeared in Australia's largest city in mid-June.

This decision, which consists of using the army to control the population, is controversial.

Reporting in Merrylands and Auburn, in the western suburbs of Sydney. 

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With our correspondent in Sydney,

Gregory Plesse

The streets are almost empty on Monday morning in central Auburn.

The only crowd is in the tent where PCR tests are carried out. 

In this popular Sydney suburb, the army has been assisting the police since this morning to enforce confinement.

Richard, a resident, does not like the idea at all: “ 

The army has a very specific role.

And it is not about supervising and regulating citizens.

 " 

Steve Christou, the mayor of Cumberland, where the suburb of Auburn is located, is also outraged.

He fears that the presence of soldiers could traumatize some of his citizens.

“ 

60% of the people of Cumberland were born abroad.

And for the most part, these are refugees who fled the war.

They haven't all had a very pleasant experience with the military.

 " 

Discreet soldiers

But some in the neighborhood think on the contrary that this help is welcome and that everything must be done to stop the progression of the coronavirus.

Sagar, for example, wants to see it as a way out of confinement faster.

“ 

It's a good thing, he 

believes, 

because there are too many cases of Covid and in addition, we are talking about the Delta variant.

I believe the government is doing its best and if we apply very tough measures now, we will be able to lift the restrictions and confinement more quickly.

 " 

Finally, the noise of the boots is rather discreet.

These 300 soldiers, who also distribute meals to the poor, operate in a territory as large as Seine-et-Marne. 

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• Australia

• Coronavirus

• Confinement