Horse 2795 - Health Hazzard's Grave Mistake

I thought something was weird when I read this on the Grauniad's website yesterday:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/05/berala-and-western-sydney-residents-risk-1000-fines-if-they-attend-scg-for-sydney-test

Residents from Berala and surrounding western Sydney suburbs have been warned they will be fined $1,000 if they “put a foot inside the SCG” for Australia’s third Test against India.

...

However, New South Wales health minister Brad Hazzard said on Tuesday he intends to sign a public health order banning people from suburbs affected by the Berala Covid-19 cluster.

He listed Auburn, Berala, Lidcombe North, Regents Park and Rookwood as suburbs covered by the ban and said “ticket sales have gone in a way that is aimed at ensuring that people from particular suburbs around Berala do not acquire tickets”.

- The Guardian, 5th Jan 2021

NSW Health later confirmed this:

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1346755368618131456

You must not enter the Sydney Cricket Ground for the purpose of attending any part of the New Year’s Cricket Test as a spectator if:

- you live in an affected area (Auburn, Belmore, Berala, Birrong, Lidcombe, Potts Hill, Regents Park, Rookwood, Wentworthville)

- NSW Health, 6th Jan 2021

Residents of Rookwood? Rookwood?!

I hear that due to ongoing industrial action, Rookwood workers have formed a skeleton crew and will definitely be there.

I don’t hear anyone from Rookwood saying "boo" about not being allowed to attend the cricket.

I suspect residents from Rookwood won’t be watching the cricket from their living rooms either.

Granted, the NSW Dept of health has grave concerns for spectator safety

Maybe they thought this was an Ashes Test between Australian and England.

Maybe the NSW Health Minister has had a change in spirit and a visit from the Ghost of Christmas past.

Those people from Rookwood will be turning in their graves, that they can't go.

They're so angry because they never thought they'd live to see this day come.

Rookwood in case you didn't is the suburb which contains the Rookwood Necropolis. It is the dead centre of this city.

People are dying to get in.

The Rookwood folks are laying low anyway.

If the residents of the Rookwood Necropolis were placed in the seats in the Members' Stand at the SCG, would anyone be able to tell the difference?

I think we actually need stronger penalties to discourage the residents of Rookwood from attending social events; however it could just be that the NSW Health Minister has made a grave mistake and he hasn't been able to dig himself out of it.