Gladys Berejiklian has resisted calls to lock down the whole of Sydney and NSW on Friday and instead shut down four local government areas, preserving freedom for at least seven million Australians.
Throughout the pandemic the NSW premier has tried to keep businesses open and the economy functioning while her counterparts in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia have repeatedly shut down their entire states over just a handful of localised cases.
And after 22 new cases of the India Delta variant were recorded on Friday, the head of the Australian Medical Association again demanded the whole of Sydney be locked down.
The calls for a Sydney wide lockdown by AMA president, Omar Khorshid, were duly picked up and given prominence by several of Australia's biggest news websites, many of which have consistently run a pro-lockdown agenda throughout the entire pandemic.
Berejiklian's determination to stare down the hysterical pro-lockdown advocates has even quietly earned her comparisons to British PM, Margaret Thatcher, who was known as the Iron Lady for her uncompromising leadership in the face of pressure.
The lockdown applies to residents who live or have worked part-time or full-time in the hotspot suburbs (pictured) in the past two weeks
Aaron Henderson-Smith, Emergency Nurse, conducts a COVID-19 swab test at the Rushcutters Bay mobile covid testing clinic on June 25
Berejiklian has steadfastly stuck to her proportionate approach, imposing stay-at-home orders only on the worst-affected areas: Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and the City of Sydney.
The lockdown still takes in almost a million people - including about 500,000 who work in the CBD - but millions more have been spared, for now.
The premier's approach is in stark contrast to the Victorian government.
On 27 May Acting Premier James Merlino locked down the whole state over just 26 cases, all of which were in Melbourne.
Victorians were ordered to stay within five kilometres of their home and were banned from exercising with more than one person and for more than two hours.
Even those in lockdown in New South Wales can exercise for as long as they like with up to ten people - and Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant encouraged people to gather outside to preserve their mental and physical health.
There is also no ridiculous rules - such as wearing a face mask outside - and both the premier, her ministers and Dr Chant have been careful not to use sensationalist language.
Two ladies not for turning: Gladys Berejiklian's strong defence of personal freedom during the pandemic has earned her comparisons to uncompromising former UK PM Margaret Thatcher
Melbourne's shut down was aggressively enforced by police who even tackled and handcuffed unmasked citizens. Pictured: Victoria Police in August 2020
'We are allowing them to be outdoors in groups of up to 10 and we encourage that because we are understanding of the impact this is going to have,' Dr Chant said.
Her calm demeanour and rational approach offers a strong contrast to Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton who was slammed by fearmongering by describing the virus as a 'beast'.
Following the one-week lockdown of Victoria, Melbourne was shut down for a further seven days, pushing businesses to the brink almost a year after they were was shut for three months as the state Labor government used draconian restrictions to drive cases down to zero.
Victorians can see the contrast between New South Wales and our State Government
Victorian MP James Newbury
The shut-down was aggressively enforced by police who even tackled and handcuffed unmasked citizens in the street in scenes reminiscent of a dystopian fiction that shocked the rest of the nation.
The Victorian Liberal-National Opposition has admired Ms Berejiklian's approach and watched on jealously as she keeps her state largely open and citizens free.
Victorian Liberal MP James Newbury told Daily Mail Australia: 'Victorians can see the contrast between New South Wales and our State Government.
'Our neighbour knows the best way to manage the virus is to do so appropriately and proportionately.
'By contrast, Victoria has a lockdown Labor Government whose knee-jerk response to cases is to lock up almost seven million Victorians, ignoring the catastrophic social or economic costs of statewide lockdowns.
'Labor is inept and Victorians have woken up to it.'
Four politicians who checked in to a pizza restaurant (left) using the QR code system were told just 24 hours later that they were close contacts of a positive case. Right: This is the text received by Upper House member Ben Franlin at 11.51pm on Tuesday
Prime Minister Scott Morrison also said Ms Berejiklian was 'taking the right approach' by not favouring lockdown.
'I think the approach that she is
