Outdoor gyms are a 'germ festival' and should not be used while Sydney is in lockdown, the NSW Police Minister has said.
David Elliott slammed eastern suburbs residents for using the outdoor gym at Bondi Beach even though they are not breaking any rules because outside exercise is allowed.
In an interview on Sky News, he revealed he has asked the local mayor to better manage crowds near the city's eastern beaches.
Outdoor gyms are a 'germ festival' and should not be used while Sydney is in lockdown, the NSW Police Minister has said. Pictured: The Bondi Beach gym
'We've closed the gyms for a reason but people in the eastern beaches seem to think they can use those public gyms which are quite frankly just a germ festival.
'I don't know why you would want to expose yourself to those situations,' he said.
Under Sydney's lockdown rules, residents are allowed to exercise in groups of two within 10km of their home.
Mr Elliot said people should exercise but warned residents to stay in their local areas.
'If you're going to exercise - and you should exercise because it's good for your mental and physical health - you don't have to go down to Bondi Beach to do it.
'You should be exercising locally and that way we will avoid these crowds that we've seen in the eastern beaches.'
Residents are seen exercising at Queen's Park - next to Centennial Park - in Sydney
Mr Elliot was reminded that there hasn't been a single coronavirus transmission outdoors that health officials are aware of.
'Well, yet,' he said.
'I don't want to expose the members of any community to any unnecessary risk and that's what's happening.
'If people are going to push the envelope like they have been in the eastern suburbs then we've got to respond.
'People weren't working within the spirit of the law.'
Mr Elliot said he has written to the mayor of Waverley to 'respond and provide additional resources to manage the crowds.'
NSW recorded its highest daily spike in Covid-19 cases with 136 new infections and the outbreak now considered to be a 'national emergency'.
The new cases prompted Gladys Berejiklian to not only announce an extension of work travel restrictions to parts of Sydney but admit that lockdown would likely not end on July 30.
Instead, Sydneysiders could be forced to live with restrictions for as long as October.
'There is no doubt that the numbers are not going in the direction we were hoping they would at this stage,' she said.
'It is fairly apparent that we will not be close to [ending lockdown] next Friday.'
The NSW Government held a crisis cabinet meeting on Friday morning where it was declared the current outbreak in south-west and western Sydney was a 'national emergency.'
Of the new cases reported, 53 were infectious in the community. An 89-year-old man has also died from the virus overnight.
The new cases surpass the
