Organizers of the Tamworth Country Music Festival are hopeful the landmark event can still unfold, despite the NSW government’s latest COVID modeling.
Key points:
- COVID-19 modeling predicts there could be up to 25,000 cases per day in NSW by January
- The peak coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, drawing hundreds of thousands of people
- Organizers say event continues, but Tamworth GPs are concerned
Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced yesterday that the state should prepare for up to 25,000 cases of COVID-19 per day next month.
Although this was called “very preliminary” by the authors of the University of NSW report, the people of Tamworth were shocked.
The Tamworth Country Music Festival will celebrate its 50th anniversary on January 14, 2022, with a 10-day event.
The festival, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people, will fall along with the modeling peak of COVID cases.
“The timing couldn’t be worse, at the same time as the state government has relaxed most restrictions on the venues,” said festival director Barry Harley.
“The reality of the situation is that whatever health orders of the day, we and the sites will obviously comply.”
Mr Harley said many venues hosting shows and festival goers already have their own safety plans in place.
The famous cavalcade on Tamworth’s Main Street has become a static event due to COVID-19, the second time since the 1980s.
He said he didn’t believe the event would return to normal.
“The serious thing about the festival is that it injects up to $ 70 million into the economy and in 2021 we took it out, and we have a community that is already $ 70 million less. “
“We would love to be risk averse, but given the latest easing of restrictions, we like to think this continues.”
Tamworth GPs worried
NSW recorded 1,742 new cases of COVID-19 within 24 hours until 8:00 p.m. yesterday.
This is the highest number on record in the state in one day, surpassing NSW’s previous peak of 1,603 on September 11.
Tamworth GP Jenny May has urged people to take “personal responsibility” to limit their exposure to the virus, in the wake of the latest modeling.
“For those who are vulnerable, it can be important that they take some personal responsibility and pay attention to what they are doing.”
Dr May said if the modeling came to fruition it would put significant strain on the health system in the northwestern New England region.
“I think it is disturbing, it is certainly fair to say with the figures quoted by Minister Hazzard, I hope he could be on top of what one would expect,” she said. declared.
“A high number of cases in [the Tamworth] region could put more pressure on our resources and hospitals in general.
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