COVID-19 Diaries: On The Frontline With A COVID Deep Cleaning Team

Images from the frontline of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

These photographs were taken last weekend while embedded with a team from BAMS Hygiene Management, one of Australia’s largest businesses specialising in decontaminating workplaces that have had an outbreak of the coronavirus.

About 30 deep cleaners spent several hours disinfecting a massive warehouse in Sydney’s west. The operation was conducted with military-like precision, from suiting up to the wash-down. After the deep clean, a mobile PCR testing facility provided workers with a COVID test.

Yesterday, NSW again recorded over 1,000 cases of the virus, and 11 deaths, as the State government pushes towards opening back up.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: The Zammitt Family.

A portrait of the Zammitt family at their Western Sydney home, with their dogs, Benji and Beau.

Brian Zammitt (second from left) is the head of his booming family business, BAMS Hygiene Management, one of Australia’s leading deep cleaning companies, that specialises in disinfecting workplaces and locations contaminated with the coronavirus. His wife, Sandra, and daughters Natalie and Louisa all play key frontline roles in the business.

NSW today recorded 1,063 COVID-19 cases, taking the Delta outbreak in the state past a grim total of 50,000 cases.

Part of an ongoing series, ’COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: At Home With Brian Zammitt

Portrait of deep cleaner, Brian Zammitt, next to his baby grand piano, at his Western Sydney home.

Brian is the director and CEO of BAMS Hygiene Management, one of Australia’s leading deep cleaning businesses, that specialises in disinfecting workplaces and locations infected with the coronavirus.

As the latest wave of the virus continues to peak across NSW, with around 1,000 COVID cases detected every day, business is booming for Brian and his team.

Part of an ongoing series, ’COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: Anti-Vax and Anti-Lockdown Sentiment

As parts of Australia begin to reopen back up from COVID-19 lockdown measures, pockets of resentment against the public health orders remain.

These sentiments have been fuelled by an eclectic mix of anti-vaccine messaging, right-wing extremism, wild conspiracy theories, racism, cynical political opportunism and a real concern about civl liberties, growing authoritarianism and an inequitable socio-economic system.

The resulting fear and anxiety has seen sporadic street protests across the country - including in Sydney, and currently in Melbourne, where some construction workers, right-wing activists and anti-vaxers have been engaged in violent clashes with police.

There has also been some smaller expressions of resistance, such as graffiti, against what some people see as mandatory vaccination.

Some right-wing and ‘libertarian’ political parties are tapping into this angst, as the next election is expected early next year.

With over 70% of people so far vaccinated with at least one shot in Australia, the anti-vax and anti-COVID movements could be described as a minority and fringe, but significant and determined.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: A Prison With Million Dollar Views

Photographs of Uncle Des at his 16th floor flat in the Redfern public housing estates. He is on the long wait list – exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19 - for a new home, which he hopes will be at ground level. Despite what some might consider as million dollar views, Uncle Des says his flat is more like a prison - isolated on one of the top floors of the sprawling estate, away from the community which mingles below and for which he yearns.

Uncle Des is part of the Stolen Generation, having been forcibly removed from his family as a child and taken to the notorious government-run Kinchela Aboriginal Boys Training Home (KBH) near Kempsey in northern NSW, where he suffered immense abuse at the hands of those in charge.

Uncle Des is being supported to find a new flat by the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation, who support the social and emotional wellbeing of survivors, their families and descendants.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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^These photographs were taken prior to the current lockdown of the Redfern public housing estate, where 12 COVID-19 cases have been detected.

COVID-19 Diaries: Redfern Public Housing Tower in Lockdown

A Redfern public housing tower has gone into lockdown after it was confirmed that a cluster of 12 coronavirus cases were detected there.

NSW Health authorities set up a makeshift testing and vaccination centre at the base of the tower. Residents have been told to isolate until tested negative. There is a significant population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who live at the estate.

There has been a worrying increase in COVID-19 cases across the inner suburbs of Sydney in recent weeks, including in Redfern, Glebe and Waterloo.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: 9/11 Twenty Years On Under Lockdown

A makeshift memorial of flowers at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney commemorate twenty years since the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre in New York City. Ten Australians lost their lives at the twin towers on that day.

Many relatives of the dead were unable to attend this year’s laying of flowers due to the COVID-19 lockdown and restriction of movement across the city.

The woman in the photograph at the memorial is Yvonne Kennedy, whose belongings were retrieved at the site of the World Trade Centre after the attacks and which are now kept at the Australian Museum of Australia.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: Deep Cleaning Cranes

Specialised COVID-19 hygienists were called out to a Bankstown construction site in Sydney’s south-west on the weekend to deep clean two towering cranes which had been infected with the virus.

Brian Zammitt, CEO of BAMS Hygiene Management, said it was a world first having construction cranes deep cleaned in this way.

Cleaners dressed in full PEP, scaled the two 121-metre, 20-story high structures to the top-most cabins in stifling 30 degree heat on Saturday, after a crane operator was diagnosed with the highly infectious disease. Several co-workers also tested positive as the coronavirus quickly spread through the workplace.

Building and constructions sites have come under recent scrutiny as places of concern after outbreaks across several sites, particularly in Victoria.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: Schools Set to Reopen

After months of shutdown, the State Government has announced that NSW public schools are set to reopen on October 25. HSC exams have been pushed back to November.

Leading up to the reopening, authorities have been checking classrooms to measure ventilation and airflow that could minimise transmission of COVID-19.

In the meantime, parents continue the hard work of schooling their children from home.

Coronavirus case numbers dipped today, amounting to 1,127 with 2 deaths. Despite the lower numbers, health authorities have warned against complacency, with peaks cases yet to be reached.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: On Broadway

Masked pedestrians wander the city streets along Broadway, Ultimo.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: NSW Government Halts Daily COVID Press Briefings

The NSW Government today announced that it will cease daily COVID-19 press briefings, instead moving to “intermittent” briefings. The announcement has been met with disbelief at a time where over 1500 cases were recorded today across the state, and as the government moves towards easing restrictions and opening up the economy.

Some journalists have accused the Premier of going into “hiding while… citizens die” and of avoiding scrutiny at a crucial time.

Nine deaths were recorded as of 8pm last night. The government predicts that COVID case numbers will peak next week.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: Garden Island

Masked police and exercisers were out in force around Garden Island Naval Base and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair over the weekend, as the the weather warms and as pressure mounts to open up from lockdown, despite record COVID-19 cases.

Current Public Health Orders still maintain that one exemption to being permitted outdoors is for physical exercise and recreation with in a 5km radius of your residence. People found contravening these orders face a $5,000 fine.

There have been steadily growing numbers of coronavirus cases in the inner suburbs, including in Sydney's east.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: I Wish...

‘I Wish…’

A sculpture by Arthur Fleischmann, masked with flowers, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: Anti-Lockdown Protest 2.0

The second anti-lockdown protest failed to match the numbers expected, as police ringed off the CBD with roadside checks at all major arterial routes into the city. Central train stations were also closed down to the public. Identity checks were witnessed in and around the city. The CBD was eerily quiet, as a result.

Victoria Park in Glebe - the main location of the planned protest - remained quiet for most of the morning, with a massive police presence. Soon after midday, around 200 protesters appeared and streamed across Broadway. Police had trouble containing the crowd as they moved down Broadway towards the city. Vastly outnumbered by police, however, the protesters were eventually dispersed. Dozens of violent arrests were made in the process.

As the city fell quiet once again, protesters vowed to return to the streets in coming days and police warned they would once again be out in force.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: Vaccination Centre at Macquarie Fields

Thousands lined up in the midday sun today at the Glenquarie Town Centre in Macquarie Fields, which has been converted into a vaccination centre. Police and Australian Defence Force personnel were in attendance.

High numbers of COVID-19 cases still persist in Sydney’s south-west. Around the state, 644 infections were detected, with 4 deaths. The NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, also announced harsh new lockdown measures, including a curfew in the hotspot LGAs, beginning Monday. The mayor of the Cumberland Council, in which Macquarie Fields lies, and other community leaders launched scathing attacks on the state government, after today’s announcements were made.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: Glenquarie Library COVID Testing Station

Glenquarie Library at Macquarie Fields in Sydney’s south-west has been turned into a pop-up COVID-19 testing station. The state recorded 644 cases today, as the NSW Premier announced new harsher lockdown measures for Sydney’s hotspots .

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: Bondi Beach in 'Lockdown'.

Yesterday’s fine weather brought out crowds again at beaches across Sydney’s eastern suburbs, even as it was announced that the entire state was being put under lockdown. At Bondi Beach, the promenade was busy, as police patrolled the area by foot and on horse. Hefty fines were meted out to those found outside 5km from their residence but there was little police could do, given the numbers out and about.

Scenes at Bondi Beach were in stark contrast to Sydney’s south-west, where streets were quiet, except at testing stations and vaccination centres, like the one at Lakemba Mosque.

There were 415 cases of the coronavirus recorded yesterday. Today, a new regime of harsher penalties for breaking public health orders will be instituted and 500 additional ADF will be added to support police.

Part of an ongoing series,’COVID-19 Diaries’.

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COVID-19 Diaries: Lakemba Mosque Vaccination Centre

Lines were long yesterday at the Lakemba Mosque’s COVID-19 vaccination centre in Sydney’s south-west as the local community battles to contain the spread of the virus in the area.

Local GP, Dr. Fariha Dib, said the good news was that testing and vaccination rates in Lakemba are high, and that contagion had slowed. She also said initial skepticism about the disease and vaccines had turned around, possibly due to the high numbers of infections in the community.

Organiser of the vaccine rollout at the mosque, Ahmad Malas, praised the the turnout, saying he was overwhelmed by the community’s efforts against the coronavirus.

Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

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