Model Samantha Harris blasts 'ridiculous' decision to extend Sydney's lockdown - and says it's 'time to live with Covid' while vaccines are being rolled out

Outspoken model Samantha Harris has come out swinging against the New South Wales government over its decision to extend Sydney's Covid-19 lockdown for another week.

A furious Samantha wrote on Instagram on Wednesday: 'Thank you very much, NSW government. How good is this? Didn't realise I was in jail, locked in for another week. What did we do wrong?'

The 30-year-old continued: 'Do you not realise the amount of people struggling out there? This is absolutely ridiculous.'

'Ridiculous': Outspoken model Samantha Harris (pictured) has come out swinging against the New South Wales government over its decision to extend Sydney's Covid-19 lockdown for another week
Pictured: NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian at a press conference on Tuesday

'Ridiculous': Outspoken model Samantha Harris (left) has come out swinging against the New South Wales government over its decision to extend Sydney's Covid-19 lockdown for another week. Right: NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian at a press conference on Tuesday

Samantha went on to accuse the government of inflicting financial and emotional damage upon Sydney residents with its lockdowns.

'I have friends that have small business and they have been absolutely destroyed by this three-week lockdown, not to mention what this has done to everyone's mental health,' she wrote.

'People are crying out for these jabs and you can’t provide them. This is all on you; it’s absolutely unforgivable.' 

Samantha concluded her post by insisting the NSW government should change tack and lift Covid restrictions for good while vaccinations are rolled out.

Outraged: Samantha wrote on Instagram, 'Thank you very much, NSW government. How good is this? Didn't realise I was in jail, locked in for another week. What did we do wrong?'

Outraged: Samantha wrote on Instagram, 'Thank you very much, NSW government. How good is this? Didn't realise I was in jail, locked in for another week. What did we do wrong?'

Rant: Samantha went on to accuse the government of inflicting financial and emotional damage upon Sydney residents with its lockdowns

Rant: Samantha went on to accuse the government of inflicting financial and emotional damage upon Sydney residents with its lockdowns

'These lockdowns need to stop,' she declared. 'Surely it's time to live with this the best we can while you are implementing and rolling out these vaccinations.' 

Samantha became a household name after winning the Girlfriend Model Search at the age of 13.

By the age of 18, she had became the the second Indigenous model to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine.

Living with coronavirus: Samantha concluded her post by insisting the NSW government should change tack and lift Covid restrictions for good while vaccinations are rolled out

Living with coronavirus: Samantha concluded her post by insisting the NSW government should change tack and lift Covid restrictions for good while vaccinations are rolled out 

Meanwhile, five million Sydneysiders are preparing to remain in lockdown for at least another week as an outbreak of the highly-infectious Indian Delta strain of Covid continues to spread across the city.

With community transmission confirmed in Sydney's west late on Tuesday night, including in a busy Coles in Parramatta, the NSW government made the call to extend restrictions until 11.59pm on July 16. 

The decision to extend stay-at-home orders and keep schools closed in Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Shellharbour and Wollongong is set to be officially announced by Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday morning.

Extended: The decision to extend stay-at-home orders and keep schools closed in Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Shellharbour and Wollongong is set to be officially announced by Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday morning

Extended: The decision to extend stay-at-home orders and keep schools closed in Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Shellharbour and Wollongong is set to be officially announced by Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday morning

The harsh measures, originally brought in for a week on June 26, were enacted to confine the highly infectious Indian Delta strain to the epicentre in Sydney's east.

But the strategy has failed to keep locally-acquired cases under control across Sydney, with 18 new infections on Tuesday bringing the city's Bondi cluster to 225 cases - with over a hundred more that are yet to be linked. 

In another worrying statistic which prompted Ms Berejiklian to make her decision, 122 new cases were found to have been out in the community while infectious within the last ten days. 

As part of the extended lockdown, face masks will remain mandatory, schools will be shut with at-home-learning replacing face-to-face classes and there are still only four lawful reasons to leave home. 

SYDNEY'S LOCKDOWN RULES UNTIL JULY 16

Those living in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong must abide by the following: 

Masks are mandatory in all indoor settings outside the home, including offices 

Weddings are banned and funerals are capped at 100 people - or 1 person per 4sqm - with masks required indoors 

There is no curfew but a stay at home order applies, with only four reasons to leave your home 

Schools will be closed with at-home-learning replacing face-to-face classes 

*The four reasons you can leave your home:

  • Shopping for food or other essential goods and services
  • Medical care or compassionate needs (including to get a COVID-19 vaccine)
  • Exercise outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer
  • Essential work, or education, where you cannot work or study from home  

The rest of NSW (including regional areas) is subject to the following restrictions:

  • No more than five visitors (including children) allowed in homes
  • Masks are compulsory in all indoor non-residential settings
  • The four-square-metre rule is back for indoor and outdoor settings and drinking while standing at indoor venues is not allowed
  • Dancing will not be allowed at indoor hospitality venues or nightclubs, but dancing is allowed at weddings for the wedding party (no more than 20 people)
  • Dance and gym classes are limited to 20 people per class and masks must be worn  

When does the lockdown end?  

  • Stay at home orders apply to Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour until 11.59pm on Friday, July 16, 2021

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Model Samantha Harris blasts 'ridiculous' decision to extend Sydney's lockdown

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