A Sydney pastor, Marvin Osaghae, was arrested for organizing illegal sermons in a COVID-19 hotspot.
Following an anonymous tip to Australian Federal Police’s Crime Stoppers, NSW Police found 60 people at the Christ Embassy church in Blacktown at about 7:30 pm on Aug 22.
This was just before the curfew of 9 pm to 5 am came into effect. This curfew prevents people in 12 high-risk Local Government Areas in Sydney’s west and south-west from leaving homes.
Before authorities arrived and issued about $35,000 in fines, Osaghae allegedly gave another sermon earlier in the day.
He preached that they refuse every lockdown in their cities.
“We declare the lockdowns are over, in the name of Jesus, lockdowns are over, in the cities of NSW, in the name of Jesus, we declare the lockdowns are over.
The service, which was live-streamed on social media, also included multiple performances by maskless singers and bands.
For the evening service, people had traveled from across Sydney’s west, including Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield, and Liverpool, police reported.
Thirty adults were fined $1000, and the church was fined $5000.
DISAPPOINTED OFFICIALS
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that she was disheartened by the gathering.
“It’s always disheartening and disappointing when you see people blatantly take it upon themselves to contradict what we know works,” she said.
Under current COVID-19 restrictions, churches can’t open to members of the public, except when holding a funeral or memorial service. Places of worship can still, however, host live stream services.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said that he was also very disappointed by the gathering.
“We know these events are superspreaders in our communities, and I think that we rely on our leaders, whether it’s a business leader or our premier or our church leaders, to do the right thing, and this is just sending the wrong message in the communities,” he said.
Epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws noted that the breach posed “an enormous risk” as indoor transmission poses a higher risk than outdoor transmission. As the windows are closed, airflow change would have been minimal.
“Then they could have gone out to others and infected others.” She said.
STATE OF SYDNEY
From midnight tonight, a tightened stay-at-home order came into place across 12 high-risk local government areas in Greater Sydney.
From 9 pm until 5 am, residents in these areas must stay at home unless they are an authorised workers, have an emergency, or need medical care.
Yesterday, NSW recorded the highest daily number for any state or territory since the onset of the pandemic in Australia at 830 cases.