Five years after Sydney’s 2021 lockdown, western residents recall its toll

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  Western Sydney residents recalled the personal and social toll of Sydney’s 2021 COVID-19 lockdowns five years after restrictions were lifted.

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  Residents in 12 designated “LGAs of concern” faced a 9pm-to-5am curfew and were limited to one hour outside each day from late August 2021.

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  Boraa Dannoun lost both parents to COVID in the final week of the lockdowns and could not receive condolences in person.

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  Mike Searle had to deliver his grandmother’s eulogy by video, with only his “bubble buddy” present.

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  A 2021 NSW crime research bureau found police disproportionately fined residents from the western Sydney LGAs and found no evidence of “non-compliant activities” in the region.

Who

Western Sydney residents, including Boraa Dannoun and Mike Searle, who recalled their experiences of the 2021 lockdown.

What

Residents described the restrictions’ effects, including bereavement without in-person support, curfews and police enforcement.

When

The lockdown was in 2021; the article was published on October 10, 2026, five years after restrictions were lifted.

Where

Western Sydney, including the 12 designated “LGAs of concern” in NSW.

Why

The restrictions were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article does not state a more specific reason.

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