Bored Sydneysiders who’re stuck in lockdown have taken to guessing how many new cases will be announced and what colour outfit Premier Gladys Berejiklian will wear at her daily COVID press conferences.
It’s emerged as some kind of free-for-all competition in the comment sections of the NSW Health Facebook livestreams. Some people are even referring to it as COVID bingo, which is a decidedly fun spin on a deadly global pandemic.
The game only lasts for the first five or so minutes of the livestream, until Berejiklian walks out, reveals our jacket for the day, and reads the daily COVID case numbers.
Some people are even having a crack at the long odds, extending the game to include Berejiklian’s shoes, overnight COVID testing numbers, or even what Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant might wear.
Here are some of the guesses over the past couple of days:
And then, when Berejiklian finally fronts the cameras, the winners (or lack thereof) make themselves known to the thousands of people tuning into the livestream.
Of course, there’s always a bit of room for debate. Should people who guess blue claim the win if Berejiklian is in fact wearing teal?
It’s similar to how Melburnians were trying to predict whether Victorian Premier Dan Andrews would rock up in a suit (bad news) or his trademark North Face puffy jacket (good news).
Except this time around, there are infinitely more options, plus it’s a numbers game, too, which is much harder to win.
You can check out upcoming press conference livestreams at the NSW Health Facebook page.
When Sydneysiders are cooped up at home under lockdown, it’s beautiful to see people finding new and innovative ways to connect with one another while engaging with politics at the same time.
On that note, my guess for today is: 18 White. Catch ya at the livestream.
