Virus hotspot suburbs should be "ring-fenced" to stop people entering and leaving to slow a resurgence of coronavirus in Melbourne, an epidemiologist who is advising the World Health Organization on its COVID-19 response says.
Key points:
- Victorian authorities are considering a range of localised lockdown measures
- WHO advisor Mary-Louise McLaws said China had proved such measures could be effective
- Some mayors are pushing for better education in multicultural communities instead
But the Victorian Government must act "very rapidly" to give such local lockdowns a chance of success, UNSW epidemiology professor Mary-Louise McLaws said.
Premier Daniel Andrews is considering reintroducing restrictions, including stay-at-home orders, in local hotspots as the state deals with a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
The cases are mostly concentrated in 10 suburbs in the city's north, west and south-east.
Professor McLaws said it was possible for Australia to replicate China's success at containing the virus by locking down hotspot areas while easing restrictions elsewhere.
That strategy — which would involve ordering people not to leave designated zones without special exemptions — also proved effective during the 2003 SARS outbreak in China, she said.
Earlier this month, lockdown measures were reimposed in parts of Beijing after an outbreak linked to a seafood supermarket. Lockdowns of specific provinces and residential compounds have also been used in other parts of the country.
"They [China] put in place the ring-fencing of cities, but have then instigated ring-fencing in hotspots within cities, and the success of that emboldens my idea that this could be the way to go," Professor McLaws said.
But she said the effectiveness of any local lockdowns in Melbourne would not be obvious for about 14 days because of the virus's incubation period.
"So now is the time to act, and to act very rapidly."
The strategy would need to be combined with a testing blitz — which is currently underway in hotspot suburbs — and could be even more effective if people wore face masks when physical distancing wasn't possible, Professor McLaws said.
"With the new masks now, it can afford up to 70 per cent protection [against infecting others], and it's very cheap," she said.
Suburban lockdowns would include stay-at-home rules
The State Government has not spelled out how localised lockdowns or restrictions would work, or whether they would apply to individual suburbs, postcode zones or entire council areas.
Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the Government was considering all options as it expected the outbreak to get "worse before it gets better".
But it was a "balancing act" to manage community fatigue and not to "drive people out of suburban areas into new unaffected areas", Professor Sutton said.
He said localised restrictions, if implemented, would include stay-at-home orders.
"It would be part of the new rule, to stay at home, that people would stay in their place of residence," he said.
"But it would be a significant logistical exercise to manage a stay-at-home [order] that is just about particular postcodes, particular suburbs or local government areas, so we have to think about all of those challenges."
Residents 'upset and frustrated' by prospect of new restrictions
In the City of Darebin — one of six hotspot local government areas — the economic impact has already been worse than the state average, the local council believes.
The municipality, in Melbourne's north, is home to 440 cafes, restaurants and bars.
A report tabled at a council meeting says gross regional product is forecast to fall by 15.7 per cent in the June quarter, compared to Victoria's average of 12.8 per cent.
But in many ways, life is returning to normal in the municipality: local data shows road traffic has "risen to 80-90 per cent of pre-pandemic volumes, even before many services and workplaces have reopened", the report says.
Darebin Mayor Susan Rennie said it was difficult to predict how residents would respond to the imposition of local restrictions.
"There's no doubt that many people are upset and frustrated that we could be facing additional restrictions, and I think that's because most people have tried so hard to diligently follow the restrictions we have," she said.
"But I have equally been hearing people say that our health should be our highest priority.
"We've been very well served by following the advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer."
The council last night voted to install temporary bike lanes on local roads to reduce traffic congestion as people avoid public transport, and to trial dining areas on road space to help restaurants with social distancing.
Local lockdowns 'will not work', says mayor
Darebin, along with eight other inner Melbourne councils, has also written to the state and federal governments requesting a ramped-up education campaign for multicultural communities.
"Our non-English speaking background communities are struggling with the challenges of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and limited up-to-date information in their respective languages," a letter from the nine mayors says.
"We don't believe the message is getting out there."
Stonnington Mayor Steve Stefanopoulous, one of the letter's signatories, said targeted education would be more effective than localised lockdowns.
"Our local communities do not support lockdown in local community areas — it will not work," he said.
"There are no hard boundaries between municipalities — people don't see municipal boundaries.
"But really it's about education … we need to ensure that all our community are getting the most up-to-date information in their own language so they can understand what is happening on a day-to-day basis."
While Stonnington is not among the six municipalities to be declared coronavirus hotspots, there have been infections recorded in the area in recent weeks.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA2LTMwL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWNvdmlkLXZpY3RvcmlhLWxvY2FsLWhvdHNwb3Qtc3VidXJiYW4tbG9ja2Rvd25zLzEyNDA0MDEw0gEnaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEyNDA0MDEw?oc=5
2020-06-29 20:36:33Z
52780879777527
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Coronavirus outbreak in Victoria could be slowed by 'ring-fencing' Melbourne's COVID-19 hotspots, says expert - ABC News"
Post a Comment