There has been a lot of speculation over whether Victoria will move to stage four restrictions and now the state’s chief health officer has revealed what is likely to trigger the decision.
Victoria today recorded 238 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the state’s total to 4448. The state also recorded another death, with a woman in her 90s dying from the virus.
Speaking at the daily press conference, Professor Brett Sutton said if any particular activities or settings are associated with a spike in cases then they may be the targets for more restrictions.
“If we’re seeing a focus in a particular setting, in a particular cohort of people, related to particular activities, that would be the focus of stage four restrictions,” he said.
That means if there were more cases from a particular suburb or even a shopping centre, there could be more localised restrictions put in place.
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Prof Sutton said if restrictions were introduced there was “no guarantee” about what businesses or services would be impacted.
“Any consideration about what stage four might look like, if it were to be in place, is again to be based on the epidemiology,” he said.
“I think it would absolutely depend on the epidemiology, there is no guarantee whatsoever about what stays open or what stays closed.”
He also noted that mandatory mask wearing “shouldn’t be off the table” but said he understood not everyone had access to them.
“I think again mandatory mask wearing shouldn’t be off the table, but I am cognisant that not everybody can have a cloth mask or the three cloth masks that we should probably have to make sure we can clean them and get them ready for the next day,” Prof Sutton said.
“It is a risk not to have them, especially with the transmission going on in Melbourne.”
He added that he thinks the norms are already shifting and more people are now wearing masks voluntarily.
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Stage three restrictions currently apply to metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, with residents only allowed to leave their homes if they are shopping for essentials, caregiving, exercising or going to work or study.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews once again warned residents that tougher restrictions would be introduced if people don’t follow the current rules
“This is very, very serious,” he said.
“The vast majority of people are doing the right thing. I am so grateful and proud of all those Victorians doing the right thing.
“If, however, people do not do the right thing then we will have to move to additional restrictions being put in place and potentially prolong these restrictions.”
Mr Andrews said many people would have to endure these “challenging restrictions for longer than they should” if people ignore the rules.
While there is no official guideline for what stage four restrictions would entail, but places like New Zealand have previously introduced what it called level four restrictions.
These were aimed at eliminating the coronavirus and included the closure of schools and other educational facilities, and the closure of businesses except essential services such as supermarkets, pharmacies and medical clinics.
Melbourne University epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely told news.com.au that a number of new measures should be introduced including forcing essential workers, as well as those using public transport and visiting busy indoor spaces like supermarkets, to wear face masks.
He also suggested the definition of “essential worker” should be refined and there should be a harsher lockdown on businesses.
“If we don’t do it, we will regret it in a few months’ time if Victoria has ongoing transmission and the rest of Australia doesn’t,” he said.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMinAFodHRwczovL3d3dy5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdS93b3JsZC9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy9hdXN0cmFsaWEvY29yb25hdmlydXMtdmljdG9yaWEtd2hhdC1jb3VsZC10cmlnZ2VyLXN0YWdlLTQtcmVzdHJpY3Rpb25zL25ld3Mtc3RvcnkvZDJjZDcwYTY4MTI3Y2E0ZjA0MzQyYmQyMDc0MDAzMDfSAZwBaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAubmV3cy5jb20uYXUvd29ybGQvY29yb25hdmlydXMvYXVzdHJhbGlhL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXZpY3RvcmlhLXdoYXQtY291bGQtdHJpZ2dlci1zdGFnZS00LXJlc3RyaWN0aW9ucy9uZXdzLXN0b3J5L2QyY2Q3MGE2ODEyN2NhNGYwNDM0MmJkMjA3NDAwMzA3?oc=5
2020-07-15 04:09:15Z
CBMinAFodHRwczovL3d3dy5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdS93b3JsZC9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy9hdXN0cmFsaWEvY29yb25hdmlydXMtdmljdG9yaWEtd2hhdC1jb3VsZC10cmlnZ2VyLXN0YWdlLTQtcmVzdHJpY3Rpb25zL25ld3Mtc3RvcnkvZDJjZDcwYTY4MTI3Y2E0ZjA0MzQyYmQyMDc0MDAzMDfSAZwBaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAubmV3cy5jb20uYXUvd29ybGQvY29yb25hdmlydXMvYXVzdHJhbGlhL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXZpY3RvcmlhLXdoYXQtY291bGQtdHJpZ2dlci1zdGFnZS00LXJlc3RyaWN0aW9ucy9uZXdzLXN0b3J5L2QyY2Q3MGE2ODEyN2NhNGYwNDM0MmJkMjA3NDAwMzA3
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