'Fury and anger' mounts over Melbourne's crippling lockdown and horror case spike that's ruined Australia's COVID-19 recovery - as frontline nurse reveals why the situation is about to get WORSE
- New research shows Victoria's outbreak could have been many times worse
- Stage Three lockdowns saved Melbourne from 20,000 infections in July
- Nurse warns situation will get worse as people are sickest after second week
- PM Scott Morrison says he understands lockdown 'anger and fury' of Victorians
- Shellshocked Victorians coping with drastic measures to crush spike
- Australia's other states are not opening up on schedule because of Victoria
Scott Morrison says he understands the 'anger and fury' of Victorians facing unprecedented lockdown measures, as a frontline nurse warned the state's coronavirus crisis would likely deepen in the coming days.
Melbourne's horror second wave has halted the economic recovery of the entire nation, with nearly all states and territories retreating on plans to lift restrictions and reopen their borders.
As Victoria recorded 429 new cases and 13 deaths on Monday, Premier Daniel Andrews announced details of the stage four measures that will put 250,000 people out of work for at least the next six weeks.
'I understand people's frustration. I understand their anger. In some case, I certainly understand their fury,' Mr Morrison said from Parliament House on Monday.
'I also understand their tears and their deep disappointments.'
Covid-19 palliative care nurse Maya Kaspi (pictured) working at Royal Melbourne Hospital
Victorian hopes the drastic lockdowns will quickly crush the coronavirus case spike that is derailing Australia's recovery that was once the envy of the world
The Victorian government hopes the drastic lockdowns, which include an 8pm to 5am curfew, will crush the infection spike derailing Australia's recovery, which was once the envy of the world.
Some 416 of Victoria's coronavirus cases are in hospital including 35 in intensive care, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Monday.
Perth nurse Maya Kaspi, who is working at the Royal Melbourne Hospital helping terminally ill patients, warned the situation is likely to deteriorate in the coming days.
'With coronavirus, we see people get their sickest in their second week, so our huge numbers that we saw last week, we'll expect them to be getting hospitalised probably over the next few days and the next week,' she told the West Australian.
Nurse Maya Kaspi said the coronavirus situation will get worse before it gets better, as there is a time lag between when infection numbers spike and when hospitalisations occur
Commuters wait for a tram in Melbourne on Monday. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told shell-shocked Victorians that he understood their anger and fury at the restrictions
Some coronavirus sufferers have spent weeks on ventilators before recovering or dying.
Ms Kaspi, 28, said on the frontline she often forgets her patients are 'wildly infectious'.
'You're covered in layers of PPE and you're dripping with sweat and you haven't had a break in ages,' she said.
'You forget all of that and do what you can to help them and you almost act like a family member.'
Flinders Street Station on Monday. Face masks are now mandatory in Victoria
Empty streets in Melbourne on Saturday in the lead-up to Sunday's curfew announcement
Meanwhile, Doctor Norman Swan told the ABC's 7.30 Victoria's extreme lockdown did not mean the previous stage three strategy had failed.
New research from the Burnet Institute has shown what the numbers would have been like if the stage three lockdown had not been put in place.
Before stage three, every 10 people infected with the virus would pass it on to 17 others, giving it a reproductive number of R1.17, he said.
'The Level 3 restrictions brought that infection rate down to just over 11 people, (R1.16) which means that about 20,000 infections were avoided during July,' Dr Swan said.
Burnet Institute professor Brendan Crabb said Victoria would now be suffering three to four times the death and serious illness without the stage three lockdowns.
But Victorian businesses are bracing for 'significant pain' as many prepare to scale back production or shut down altogether.
Victoria's Opposition leader Michael O'Brien called the decision to impose a Stage Four lockdown a 'bitter pill to swallow' for Victoria's workers.
'Small business will be particularly hard hit. Many shopping strips and High Streets will become ghost towns for at least 6 weeks. Many will not recover,' he said.
Mr O'Brien called on Victoria's Labor Government to do create a dedicated information hotline to support affected workers, sole traders and small businesses.
Premier Daniel Andrews outlined a three-tiered system for workplaces, effective from Thursday, to complement the state's six-week stage four lockdown.
'There will be very significant pain,' he said on Monday.
He estimated roughly 250,000 workers would be stood down under the latest changes.
They'll join a further 250,000 people who are already out of work under stage three restrictions, with another 500,000 people working from home.
Supermarkets, grocery stores, bottle shops, pharmacies, petrol stations, post offices and banks will remain open as part of the first group.
Hardware stores such as Bunnings will be accessible to tradespeople, but move to 'click and collect' for members of the public.
Those classed in the second group, however, will not be able to operate at all.
Bearing the brunt of the impending closures is the retail industry, with travel and tour agencies, car washes, furniture wholesalers and hairdressers among those to close.
Pubs, taverns, bars, clubs, nightclubs and food courts had already closed their doors, while cafes and restaurants will continue to run as takeaway services.
Other industries will cut back production under the third category of businesses.
Meatworks across the state - a consistent source of outbreaks - will run at two-thirds capacity, with staff dressed in full medical kit and unable to work at multiple locations.
Victoria's stage three restrictions are yet to yield results, forcing Premier Daniel Andrews to move to stage four this week
Very few people crossing the Princes Bridge in Melbourne on Monday (pictured) after Stage Four restrictions were announced on Sunday
A man is seen walking on Collins Street during in Melbourne on Monday as unprecedented lockdown measures were announced
Large-scale construction will be capped at 25 per cent of the regular workforce, while small-scale projects will only be allowed up to five workers on site.
Premier Andrews said the state government would expand its $5000 grant program for impacted businesses to reflect restrictions running much longer than first expected.
Most retail in Melbourne will be closed to customers while tight restrictions will be in place at construction and meat processing sites, as part of efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Announcing the new rules to fight the state's second wave of the virus on Monday, Mr Andrews urged people not to panic buy.
'Supermarkets as well as grocery stores, the local fruit and veg, the local butcher, the baker, all of those shops, they will remain open,' he said.
'There'll be more to go around if people buy what they need when they need it rather than going and buying four trolleys worth of groceries and enough chicken or beef to last you until Christmas. That's not necessary.'
Non-essential retail, some manufacturing and administration must stop onsite operations as of midnight on Wednesday.
The premier says people will still be able to shop online or via click and collect services, while hardware stores will only remain open for tradespeople.
Other states are looking at Victoria's horror outbreak and are walking back plans to open up their economies.
Melbourne's lockdown restrictions have shut down many businesses in the city centre
Police on patrol in Melbourne on Monday
New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia and Queensland have all retreated from removing their restrictions as a result of Victoria's outbreak.
Western Australia was supposed to move to Phase Five of its road map out of restrictions on August 1 but has delayed it tentatively to August 15.
Phase Five will mean the removal of the 2 square metre rule, but would leave the hard border restrictions.
Tasmania was to reopen its borders to several states on August 7 but now will not do so until at least August 31.
South Australia has announced new restrictions after the state recorded two new coronavirus cases.
Starting on Wednesday, at-home gatherings in SA will be reduced from 50 down to 10 people, while patrons at licensed pubs and clubs must be seated.
Border restrictions with NSW will also remain with travellers having to spend 14 days in hotel quarantine. No Victorians are allowed in to South Australia.
New South Wales has been recording steady daily increases in virus cases in the low double digits to reach a total of 3797 cases on Monday.
It was a Victorian who brought the sickness over the border sparking the current New South Wales outbreak, and the border has now been firmly sealed.
The Northern Territory has no community transmission and angry locals living close to Uluru blockaded the entrance to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park on Monday after a Jetstar flight from Brisbane was allowed to land.
The NT is under Stage Three restrictions which allow most ordinary gatherings but restrict major events and public gatherings over 500 people.
Travellers to the NT from declared hotspots must quarantine in a hotel for 14 days under supervision at their own cost of $2500.
Queensland has barred any travelers from coronavirus hotspots from entering the state.
Three women who tested positive for coronavirus then lied about visiting Melbourne and visited venues in Brisbane while infectious.
Queensland reimposed rules on July 24 to restrict all businesses providing dining and drinking to do so for seated patrons only.
What will still be open in Melbourne Stage 4
Supermarkets, bottle shops, petrol stations, pharmacies, post offices, banks
Retailers working onsite to fulfill online orders
Hardware, building an garden supplies for trade
Specialist stationery for business use
Motor vehicle parts for emergency repairs, mechanics
Locksmiths, laundry and dry cleaners, maternity supplies
Disability and health services and equipment, mobility devices
Farms and commercial fishing
Vets, pounds and animal shelters
Construction of critical infrastructure and services to support those projects
Supermarkets will stay open
Critical repairs to homes where required for emergency or safety
Cafes and restaurants for takeaway
Media
Critical service call centres
Medicare
Law enforcement and courts for urgent matters
Prisons, facilities for parolees, adult parole board, youth justice facilities
Emergency services
Essential maintenance and manufacturing
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2020-08-03 17:44:26Z
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