NSW will have greater freedoms sooner in an amended road map out of COVID-19 lockdown, but leading epidemiologists say Victoria should stay the course of its own exit strategy.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced from Monday a doubling in the number of people who can attend home visits, weddings and funerals as part of changes being made to the state’s reopening plan.
Melbourne CBD this week, deep into the sixth lockdown.Credit:Eddie Jim
It came after the state reached its 70 per cent double-dose vaccination target, triggering a raft of new freedoms for vaccinated residents.
In NSW, home visitors will be doubled to 10 (not counting children 12 and under), while when Victoria reaches the same vaccine target, expected on October 26, home visits will still be banned.
Caps on outdoor gatherings will be lifted to 30 (previously 20) in NSW and caps on weddings and funerals have been doubled to 100 people.
However, when Victoria reaches the same 70 per cent milestone, funerals will only be allowed to have 50 fully vaccinated people outdoors, 20 fully vaccinated indoors and weddings will be permitted for 50 fully vaccinated outdoors only.
This will swell up to 150 fully vaccinated people indoors, and 500 outdoors allowed at weddings, funerals and religious services once Victoria hits 80 per cent.
Adrian Esterman, the chair of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of South Australia, said homes and workplaces still posed the highest risk of coronavirus transmission, and he backed Victoria’s more conservative approach.
Home visits will not be allowed until Victoria reaches 80 per cent double-dose vaccination and even then only 10 people will be allowed.
The former adviser to the World Health Organisation said he was concerned NSW could experience a surge in cases by allowing household mingling so soon after opening up.
“NSW is going ahead with its own strategy and they are a bit of a test case for Victoria ... If they don’t see a huge increase in cases that’s wonderful, but if they do, they might have to modify and put restrictions back on,” Professor Esterman said.
“If you’re going to relax things then the logic is to reduce the things that have the lowest possible chance of increasing transmission and anything in the open air has much lower chance than indoors.”
Deakin University epidemiologist Catherine Bennett said when you examine the differences in restrictions between both NSW and Victoria, when both states reach 80 per cent double dose, there was “very little difference”.
She expected Victoria could hit 80 per cent double-dose vaccination about a week after it reaches 70 per cent immunisation coverage.
“We are talking a very small margin of difference,” she said.
“You should stick with your road map if you have come up with a plan that is safe because there are people who are nervous about opening up and we need to bring them with us.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison backed the move by NSW to increase freedoms for citizens from Monday, telling reporters on Thursday that he wanted the state’s achievement to be a “sign of hope” for the rest of the country, particularly Victoria.
Most Viewed in National
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMif2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNtaC5jb20uYXUvbmF0aW9uYWwvdmljdG9yaWEtdXJnZWQtdG8tc3RpY2std2l0aC1pdHMtbG9ja2Rvd24tZXhpdC1wbGFuLWRlc3BpdGUtY2hhbmdlcy1pbi1uc3ctMjAyMTEwMDctcDU4eTVzLmh0bWzSAX9odHRwczovL2FtcC5zbWguY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL3ZpY3RvcmlhLXVyZ2VkLXRvLXN0aWNrLXdpdGgtaXRzLWxvY2tkb3duLWV4aXQtcGxhbi1kZXNwaXRlLWNoYW5nZXMtaW4tbnN3LTIwMjExMDA3LXA1OHk1cy5odG1s?oc=5
2021-10-07 08:39:46Z
52781920159481
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Victoria urged to stick with its lockdown exit plan, despite changes in NSW - Sydney Morning Herald"
Post a Comment