Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has delayed announcing the next steps in Melbourne's reopening, saying it is "not safe" to significantly ease restrictions yet.
Key points:
- Regional Victoria's restrictions on gatherings and gyms will be slightly relaxed from Wednesday
- But Melbourne's next stage is being paused while test results from the northern suburbs outbreak get processed
- Premier Daniel Andrews says he still hopes to make "definitive announcements" in a few days
Victoria recorded seven new coronavirus cases today, including six linked to an outbreak in Melbourne's northern suburbs.
Mr Andrews said the next stage of reopening would be put on hold for a few days while health officials assessed test results connected to the outbreaks.
"We had hoped today to be able to announce that metropolitan Melbourne would take significant steps, not from today but from mid-week, around retail, hospitality and a whole range of other, important next steps," he said.
"We are not in a position to do that today because we have at least 1,000 test results from that northern metropolitan outbreak that are in the labs.
"We will get those today, probably the balance of them tomorrow, and there will be additional testing conducted throughout the day.
"This is not anything other than a cautious pause, to wait to get that important information, to get the results of those tests."
The Premier said he still hoped to make "definitive announcements about opening up metropolitan Melbourne in a couple of days' time".
However, in regional Victoria more restrictions will be relaxed next week.
The Shepparton area will be brought in line with the rest of regional Victoria from midnight tonight.
Mr Andrews announced the following changes to regional Victoria's restrictions, to take effect from Wednesday:
- Gyms and fitness studios will be able to open with a maximum of 20 people, and a maximum of 10 people per space, and a maximum density of one person per 8 square metres
- Religious gatherings will be able to host 20 people indoors plus one faith leader
- A maximum of 50 people plus one faith leader will be able to attend religious gatherings outdoors
- Up to 50 mourners will be able to attend funerals outdoors
- Indoor non-contact sport for those under 18 will be allowed for sports capable of 1.5 metre distancing
- Indoor swimming pools will be able to open for all ages up to a maximum of 20 people
Loading...
Tests needed to ensure COVID 'wildfire' isn't burning, Andrews says
Jeroen Weimar from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said there were 39 cases across 11 households in the northern suburbs cluster.
The public health team was trying to establish whether there were any other positive cases in the community, he said.
"The only thing that will speed up the roadmap is people getting tested, so we can track out and run to ground the virus," Mr Weimar said.
Mr Andrews said making announcements about re-opening without waiting for the remaining test results would have been "irresponsible".
"You have got to be very careful to know and understand where the fire is — is it smouldering or is it something bigger than that? And that is what these results will tell us," he said.
He said waiting for data to be finalised was important to ensure all the cases were linked, and there was not "some wildfire burning out there that is not visible to us".
Loading
Former health minister Jenny Mikakos posted on social media that with Melbourne's 14-day rolling average of daily new cases under five, and six of today's seven cases linked to a known outbreak, any delay to reopening was "unnecessary".
"It's paralysis in decision-making," Ms Mikakos tweeted.
Mr Andrews declined to comment on Ms Mikakos's comments when he was asked about them at his daily press conference.
Ms Mikakos resigned as health minister and from Parliament last month after Mr Andrews told the hotel quarantine inquiry she was accountable for the botched program.
Statement from the Premier:
I know plenty of people were looking forward to some good news today. And soon, very soon, we'll have some.
But for now, we need to do again what we've done throughout this pandemic: follow the advice of our public health experts. That means there can be no changes to restrictions in Melbourne today.
As we know, today six new cases have been identified in our northern suburbs, meaning there have so far been 39 cases spread across 11 households. Concerningly, while these cases have locations in common, it is not yet clear how they link together. It means we may still have transmission happening where we can't see it.
The local community, working alongside our public health team, are doing everything they can to stop this spread.
In the last 24 hours, over 3,000 Victorians from our northern suburbs did a profoundly powerful thing and got tested. With thousands of tests comes thousands of results.
We have around 1,000 swabs currently being processed — and we're expecting even more today.
We'll use the next couple of days to review those results and understand exactly how this virus is travelling.
Put simply: this is a couple of extra days that might put us weeks ahead of this virus. To not only get on top of this outbreak, but to stamp it out.
I know everyone will be disappointed we're not making that move today. I get that. I am too.
But I want to reassure you, this is not us taking a step back. This is us making sure we can take a step forward — and stay there.
We can't let everything Victorians have sacrificed, everything we've given up, simply slip away.
Until then, we'll continue to keep a careful eye on the numbers — and the all-important stories that sit behind them.
To anyone who might be considering it. Who's got a scratchy throat, or a runny nose, who's connected to one of those school communities. Please, please get tested.
The more tests, the more data. The more data, the more certainty.
And with more certainty, we can make more decisions about Melbourne's transition to the Third Step.
While we can't deliver that good news for Melbourne today, due to the continued low number of regional cases, we're able to announce some additional changes for regional Victoria.
As part of the Third Step and from 11:59pm on Tuesday 27 October, indoor gyms and fitness spaces will be able to open for up to 20 people, with a maximum of 10 per space and a density of one person per 8 square metres.
Indoor pools will open to 20. Indoor sport will begin for those 18 and under.
Food courts can open. Live music can resume as part of outdoor hospitality.
School graduations can be held within school communities.
And for religious celebrations, 20 people can gather together indoors with their faith leader — or 50 outdoors.
Thanks to the efforts of the local community, from 11:59pm tonight, Greater Shepparton will also come into alignment with the rest of regional Victoria and then progress under these changes.
Regional Victorians should be proud of this success. Everyone should be proud of this success. Because soon, it will belong to our whole state.
From hundreds of cases to single digits, we have driven this virus down.
And we are so close — so close — to beating this thing.
I'm asking each of you: keep going.
Dig deep. Stay strong.
Let's win this fight, and let's win it for good.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTEwLTI1L3ZpY3RvcmlhLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWRhbmllbC1hbmRyZXdzLWFubm91bmNlcy1tZWxib3VybmUtc3RlcHMvMTI4MTExMTbSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTI4MTExMTY?oc=5
2020-10-24 23:46:00Z
52781140527575
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Melbourne coronavirus restrictions announcement delayed by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews after COVID-19 outbreak - ABC News"
Post a Comment