Chance of more COVID clamps
VICTORIANS are contemplating the prospect of tougher coronavirus lockdowns in some areas as other states go further than previously flagged in easing them.
Active cases in Victoria have more than doubled in a week with 17 new infections yesterday taking the total to more than 130.
By contrast, active cases in NSW have only risen by 22 over the past week, and fallen or remained at zero in every other state.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said tighter lockdowns and even stay-at-home orders for certain suburbs was still a possibility.
“If we are able to maintain low levels and low numbers — when you think of it as five cases from undiagnosed sources yesterday — then I’m hopeful that we can avoid those lockdowns,” Mr Hunt told ABC radio. “But we have to be absolutely clear: the rings of containment, the local actions are on the table.”
The origins of 11 of the 17 new Victorian cases are still being investigated.
Premier Daniel Andrews forcefully warned sick people against leaving their homes, saying only one person pretending everything was OK could infect many others.
“We simply can’t pretend that the virus is gone, that the virus is somehow not in our state,” Mr Andrews said.
“It doesn’t matter how many people are doing the wrong thing: everybody, everybody will pay the price if we get to a point where restrictions — either localised or across the state — need to be reintroduced.”
The Victorian spike caused the West Australian Government to shelve plans to open its borders in August and sparked a warning by NSW against visiting Melbourne.
“I call on all organisations not to interact with citizens from Melbourne at this stage,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
“Anybody who lives in those hot spots in Melbourne should not be moving around at all.”
Meanwhile, South Australia will relax distancing requirements for pubs, bars, restaurants and other indoor venues from next week, with one person allowed to every two square metres. Western Australia will do the same from Saturday.
WA recorded two new cases yesterday and NSW one, all returned travellers in quarantine.