‘A very tough day’ for Victorians
MELBOURNE: Australia’s secondbiggest city, Melbourne, already under night curfew, announced fresh restrictions on industries yesterday, including retail and construction, as it steps up desperate efforts to contain the spread of a resurgent coronavirus.
From tomorrow night, Melbourne will close retail, some manufacturing and administrative businesses as part of a sixweek lockdown which is expected to hit 250,000 jobs, roughly the number already affected.
The state of Victoria declared a ‘‘state of emergency’’ on Sunday due to a surge in community transmissions.
Australia has fared better than many countries, with 18,361 coronavirus cases and 221 deaths, but now risks losing control of the virus in Victoria which has imposed the country’s harshest movement restrictions to date.
Neighbouring states of New South Wales and South Australia have also stepped up precautions.
‘‘As heartbreaking as it is to close down places of employment . . . that is what we have to do in order to stop the spread of this wildly infectious virus,’’ Victoria’s state premier Daniel Andrews told media.
‘‘Otherwise we are not in for six weeks of restrictions. We’ll be in for a sixmonth stint.’’
Production at meatworks will be cut by onethird and workers will be kitted out in protective gear.
Construction activities will also be scaled back.
Supermarkets will remain open along with restaurant takeaway and delivery services, but many other retail outlets will close.
Andrews announced $A5000 ($NZ5370) payments for affected businesses and flagged more announcements over penalties, enforcements and education today.
Schools will move to remote learning from tomorrow.
‘‘This is a very tough day, and there are many more of those to come before we get to the other side of this,’’ Andrews said.
Restrictions announced on Sunday include a curfew from 8pm to 5am that will be in place for six weeks, barring the city’s nearly five million people from leaving their houses except for work or to receive or give care.
‘‘This is devastating . . . nobody wanted it to get to this,’’ Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told Nine News television.
‘‘There is only one way out and that is to stem the tide of new cases.
‘‘This is a big kick in the guts to thousands of small businesses right across the state,’’ he added.
Victoria makes up about a
quarter of the national economy.
The state reported 429 new cases yesterday, down from 671 new infections on Sunday, but 13 more deaths was the secondhighest daily death toll.
New South Wales, which had 13 new infections, strongly recommended the use of masks in all indoor venues, while South Australia, with two fresh cases, reduced gatherings inside the home to 10 people from 50, and said only those seated at venues can be served alcohol.
Tasmania will not open its border to South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory residents at the end of the week as planned, Premier Peter
Gutwein announced.
The Apple Isle, which is coronavirusfree, was set to open its border to the three states on Friday, followed by Queensland, NSW and the Australian Capital Territory on August 14.
However, Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein yesterday said his government would not open the state to anyone until at least August 31.
Health authorities would review figures on the mainland on a weekbyweek basis.
The Victorian outbreak has scuppered Australia’s hopes for a quick economic rebound from the country’s first recession in nearly three decades. — Reuters/AAP