Lockdown wound up in Victoria
MELBOURNE: Victoria’s fiveday lockdown has ended but masks and other restrictions remain, as authorities continue to monitor thousands of close contacts linked to the Holiday Inn outbreak.
Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday confirmed the state’s ‘‘circuit breaker’’ lockdown would lift last night, after the state recorded no new Covid19 cases.
He refused to rule out further lockdowns until at least 90% of Australians were vaccinated.
‘‘I can provide no guarantees because I’m not prepared to pretend to the Victorian community that this is over,’’ he said.
‘‘We’ve got one pallet of vaccines turned up — that’s great news. But we haven’t got any in anyone’s arms yet. That’s a process.
‘‘Some might see that as the moon landing. I think it’s the start of the end.’’
From 11.59pm yesterday, Victorians have been able to leave their homes for any reason, and the 5km travel limit will not apply.
Masks remain mandatory indoors and outdoors when physical distancing is not possible, while home gatherings are limited to five visitors, down from 15. Public outdoor gatherings are also limited to 20 people, down from 30.
Retail and hospitality businesses, gyms, community facilities and entertainment venues can reopen, while religious gatherings and ceremonies can also resume, subject to density limits.
Pupils return to school today, while offices can reopen with up to 50% capacity.
Crowds can also return for the final days of the Australian Open tennis tournament, the capacity for each session at Melbourne Park capped at 50%.
The new restrictions will remain until Friday next week. The lockdown was announced last Friday amid fears the UK strain of Covid19 had spread from the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel at Melbourne Airport.
The outbreak now stands at 19 cases; more than 3400 close contacts remain in isolation.
The state health department last night said a resident at Reservoir’s Twin Parks Aged Care Centre had returned a weak positive following two negative tests; the man was confirmed to have had the virus last year.
All staff and residents at the centre had been tested as a precaution.
It came after chief health officer Brett Sutton warned positive cases were still likely to emerge in isolation.
‘‘The incubation period is 14 days. There are literally thousands of people who’ve been potentially exposed to infectious cases. They need to see out their quarantine period,’’ he said.
Sutton defended the lockdown, noting 66 close contacts were identified for each Holiday Inn case on average, while there was an ‘‘explosion’’ in the number of exposure sites.
‘‘The great dilemma of public health and our great frustration is that when something doesn’t happen, you get the accusation that you’ve done something that wasn’t necessary,’’ he said.