Melbourne imposes strictest lockdown
MELBOURNE: Melburnians now endure some of the strictest lockdown conditions in the world, as the Victorian government battles to contain hundreds of new coronavirus infections every day.
Many countries that were initially hit hard by the deadly virus are now reopening for the sake of rebuilding their economies, with social gathering limits dropped and dining establishments reopened.
Others, which had early success in containing the virus, are now
being forced into secondary lockdowns because of infections rising beyond control.
Still, other leaders whose countries have skyrocketing infections and death tolls are refusing to implement lockdowns.
Under Melbourne’s strict new rules, residents are only allowed to leave the house for one of four essential reasons — shopping for groceries and essential items; medical needs and caregiving; daily exercise in your local area; and work where it’s not possible to do so from home.
A citywide curfew has been implemented from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day, meaning everyone has to stay at home during those hours.
Exercise is limited to one hour, once per day, and must take place within five kilometers of home. Mask-wearing is mandatory, including in regional Victoria, and all restaurants and cafes are closed for dining in.
Schools will return to remote learning, religious services will need to be broadcast online, weddings will no longer be permitted from August 6, and funerals will be limited to 10 people.
The new phase of restrictions is expected to trigger an estimated 250,000 job losses with Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Paul Guerra describing the projected effect as “devastating and long-lasting.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews himself described the unfolding situation as “heartbreaking” when declaring the need for the city’s shutdown. Several countries in western Europe suffered harsh first waves of the coronavirus, when the virus first broke out there at the end of January.
Italy, which was the first European country to be devastated by the virus, introduced a strict lockdown from March 9 that saw the closure of all shops, restaurants, cinemas and gyms.
In the worst-hit region, Lombardy, outdoor exercise was banned and temperature checks were mandatory at supermarkets and pharmacies. But over the past couple of months, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and France have all reopened in varying degrees.
In each of these countries, restaurants, bars and cafes have reopened at varying degrees — while schools at all age levels have reopened with mandatory attendance.
The United Kingdom, which is among the world’s worst- hit countries to date, reopened shops and retail in June. Pubs, restaurants and hotels reopened last month, and indoor concerts were allowed to resume earlier this week.
The city of Leicester went into its own specific lockdown, but as of this week, pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants across the city have been allowed to reopen.