As Victoria battles the “wicked enemy” of COVID-19, there is speculation about when Daniel Andrews will call in stage four restrictions.
Speculation is rife over when Premier Daniel Andrews will employ a stage four lockdown. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty ImagesThe stage three restrictions currently in place mean residents are only allowed to leave their homes for four essential reasons: to shop for essentials, for caregiving, to exercise or for work or study .
Stage four would be even more stringent, Australian National University infectious diseases expert Sanjaya Senanayake told ABC’s“It means very limited, very restricted movement. It will be mentally challenging for all the residents who are under that stage four lockdown. It will have economic consequences, too.”“We know from the Wuhan experience, though bigger than Melbourne, it took about four weeks for the outbreak to come under control using lockdown measures,” he said.
A Victorian Government spokesperson told ABC the health advice remains that stage four restrictions are not necessary at this stage.But judging from comments made by Mr Andrews and Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton, a stage four lockdown is likely not a matter of if, but when.“Further restrictions need to be considered. We can’t rule anything out if there aren’t sufficient mechanisms to drive down transmission.
“We would do the minimum required because we know how much of an imposition it is to businesses and people’s lives, but if it’s required to reduce transmission then it has to be in play.” Mr Andrews said “every single” option about the next phase is being considered and will be based on health advice and data. But, he said, stressed Victorians shouldn’t be alarmed, as the announcement would be made fairly swiftly if additional restrictions were to be put in place.Five million Victorians could face a stage four lockdown if the state’s coronavirus outbreak continues to worsen.
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