It may not seem like it, Australia, but we are still in the middle of a global pandemic. Despite the flattened curves and the slowly dipping number of masks in public, Coronavirus (that jerk) is not done with us.
The recent spikes in positive COVID-19 tests throughout Victoria stand as a clear reminder of that.
As The Guardian reports, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has announced he will ramp up social restrictions in an effort to avoid a second outbreak of COVID-19 in the state.
In a statement on the move, Andrews revealed that his decision follows a jump of 25 cases in one day (between June 19th and 20th). The premier alleged that the spike is likely linked to large family gatherings and people failing to isolate after being exposed to the virus.
“I’m frustrated by it, I’m disappointed by it, but it’s appropriate that we be really up-front and describe it so people can understand what’s driving these numbers,” The Guardian quotes him as saying.
“We have had cases of people gathering in large numbers, everybody at their home or another family member’s home or a close friend’s home, even though they had been told to isolate in their own home.
“It is unacceptable that families anywhere in our state can, just because they want this to be over, pretend that it is. It is not over.”
ABC News shares that Victoria’s recent increase COVID-19 cases are the highest they’ve been since May 15th. Most of these have been seen in Australians returning from overseas, however.
New South Wales saw one new case on June 20th. All other states and territories reported no new cases in the last 24 hours.
The new restrictions in Victoria ask that households have a maximum of five guests over. Other gatherings, outside of people’s homes, are limited to groups of 10. These rules are set to kick off at 11.59 pm on Sunday.
If Victoria’s current situation, and the shocking reality that’s playing out in the United States (California has had to impose a mandate requiring people to wear masks in public), are anything to go by, it’s pretty damn obvious that we cannot afford to ignore expert-issued advice on a virus we’re still learning to deal with.
Always be in the loop with our snackable podcast breaking the biggest story of the day. Subscribe to It’s Been A Big Day For… on your favourite podcast app.