Although Australia has taken many steps forward in flattening the COVID-19 curve, we’ve just taken a giant leap backwards with the unfortunate news that Victoria has recorded 19 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours.
Speaking of the easing on COVID-19 restrictions, hear about life after lockdown below:
According to the Victorian Government, out of the 19 new cases – four are linked to known outbreaks, four were identified in hotel quarantine, three through routine testing, and eight remain under investigation.
Since cases began to spike in the state, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced stricter social restrictions in an effort to avoid a second wave of the virus. These include limiting household gatherings to five guests, and outside gatherings to groups of 10.
In a statement via The Guardian, Andrews said “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.”
According to the ABC, the Victorian Government is also set to ramp up its COVID-19 testing program and is considering imposing stay-at-home restrictions for the state’s coronavirus hotspots which are Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Moreland, Cardinia and Darebin municipalities.
It’s quite clear that the risk of contracting coronavirus is still extremely high, and being complacent with social restrictions right now is a very bad idea. But how will the spike in COVID-19 cases in Victoria affect Australia in general?
During a recent press conference, NSW’s Deputy Premier John Barilaro said “we’re trying to get out of the COVID crisis, we’re lifting restrictions and now there’s a real threat from Victoria.”
Barilaro said upcoming school holidays and the start of ski season could see increased travel between NSW and Victoria, and that the cabinet would discuss if travel restrictions should be put in place at the border.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, “as is consistent with the health advice from Victoria, and also from New South Wales, nobody from New South Wales should be travelling to those hot spots at this present time.”
“People should consider whether they should be travelling to Melbourne at this point in time while community transmission is where it is,” she said. “Reconsider your plans. Reconsider what you’re doing. But certainly, Melbourne is a discretion. We would recommend people not at this stage travel to Melbourne unless they have to.”
South Australian Health Minister Stephen Wade also expressed concern. The South Australian Government had plans to open the Victorian border on July 20, but Wade said, “if the situation doesn’t change, the borders are not opening.”
“We are not going to open our borders to Victoria unless it’s safe to do so,” he said. “To have a five-fold increase in community transmission is worrying for Victorians, it’s worrying for the whole nation.”
Interstate travel in and out of Victoria isn’t the only thing that will be impacted as a result of the state’s spike in COVID-19 cases. According to The Australian, Victoria is about 25% of the national economy and the risk of a ‘second wave’ could have a serious impact on many businesses.
As has been the case with so many developments during the pandemic, Australia is just going to have to wait and see the true impact of Victoria’s increase in cases.
However, one thing is clear – staying healthy, following rules around social distancing and limiting your travel is still crucial to the safety of our country.
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