Overview
Metropolitan Melbourne's stage four lockdown is set to end on Sunday, September 13. And just what life in the state will look like after that date is set to be unveiled this weekend. At a press conference today, Monday, August 31, Premier Daniel Andrews said that he will be unveiling the state's roadmap out of lockdown on Sunday, September 6.
While the Premier was suitably vague about what the roadmap will include, he did say the government would be consulting with industry, unions and community organisations in the lead up to the announcement about six key principles: physical distancing, wearing a face covering, hygienic workplaces and acting quickly if a staff member becomes unwell.
The Premier also said that there will be a "traffic light system" with different stages that the state would work through — and that the different stages will be "very different" to Victoria's previous stage three and two restrictions.
On the topic of hospitality venues, the Premier did drop an interesting nugget of information: the possibility of more outdoor dining. "When it comes to cafes, bars, restaurants and pubs, I think the improving weather and the part of the year we are moving into does give us some options that we simply didn't have last time," the Premier said. "So the notion of more outdoor eating, more outdoor service — we're looking at that very closely and we will be having very detailed discussions about that."
The announcement about the forthcoming roadmap comes as the state records a second day of new COVID-19 cases in double digits — 73 in the last 24 hours — after more than six weeks of triple-digit daily numbers.
Despite the decrease in new cases, the Premier said it was too early to announce the roadmap today. "We cannot provide a detailed road map today, but we will provide that on Sunday, another week's data is almost invaluable," the Premier said. "I know a week feels, and indeed is, a long time locked at home, but it is also a very lengthy period of time when it comes to understanding what this virus is doing. It moves fast, it does so silently, and as we have seen quite a bit of commentary today, particularly comments made by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer in Canberra, the numbers are too high for us to open at this time."
In fact, the Premier refused to rule out the possibility of extending stage four beyond September 13, saying the decision will be "guided by the data, the science and the very best medical advice".
For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
Top image: Julia Sansone