Attention all Melbournians! Looks like a stage four lockdown may be on the horizon. With COVID-19 infections clocking in at nearly 300 new patients per day, bringing Victoria’s active case total to over 1,800, Premier Dan Andrews has flagged moving Victoria to even stricter conditions if things don’t begin to improve soon.
“If you don’t want a Stage 4, if you don’t want the lockdown to last a moment longer, then please follow the rules. Do the right thing by your family, your community, and every family,” Andrews noted at a press conference.
As Victoria’s second wave continues to soar, Melbourne Premier Dan Andrews is currently discussing a move to stage four lockdown if circumstances don’t improve.
So what exactly does a stage four lockdown mean? How is it different to stage three? The current restrictions allow citizens to leave their homes for grocery shopping, seeking medical care or assist in the caregiving of others, work, study, and daily exercise.
While there is limited information available on what an Australian-implemented stage four lockdown may look like, it would essentially require all citizens to remain inside unless venturing out for groceries or medical assistance. Thus, effectively bringing the last remnants of normal life to a grinding halt.
“We’re not there yet,” the Premier was quick to caution. However, he also noted that “I can’t rule out that we have further limits placed on people’s movement. I can’t rule that out.”
If we look to our neighbours New Zealand, they implemented a 10 week stint of stage four restrictions, with all businesses closed apart from supermarkets, pharmacies, clinics, and other organisations described as “lifeline utilities.”
Andrews announcement has understandably sparked all sort of reactions from Melbournians, with people taking to Twitter to vent.
Stage 4 restrictions mean no take away coffee. In Melbourne. There’ll be people coming up to you on your walk, whispering “what do you need? Ethiopian single origin? Arabica? If you give me ten minutes, I’ve got a guy who does cold brew…”
— adam rozenbachs (@arozenbachs) July 14, 2020
Will Dan Murphys be open in stage 4?
— Harley (@hdfield7) July 14, 2020
“In the six weeks of a hard lockdown, you really need to have better reasons to go out,” University of Melbourne Professor Tony Blakely told the ABC.
Guess that rules out the pubs then.
