Low coronavirus case numbers in regional Victoria will allow for separate roadmap to reopening, Premier says

Premier Daniel Andrews says the roadmaps will outline different stages of reopening but will not include definitive dates.

Regional Victoria will be allowed to ease coronavirus restrictions faster than metropolitan Melbourne, with Premier Daniel Andrews confirming he will announce two separate roadmaps to reopening the state’s economy.

Mr Andrews said active cases in regional Victoria were now down to 139, with 100,000 tests conducted since stage 3 restrictions were imposed there on August 5.

“Given the low number of cases in regional Victoria and the fact that our strategy there has been very successful — only due to the work that each and every country Victorian is doing — we can today announce that on Sunday we’ll speak about two roadmaps towards opening up: one for metropolitan Melbourne, and a second road map that may have different component parts for regional Victoria,” Mr Andrews said.

Most of the regional cases have been in the three biggest cities, with Geelong now at 50 active cases, two more than yesterday, and Bendigo and Ballarat recording no new cases overnight, with eight and five active cases respectively.

Victoria recorded 70 new coronavirus infections overnight — the lowest single-day total in more than eight weeks.

Five new deaths were also recorded — the lowest single-day toll since August 15.

Of those five deaths, two occurred before yesterday but have been added to today’s total due to a change in reporting protocols for aged care facilities.

Those who died were two women in their 70s, two women in their 80s and one woman in her 90s.

All of the deaths reported today were linked to aged care outbreaks.

Talks continue on industry ‘traffic lights’

Coordination of Jobs Minister Martin Pakula said the Government last night met with about 150 organisations, companies, unions and peak bodies for the first consultation about plans to reopen the economy in coming weeks.

“There’s a very clear understanding … that this needs to be done in a way that is a safe, in a way that does not lead to another set of outbreaks,” Mr Pakula said.

“They’re absolutely adamant that as we move out of these restrictions, we should continue to head in the one direction and there’s a great understanding of the need to do that in a slow, safe and steady way.”

Under a proposal put to business groups during consultation sessions, Victoria’s next tranche of restrictions would be linked to a ‘traffic light system’ of alert levels.

Those levels, tailored to different industries, would be:

• Red – closed
• Orange – heavily restricted
• Yellow – restricted
• Green – open with a COVID-safe plan

Which level would apply to which sector would be informed “by several factors”, the documents show, including the estimated level of risk of coronavirus in each industry, recent compliance levels, and the economic return of reopening each sector.

Mr Pakula said there would be more consultation with different industries today.

Victoria’s testing rate ‘not enough’, CHO says

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the 10,153 tests processed yesterday were “not enough” for him to feel confident about reopening.

“I know there’s more respiratory illness out there,” Professor Sutton said.

“If we’re not aware of those chains of transmission, if we’re not aware of those hidden cases because people haven’t come forward for testing, then they will persist and then accelerate as we ease restrictions.”

Professor Sutton said if health authorities knew where every case was in Victoria, “we could end it in a week”, but there were always some cases that would remain undetected.

Professor Sutton said Victoria had now passed the peak of intensive care and hospital admissions.

There are currently 421 coronavirus patients in Victorian hospitals, including 20 in intensive care units (ICU).

Of those in ICU, seven are on ventilators.

Professor Sutton said he expected active cases linked to aged care outbreaks to drop below 1,000 by the end of the week.

As of today 1,197 of Victoria’s 2,519 total active cases are linked to aged care outbreaks.

Source: abc