Melbourne extends sixth virus lockdown Almost seven million people in Melbourne and surrounding Victoria state were scheduled to exit a four-week lockdown on Thursday, but state premier Dan Andrews said it would no longer be possible with case numbers rising by 92 overnight. Retail shops like Bunnings are closed for the first time. Gyms and fitness studios can reopen with up to ten people per class and 100 people in an indoor venue; Childrens sport and community sports competition can resume; and. 'We are not considering going into lockdown and this is the commitment that we gave to the people of Victoria,' Deputy Premier James Merlino said, Beachgoers in St Kilda in Melbourne. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. Pictured are Melbourne Demons fans during the AFL Grand Final in Perth on September 25. In the past fortnight none of my patients have gone to ICU. There are confirmed positive cases on board at the time, and 130 people test positive within a week. A near-deserted Bourke Street in the Melbourne CBD on October 20. "This is systematic, mass, stay-at-home behaviour, the likes of which we usually see during deep, organised stage four-style lockdowns," he said. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. I know that I was safer.. "Feeling tense. The bigger question of course will be whether we ever need to rely on hotel quarantine again or whether we have learned the more important lesson about how unsuitable hotels are for containing infectious diseases. "Please note that we have always taken the position in New South Wales they will keep the community safe but also make sure that we keep livelihoods going.". Which in normal times would mean nothing as Covid is not really any different from the flu. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can also call the Victorian Aboriginal COVID Information Line on 1800 312 911. Welcome to the Coronation! Whether the period spent in lockdown and the desire to do anything it took to avoid more of the same was a motivating factor, or whether there were other reasons for this, does not really matter. In case you missed it, the Sydney removalists who carried the virus to an apartment block in the Melbourne suburb of Maribyrnong have not been as forthcoming as authorities would like regarding the details of their trip. Mr Andrews did not appear at Thursday's Covid press conference but did briefly interrupt his holiday to attend Wednesday's national cabinet meeting. Thomas Barbera says his friend groups have done the same, and it has caused some uncomfortable conversations. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. In doing this, the objective is not to blame. The Ukraine war may be a battle for the global order but whose rules are we fighting for? lifting work restrictions on 20,000 student nurses so they can be engaged to help respond to the pandemic. On the same day, three men in NSW also test positive for coronavirus. Victorian Covid-19 testing head Jeroen Weimar said four of the new cases on Wednesday were linked to the Ariele apartment complex. Ashleigh Cooper has spent the new year indoors. We paid the price [of lockdown], we bought the government time to build capacity in our health services. Professor Cowie said in light of that, it was time to recognise that positive rapid antigen tests had "the same authority as a PCR test". The Victorian Premier has spoken out after Queensland moved to make major changes to its drug laws. of the novel coronavirus. Melbourne COVID testing centres have been busy.Scott McNaughton Mr Morrison said on Tuesday that Australia would not go back into lockdowns, but a recommendation from the country's chief health officers for using masks in indoor settings was "very sensible". So which ones are best? This is more than simply a language issue. Took a while for the anxiety to die down to get to this point but now I dont want to do anything else., Richard Chigwin is experiencing his third summer without customers. Up to 20 people at an indoor funeral or 30 for an outdoor funeral; and, Attend places of worship and attend a funeral with up to 49 others; and. 24 people were infectious in the community. pic.twitter.com/YfNptxyua5. The anxiety of past outbreaks has been replaced with anger at state and federal governments, and a growing sense of despair that the pandemic will not end, at least not any time soon. But before we do this, its vital we look back and learn every lesson we can so next time we are faced with such a crisis and there will be a next time we can do better. A fortnight ago on December 23, Victoria reported 2,005 new cases. Victoria indisputably went through the toughest ordeal of any state in the country. Many like Cooper have gone into self-isolation to protect themselves or a vulnerable loved one. Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said this advice is particularly aimed at those in Greater Sydney. Tattoo and massage parlours can reopen with up to ten clients. 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It would have been so easy to lose hope and stop complying with the tough restrictions en masse, especially as Victorians navigated their way through lockdown six, arguably the toughest to endure. There are more women with the virus who are having babies, but unlike 2021 they are not gasping for breath, she says. When will the Beast from the East be at YOUR door? Originally published at Upon Hope. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. 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Switching to rapid antigen would slash these numbers and stop testing sites being overwhelmed by the 'worried well' and delay testing for those who are feeling sick. On Friday 7th January 2022, 21,728 cases were recorded in Victoria, However at 9.18am on Saturday 8th January 2022, the Victoria Department of Health twitted out that the number of new cases was 51,356. This is clearly a very rapidly moving situation," Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said. Its important to appreciate the experiences across the states and territories in the pandemic have been as different as Swan Lager is to Victoria Bitter. Premier Gladys Berejiklain said its "very difficult" to compare the current situation in Sydney to the situation experienced by Melbourne last year. Victoria will not be sent back into lockdown despite a surge in cases linked to the hyper-contagious Omicron Covid strain, the state's deputy premier has vowed. A man who had flown from Guandong, China, to Melbourne on January 19, 2020, tests positive for Covid-19, becoming Australias first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus. By 9News Staff 9:31am Jan 3, 2022 Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said the days of lockdown are gone, even as daily COVID-19 case numbers continue to escalate across the country. Victoria recorded seven new cases early on Wednesday. "And that trend is something that we're seeing all across the city.". The fact this didnt happen should make Victorians extremely proud. Ms Berejiklian said the impact of some of the more recent changes wouldn't be known for at least a few more days. Worried. Decisions had to be made quickly, often with only limited and uncertain evidence, and most importantly, without the all-knowing benefit of hindsight. Other business owners say they are finding this summer more difficult than previous seasons because there was no financial aid available. This article was originally written on July 4, 2022 and has since been updated and fact-checked. I have adjusted to living a more sheltered life and enjoy being in my house, running the same route, cycling the same loop, doing the Wordle, going to bed on time, she says. Victorians are less interested in finding restaurants or cafes to enjoy than they are in finding a rapid antigen test (RAT), for example. As the virus. Friday will finally see the entire state of Victoria exit lockdown after. She still cant smell or taste anything and several of her friends remain unwell. A crew of infectious removalists from Sydney transited through Victoria last Thursday, visiting households in Craigieburn and Maribyrnong, and coming into contact with two families of four. Housing policies favour the rich and leave first home buyers high and dry. Sydney Aquarium staff bring their dogsto the closed aquarium to see the fish. Like everyone else, we just have to muddle through on our own.. "We are will have to vaccinate again against Covid and will have further advice about boosters but in the context of an outbreak, what we want to do is give people the advice so that they are protected.". Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article, How a 21yo man with the code name 'Svyat' smuggled residents past Putin's private army, Anna called police to report an assault, but they took out a family violence order against her. for coronavirus. Follow our Covid live blog for the latest updates, a disease is less devastating if most of its victims are people who have pre-existing conditions, since ordered $62m worth of rapid antigen tests. But for the 40 people Guardian Australia spoke to, it doesnt feel like its over. The Ukraine war may be a battle for the global order but whose rules are we fighting for? Victoria goes into lockdown for the sixth time, are permitted to establish a 'single's bubble, More than 10,000 Australians have now died of Covid-19. "In the past, you could say it's OK, it's the government, it's the policy, but that's not what we have right now. Sydneyannounces lockdown measuresfor suburbs across the cityas the Bondi outbreak grows. More than 90 per cent of those who had a positive RAT result, ended up with a positive PCR test, he said. And on Friday, they emerged from it with cheers, and a . As the Covid years continue we are losing our magical thinking it will go away and not be a changing burden to our life, she says. Mr Merlino said Victorians should also now work from home if they can and urged hospitality venues to switch to a seated-only service to reduce transmission. "That is the number, the 24 number is what we need to get down to is close to zero as possible," she said. With daily case numbers in the tens of thousands, NSW health officialsand Victorian authorities are cautiously optimistic that the state has passed the peak of the current Omicron outbreak. The NSW government announces that from May 15, the following will be allowed: The Victorian government announces an easing of restrictions, allowing: Time Out announces the winners of the Time In Awards, supporting businesses and organisations that pivoted tonew initiatives during lockdowns. COVID-19 Victoria 2022: The mood in Melbourne in another COVID winter National Victoria Coronavirus pandemic This was published 3 months ago Measuring Melbourne's mood as the city weathers another COVID winter Neil McMahon July 16, 2022 7.52pm Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Lockdown orders end for Sydney's northern beaches. Victoria's fifth lockdown ends, but less than a week later, the stateis plunged back into another long lockdown. Pictured: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews with his wife Catherine. In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, some individuals in Australia have still managed to avoid contracting Covid-19. What does is Victorians got vaccinated at a rate that surpassed all expectations. Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant called out a number of suburbs of concern, highlighting the need for high rates of testing. Its relentless. You are not even fielding inquiries its school holidays in January, thats not right.. There were three initial cases earlier this week, that leaked in from NSW. The affected LGAs areWoollahra, Waverley, Randwick, and the City of Sydney, including the CBD. People in Melbourne start putting teddy bears in their windows for children to find on daily exercise walks. The outbreaks that devastated the aged-care sector during the second wave in Victoria were desperately sad. One of the things that makes Victoria so vibrant is its a melting pot of cultures. He owns a series of ecotourism huts in the New South Wales Blue Mountains and lost the 2020 summer holidays to bushfires and 2021 to coronavirus. Two years [living in a pandemic] is very different to five years when you only get three good months every year.. The public servant, 25, contracted Covid along with 16 others at a house party late last month. Victorians are anxiously waiting to see if they will be plunged into yet another lockdown, as the state government weighs fresh restrictions amid a worrying rise in Covid-19 cases brought in from NSW. Of the 2200 businesses on the strip, around 30 per cent have had to temporarily close, shorten their trading hours or their number of trading days. Under the testing change, those who test positive on a RAT will be considered "probable" cases and must isolate immediately for seven days and notify their contacts. Like many who spoke to Guardian Australia, she focused on the vaccine rollout when everyone who was eligible was double-vaccinated it would be OK. Then Omicron happened, the inevitable consequence of a lack of global vaccine equity, and the promise of a return to normal life has been pushed back once more. Also invalidating is the implication, from some public health messaging and public responses to death announcements, that a disease is less devastating if most of its victims are people who have pre-existing conditions. The jump in cases in NSW - which is nearly 2,000 more than the 3,763 infections reported on Wednesday - comes after a major backflip on restrictions in the state with millions once again required to check into venues via QR codes. The World Health Organisation declares the novel coronavirus to be a pandemic. Some people are going to get chronic illness from that, and we are in our 20s, she says. 'Masks have a very small individual cost for us,' he said. 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