Victoria's Chief Health Officer has declared that from tonight the lockdown restrictions will be strengthened and extended in metropolitan Melbourne, until 11.59pm on Thursday, 2 September. His store of rapid antigen tests, bought in early December, has been slowly dwindling as he hands them out to friends who have been identified as close contacts. NSW recorded 97 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. Sydneysidersare restricted to 5km of home. . She still cant smell or taste anything and several of her friends remain unwell. "But generally, for that ordinary day-to-day travel, be that to a workplace or to a friend's house or family, that travel is no longer happening. Mr Foley said "such high levels of transmission" meant Victorians had to "coexist" with the virus. Multilingual Australia is missing out on vital COVID-19 information. 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. The local government areas of Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown are still areas of concern for NSW health officials. Highpoint shopping centre has also emerged as an exposure site, with anyone who attended between on Friday night between 10am and 2pm urged to get tested. Public transport usage in the city centre has fallen to 73 per cent below the baseline. More than 90 per cent of those who had a positive RAT result, ended up with a positive PCR test, he said. But as the initial challenges with the vaccine rollout highlighted, theres still more work to do. Its another slap in the face to business owners that have suffered through two years of harsh restrictions.. Some people are going to get chronic illness from that, and we are in our 20s, she says. The reintroduction of density limits, mask mandates and other restrictions has also meant consumers are most hesitant to shop, keeping vital dollars way from local businesses. Hospitality venues are recommended to switch to a seated-only service. Premier Peter Gutwein said with a highly vaccinated population Tasmania would not be heading into lockdown or closing its borders because of the climbing case numbers. An announcement is reportedly expected as early as tomorrow. "Going to be so mad if we get sent into our fifth lockdown because of a Sydney removalist who wasn't wearing a mask," Choice journalist Jarni Blakkarly tweeted. 'Providing rapid-antigen testing kits for those who want to do the right thing will help take the pressure of our testing clinics, while giving people confidence to get on with their lives.'. Friday will finally see the entire state of Victoria exit lockdown after. 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. COVID in Victoria: 262 days in lockdown, 3 stunning successes and 4 avoidable failures Published: December 16, 2021 2.11pm EST Hassan Vally Associate Professor, Deakin University Catherine. 2022 was supposed to be different, but It feels exactly like there is a lockdown. Here we are in early January 2022 and its a wet day today (Sunday) in Melbourne, even though its summer. Not so shipshape! Over at worldometers we find some different numbers: The question is what has changed in the past few weeks to have led to this large increase in cases? postcodes 3038, 3064, 3047, 3060, 3012, 3032, 3055, 3042, 3021 and 3046 will go back into lockdown from July 2. Despite enduring one of the longest aggregate periods of strict lockdown in the world, the Victorian community by and large hung in there. It just feels like theres no plan and younger people are bearing the brunt of it.. So which ones are best? They are also furious that the virus was spread to Melbourne by removalists who failed to follow the rules of their workers' permit, did not wear masks and have not been cooperating with authorities. This is an additional 14 days on the previous directions. People in Melbourne start putting teddy bears in their windows for children to find on daily exercise walks. Two had travelled to Wuhan, China, and the third was a close contact of the two travellers. 'People have come forward to get tested in record numbers, which is important to help keep people and the community safe, but we need to make sure our testing clinics are there for people who really need it,' Mr Perrottet said. Feeling tense. You can find Marks Subscribestar here. That's a higher turnout than the first day last year, when 17,922 attendees were recorded. His deputy leader said the state government is not considering adding to the world-record 262 days Melbourne has spent in lockdown since the Covid pandemic began, 'The promise was if you go and get vaccinated, you can enjoy Christmasand New Year with your families and loved ones and that's exactly what will happen.'. Crises expose weaknesses, and theres no doubt the pandemic revealed a number of issues in Victoria. On the same day. The state's health systems are under growing pressure, as the wave of infections sends staff into isolation at the same time COVID-19 patients are growing. Melbourne spent more time in lockdown than any other city on Earth. The thought of lockdown again is what is giving me a lot of anxiety and a lot of dread it scares me, says Melbourne man James Burke. "I think they are a 2020/2021 iteration," he said. I would not be fine I had my booster shot last week and was severely unwell for five days. Fronting up to press conferences day after day and answering all of the tough questions was important for many reasons. Earlier, one locally acquired case was announced before a press conference at 11.30am where a further seven cases were announced. Far fewer know their real story. Business owners at the precinct this week called on the government to bring back support payments for struggling restaurants, bars and retail shops. 20 infections in the community at this time is not what I would like to be seeing. Two had travelled to Wuhan, China, and the third was a close contact of the two travellers. Omicron variant of coronavirus led to huge spike in cases over New Year but has since subsided, prompting Boris Johnson to drop social restrictions . There are confirmed positive cases on board at the time, and 130 people test positive within a week. "This is systematic, mass, stay-at-home behaviour, the likes of which we usually see during deep, organised stage four-style lockdowns," he said. Victorians displayed enough collective adhesion to the strict public health orders that were in place to make those orders effective. No wonder local councils and businesses are stepping in. 5 https://t.co/RbnwQRfFF0, In Melbs we are on high alert again. Melbourne 12:10pm Jun 8, 2022 Shanghai neighbourhoods return to lockdown Multiple neighbourhoods in Shanghai were placed back under lockdown only a day after city-wide restrictions were lifted, as China's stringent zero COVID-19 strategy continues to haunt the financial hub. Victorian Acting Chief Health Officer Ben Cowie said it would be likely that come January 10, Victoria's testing system would have diagnosed "more people than it did for all of 2021". It is very strange to watch the rest of the world say we will go out and it will be fine and we will get sick and it will be fine. This is kicking off very quickly. Oct. 22, 2021. "That really reinforces the message that whenever you leave the house, you've got to assume you can come into contact with someone who is infectious with covid.". The government chose not to bring in those changes at the time, arguing their introduction could hurt businesses and potentially undermine public confidence in the government's pandemic response. 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. And on Friday, they emerged from it with cheers, and a . More than two years old, we've passed another grim milestone: 10,000 people have now died of Covid-19 in Australia. His mother's pitiful public apology. PETER HITCHENS: Now we know for sure that our leaders lost their heads over Covid. Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said this advice is particularly aimed at those in Greater Sydney. Many like Cooper have gone into self-isolation to protect themselves or a vulnerable loved one. The Department of Transport's figures show public transport usage steadily rose through December to hit 83 per cent of February 2020 levels before crashing to 32 per cent. 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. To access medical care or provide caregiving. You can find Tuesday's blog here. On Thursday the NSW premier will announce the policy reversal following Covid crisis talks with fellow state leaders and Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Any one of these things could have led to the increase in numbers, together they are leading to big numbers. In a way, the statement still holds. People queue at a walk-in Covid testing site in Melbourne. And they lost control in just two weeks.. Around her, in the suburbs of Melbourne, Covid cases are soaring. 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. Despite the Government trumpeting no more lockdowns once vaccine targets were met, isolation requirements, coupled with density limits and further restrictions have left Victoria in a shadow lockdown, he said. "Now with further information and further data available to us and after consultation with a wide range of groups I've made this decision thinking it to be an appropriate, necessary and proportionate balancing of competing demands.". More than 10,000 Australians have now died of Covid-19. With the lockdowns extending into the 2022 financial year, we will no doubt be assisting with working from home tax deductions in the 2022 financial as well. On the same day, three men in NSW also test positive for coronavirus. August 5, 2021 Victoria. 'Please confirm what Muslim refers to': Why Ali's birthday payment for his nephew was flagged by his bank, These engineers break their silenceafterdecade of criticism overBrisbane2011 flood handling, Kade was a fit 31-year-old when he died from a heart attack, Sherpa are world famous for their work, which is synonymous with their name. They just want an indication from governments both state and federal that they will be supported and able to easily access tests and healthcare as the outbreak, and any new variants to come, rolls on. Daniel Andrews must end this shadow lockdown and stop imposing 2020 style restrictions on family run cafes, retailers, restaurants and businesses and must immediately provide the support needed for their survival.. While resources were poured into the department to cope with the unprecedented demands during the pandemic and some structural changes were made most notably the creation of local public health units more work undoubtedly needs to be done. Cooper says she felt significantly safer when Melbourne was in lockdown and finds the argument that people should get over their concern about a global pandemic incredibly invalidating. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant called out a number of suburbs of concern, highlighting the need for high rates of testing. The ship is later linked to up to 900 infections of Covid-19. Victoria recorded seven new cases early on Wednesday. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. The public servant, 25, contracted Covid along with 16 others at a house party late last month. Sydneyannounces lockdown measuresfor suburbs across the cityas the Bondi outbreak grows. Mr Morrison told day that with the arrival of Omicron, and Australia's high vaccination numbers, the government's approach had "shifted gears". While we should celebrate what went right, its much more important we look fearlessly at what could have been done differently. On 28 September, the Latrobe Valley went into lockdown for 7 days. A controversial media star and politician says there is no point in maintaining his political ambitions. It felt like, have we given up?. The new BA.5 variant is considered to be even more transmissible than previous Omicron variants. "We will know at the end of two weeks to what extent we need to extend the lockdown, whether there is any chance of face-to-face schooling. It's relentless," she tweeted. Victoria goes into lockdown for the third time. 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. Will the UK go into another lockdown in 2022? Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the number NSW health officials are concerned about is how many people are spending time in the community while infectious. The Department of Health in Victoria has revealed "two unexpected detections of COVID-19 viral fragments" in wastewater around Geelong. Its all just exhausting., Karen McVean, a Melbourne-based remedial massage therapist, has chosen a different approach. How can I best get on with living my best life?, NSW expects Covid hospitalisations to peak next week. "These relatively mild restrictions are about making sure that activity can continue but in a less congregated and less active space.". Key points: From Friday, Victorians must register their positive at-home RAT results on a government portal Health Minister Martin Foley said about one in 50 Victorians currently had COVID-19 Mr Foley said there was no plan to introduce a lockdown and that Victorians had to "coexist" with the virus "And they're going to disagree whether that's employers or family members or friends when you go to cancel a social engagementbecause you don't want to go out and catch Omicron. Australia has one of the most powerful passports in the world. Pictured: Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton. Australia's two largest states have kicked off 2022 with record COVID cases - while others have opted to change restrictions. 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 government is also looking at providing free rapid antigen tests to help curb the spread of the virus as well as relieving pressure off medical workers. When will the Beast from the East be at YOUR door? Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a lockdown of metropolitan Melbourne as the state records its largest daily increase in COVID-19 cases since t. Check your spam folder for our confirmation email! Sydneyis released from lockdown on 'freedom day'. 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. 'Cautious' Duke 'was careful not to attack members of the Royal family' says Royal watcher amid fears he 'He's completely beige drained of all his feisty ginger life-blood': JULIE BURCHILL'S verdict on Prince 'I felt different to the rest of my family - and my mum felt the same': Prince Harry opens up on his 'broken 'Hallucinogens have helped me to clean the windscreen of my troubled mind': Prince Harry extols the use of A 14-year-old autistic boy's naive prank. A scuffed copy of the Koran. Some wouldn't survive. He said that was a breach of the conditions of their permit. So we need to all play our part in taking this incredibly seriously. Mr Byrne said mobility at the moment was roughly equivalent to the 2020 period before Melbourne moved from stage threeto stage fourlockdown. This article was originally written on July 4, 2022 and has since been updated and fact-checked. Callers will speak with Aboriginal staff who can . Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. 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. Victoria on Thursday confirmed another 2,005 new infections and ten deaths - up from the 1,503 cases recorded on Wednesday. Victoria has revealed eight new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, with a major Melbourne shopping centre and an AFL game potential points of exposure. 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. Prime Minister Scott Morrison this week urged states not to re-introduce mask mandates, saying Australians should by this point in the pandemic know when and when not to wear a face covering. Victoria adds 'outdoor recreation' to the reasons to leave home, allowing picnics for the first time since July. 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. This is clearly a very rapidly moving situation," Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said. As a sole trader, Chigwin wasnt eligible for government support in earlier rounds. "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.". The outbreaks that devastated the aged-care sector during the second wave in Victoria were desperately sad. Mr Merlino's NSW counterpartDominic Perrottet has refused to bring back a sweeping indoor mask mandate - despite many health experts recommending residents continue wearing the face coverings indoors. There are confirmed positive cases on board at the time, and 130 people test positive within a week. "We need to see the numbers decrease. As of this date, the city was expected to be locked down until "late October". 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". Whats the price that we are willing to pay in order for people to be able to go and have brunch? The deputy premier said the changes were 'modest measures' that would protect the state's health system from the recent surge in infections. Face masks are required at all major events with more than 30,000 people. SBS reporter asked Ms Berejiklian if she was seeking advice from the Victorian government given they are the only other state that have dealt with an outbreak of this size, which they supressed with hard lockdown rules. Time Out rebrands as Time In worldwide to bring our readers ways to connect with their cities and support urban culture without leaving home. A further two cases were family members of Ariele apartments residents and one case was believed to have been infected at Coles in Craigieburn where a family returning from a red zone were not isolating. In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, some individuals in Australia have still managed to avoid contracting Covid-19. The rules have been introduced to curtail the tens of thousands of cases reported each day, as the virus spreads like wildfire in the community. The first person in Australia to die of Covid-19 dies in a Western Australia hospital. The strengthened settings will see a curfew imposed from 9pm to 5am every night. The 'winter shot': Everything you need to know about getting your next COVID-19 booster, If you catch COVID again, will your symptoms be worse? Mr Andrews did not appear at Thursday's Covid press conference but did briefly interrupt his holiday to attend Wednesday's national cabinet meeting. All of which makes me wonder if we are heading towards a summer lockdown. Deputy Premier James Merlino urged hospitality venues to switch to a seated-only service to reduce transmission. "And that really untangles that narrative that we had, you know, all the way through 2020 and 2021,where there was this fear, there was the suspicion,that there were other people somewhere else that weren't doing the right thing," he said. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. . Today the state reported nearly 22,000 new infections, but the true number is likely much higher. The streets of Melbourneare eerily quiet as people stay at home. Victoria enters its fifth lockdown . 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. Until today I had not thought that that was a serious option, now Im reconsidering. Most people who spoke to Guardian Australia are still recovering from the impact of long lockdowns and do not want a return to restrictions. Victoria's health minister hasn't ruled out mask mandates or work-from-home rules after the state's pandemic powers were extended for another three months.