Melbourne to hit dire pandemic milestone

While cities around the globe reopen, Melbourne will instead mark a dire world record. And as infections soar there are fears of longer lockdowns.

People commute on an empty street in Melbourne as the city endures another marathon lockdown. Picture: Luis Ascui

Melbourne is on the eve of becoming the most locked down city in the world – a ­record 246 days.

The city will mark the dire world record on Monday when it surpasses the 245-day record held by Buenos Aires.

Melbourne will tie that mark with the Argentine capital on Sunday.

And while cities around the world are opening up – including London which marked a “freedom day” in July with 68 per cent of Britons fully vaccinated – Melbourne is expected to remain in lockdown for at least three more weeks.

It comes as Victoria recorded 1488 local infections Saturday – the highest daily case number throughout the entire pandemic.

There are now almost 11,600 active cases across the state.

Despite Daniel Andrews’ insistence there is now no turning back, fears remain about future stay-at-home orders after two regional local government areas, Moorabool and Shepparton, were this week sent into snap seven-day lockdowns.

The Premier has also refused to rule out an extension of the current lockdown.

If it ends as planned on October 26, Melburnians will have endured 267 days in hard lockdown since March last year, including 82 consecutive days in the current lockdown and 111 days during Melbourne’s second wave last year.

It is hoped lockdown might end slightly sooner with changes to the required interval between Pfizer doses from six weeks to three weeks in state government vaccine hubs taking effect from Monday.

A new mandatory vaccination requirement for more than 1.2 million Victorian workers is also expected to fast-track the state meeting key vaccination rates linked to an easing of restrictions.

Business and industry groups have urged the state government to avoid any further lockdowns once the current lockdown ends when 70 per cent of Victorians are fully vaccinated.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra said being the most locked down city in the world was not a title Melburnians wanted.

“As Melburnians, we are accustomed to being the sporting, events, culinary and cultural capital of the world,” he said.

“Once targets are hit, Victoria’s ambition should be to open and stay open safely.”

Mr Guerra called on the government to commit to running crowds at the Melbourne Cup Carnival and the Australian Open as a signal to the nation and the world that Victoria was back in business.

“Victorian business is also looking to governments to provide leadership from a regularity perspective to protect them from further shutdowns, litigation and reputational damage that a Covid Normal world could bring,” he said.

“The Victorian Chamber, on behalf of our members, wants greater clarity around vaccination requirements for entry and employment, how this should be communicated and recorded, a seamless and integrated QR code and vaccination passport system and directions around whether a business is still classified as an exposure site if everyone in attendance is vaccinated.”

Small Business Australia executive director Bill Lang said after 19 long months it was time for Victorian businesses to be given a chance.

“Even as we near the vaccination targets the Premier refuses to follow the national plan, maintaining restrictions ongoing that will prevent many businesses from trading at maximum capacity and see our tourism industry remain broken,” he said.

“Meanwhile our small business owners remain in a state of despair, many watching what has taken a lifetime to build be wiped away at the stroke of the chief health officer’s pen as his Premier claims that his lockdowns have been successful.”

Mr Lang called on the state government to immediately make changes to allow fully vaccinated Victorians to be allowed to trade with each other.

“If when vaccinated you can meet a group from another family in a park, why not outside at a cafe, bar or restaurant where there is at least a QR code?” he said.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy has called for a Victoria to open by on December 1 in line with NSW, saying Victoria’s roadmap should match other states.

“Victorians didn’t deserve this,” he said.

“Now, we need a proper pathway out. We need hope. Our once great city needs to reopen, rebuild and recover.

“Victorians have had enough excuses and blame. We need to work together to again make Melbourne the world’s most liveable, not locked down city.”

A state government spokeswoman said the national cabinet plan confirmed that lockdowns would potentially still be necessary.

“Victorians have given so much during the course of the pandemic – their efforts have meant we’ve been able to stop thousands of people getting the virus and becoming seriously unwell,” she said.

“We’re now on the home stretch and we need to keep working to limit the spread of the virus and get jabs into arms as quickly as possible to meet our roadmap targets and deliver the National Plan.

“With each day we get a step closer to reaching those targets and giving Victorians more freedoms while supporting our nurses, doctors and paramedics.”

On Saturday, the state government announced a $196.6m package to support more than 70,000 businesses which have been shut down for two weeks due to rising case numbers and poor compliance on building sites.

Originally published as Melbourne to hit dire pandemic milestone