Former health minister Jenny Mikakos criticises Dan Andrews for not opening up
Former health minister Jenny Mikakos has again ripped into the Victorian government for not lifting Melbourne’s coronavirus restrictions, warning the state “can’t delay opening up forever”.
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Former health minister Jenny Mikakos has again ripped into the Victorian government for not lifting Melbourne’s coronavirus restrictions in a series of late night tweets.
In the latest stream of criticism, Ms Mikakos warned the state “can’t delay opening up forever”.
She also appeared to unleash on both sides of politics, reminding the “Red team” that “critical thinking is allowed”.
Adding Melbourne had “met the rolling average” and, appearing to address her former government, reasoned there could be “a new outbreak next week”.
The tweets come after Premier Daniel Andrews refused to lift restrictions as expected because health authorities were still waiting for a high number of test results related to the outbreak in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
“Vic has met the under 5 threshold which some thought was unachievable,” Ms Mikakos wrote on Twitter earlier on Sunday
“This was a very cautious target. 6/7 of new cases are related to a known outbreak so the risk is manageable.
“The set reopening is gradual & safe so any delay is unnecessary. It’s paralysis in decision-making.”
Dear Red Team,
— Jenny Mikakos #StayHomeSaveLives (@JennyMikakos) October 25, 2020
1 Critical thinking is allowed. We’re not the US.
2 I was an architect of the Roadmap. Public health won out. It’s worked.
3 We’ve met the rolling average. There could be a new outbreak next week. You can’t delay opening up forever.
Dear Blue Team, refer to #2.
Mr Andrews refused to be drawn on Ms Mikakos’s spray on Sunday morning.
“I have nothing to say about those comments,” he said.
Chief health officer Brett Sutton said Ms Mikakos was “entitled to that opinion”.
“We’re just asking for 24 hours, 48 hours (for) significant numbers of tests come back when we know that there are 11 households and still some clusters within the broader outbreak where the linkage between the households is not known,” Mr Sutton said.
Ms Mikakos quit as health minister last month after Mr Andrews told the hotel quarantine inquiry she was “primarily responsible” for the bungled scheme, which caused the state’s second wave of COVID-19.
In a statement at the time, Ms Mikakos said she strongly disagreed with elements of Mr Andrews’ evidence to the inquiry and she could not continue to serve in his cabinet.
Originally published as Former health minister Jenny Mikakos criticises Dan Andrews for not opening up