Melbourne restrictions: 5km rule extended to 20km, golf is back, but more pain for Melbourne businesses
Melbourne residents will be freed from their homes after more than 100 days of strict lockdown, with some controversial restrictions rolled back. While regional Victorians will be the big winners, there’s more pain for small businesses.
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Melbourne residents will be freed from their homes on Monday after more than 100 days of strict lockdown.
The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal the state government will on Sunday announce the two-hour time limits for exercise or social activities will be scrapped, and the number of people able to gather outdoors increased to as many as 10.
The controversial 5km restriction on travel will be widened to 20km — although bans on entering people’s homes may still apply outside of single-household “bubbles”.
PREMIER DANIEL ANDREWS WILL ANNOUNCE THE CHANGES AT 11AM TODAY, WATCH IT LIVE HERE.
This means Melburnians will be able to catch up outdoors with friends and family within 20km for as long as they like if they adhere to mask wearing and distancing rules to stay “COVID safe”.
Sports fans will be allowed to play tennis and golf, without entering clubrooms, and skate parks and DIY car washes are likely to be open on Monday.
But in news that will disappoint struggling businesses, a cautious approach will be taken to almost all indoor activities and movements, meaning retail and dining outlets will have to chart a longer pathway to reopening.
Some outdoor eating will return within days, but the number of patrons will be capped per square metre of space.
Regional Victorians will be big winners, as more people are likely to be allowed inside homes as well as at restaurants, cafes and retail venues.
Despite only one new case of coronavirus uncovered from 18,934 test results returned on Saturday, Premier Daniel Andrews will ask most businesses to stay closed for a little longer to ensure infections related to 17 mystery cases of COVID-19 do not take off.
On Saturday, the Premier said his strategy was “not about racing to COVID normal” but instead about “safe and steady steps” — with the first to be social rather than economic measures.
MELBOURNE 20KM DISTANCE TRACKER
* This map is intended as a guide only. The travel limit has been extended to 25km, it was announced on Sunday. This tool will be updated within the next 24 hours. Compatability issues may occur with some Android phones
He acknowledged that when “numbers are low, expectations are high” and flagged massive new spending in the state budget to try to repair some of the economic damage.
“We have to be conservative and careful, we have to take safe and steady steps,” Mr Andrews said.
His altered road map to recovery to be released on Sunday will change the emphasis put on case numbers to a greater focus on stamping out unknown sources of infection.
This is likely to result in a greater effort to isolate contacts of contacts when new infections are discovered, and allow hundreds of thousands of others to stay out of lockdown.
Mr Andrews on Saturday sparked a war of words with federal MPs who were pushing for a broader easing of restrictions.
“Whatever I stand up here … and announce, there will be members of that federal government, some who are from Victoria but I don’t think they’re for Victoria, who will be out there saying ‘It is not enough, you should have done more’,” Mr Andrews said.
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg hit back, saying he had to speak up on behalf of those keen to get the state open in a COVID-safe way.
“I, like so many other Victorians — be they in the health, legal, business or broader community — will not be silenced nor stand by as our fellow Victorians lose their liberties and have their economic livelihoods damaged,” he said.
“We are from Victoria and we are for Victoria.”
Many restaurants and business leaders who spoke with the Sunday Herald Sun said they hoped the Premier would be bold in his new road map.
Chris Lucas, from CBD restaurant Chin Chin, said people would be very disappointed if there were no easing of restrictions to allow indoor dining “soon”.
“Premier Daniel Andrews is finding himself even further on the outer with the mood of Victorians,” he said.
“The longer he keeps us locked up the more damage, both economic and mental health related, and the longer the jobless queues,” he said.
Restaurant and Catering Australia chief Wes Lambert said the hospitality industry believed there was “no other course of action but for the road map to be amended to between five and 10 cases per day in the third step”.
BHP chief executive Mike Henry urged a “risk-based approach” to cautiously reopening workplaces.
“It is important for all Victorians that we find a way to live and work with this virus,” he said. “The road ahead will be tough for Victoria and our economic recovery.”
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