AFL clubs to abandon Victoria, strict Covid rules set to stay

Victorian AFL clubs are set to abandon the state in the fallout of Melbourne’s latest Covid outbreak, with mask rules and crowd limits likely to continue even after the snap lockdown ends.

Mask rules and indoor crowd limits are likely to be extended beyond Victoria’s shutdown amid fears COVID-19 cases have spread too far to “snap back” to pre-lockdown restrictions.

And a longer lockdown is possible with health officials in a race against time to reach hundreds of people who are yet to return test results from more than 150 exposure sites.

Failure to reach enough of the potentially infectious Victorians by midweek risks triggering a lengthier shutdown to contain the spread of cases.

AFL teams are set to abandon Victoria over the uncertainty and hold next weekend’s matches interstate, including the marquee Dreamtime at the ‘G clash which is all but certain to be played in Perth.

AFL clubs are set to abandon Victoria. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

The following week’s State of Origin NRL match at the MCG is also believed to be about to be moved to Townsville.

As a record number of Victorians were vaccinated on Saturday, state leaders are pleading with Victorians to hold the line on stay-at-home directives, saying on Saturday that despite the immense amount of work going into testing and tracing the virus, the wide spread of the 35-person cluster makes an end-date a “day by day proposition”.

On Sunday a multimillion dollar compensation scheme for businesses will be announced, as inside the Andrews government talk of an early release from lockdown has all but dried up and some figures fear an extension instead.

State leaders are pleading with Victorians to hold the line on stay-at-home directives. Picture: Getty Images

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal that mask rules on most indoor activities are likely to remain after the lockdown, acting as what Premier Daniel Andrews previously called an “insurance policy”.

New density limits for indoor dining and other venues are likely to be discussed early this week, while the return of students to schools will hinge on whether transmission of the virus has been sufficiently contained midweek.

Health Minister Martin Foley said the government would take the advice of chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton and his team before making a decision on whether our fourth lockdown ends on Thursday night as planned.

“It is a day by day proposition,” he said.

“What we have been clear and upfront on every day is that each day we review (the situation) based on the intelligence and material we have got before us.”

A longer lockdown is possible with health officials in a race against time to reach hundreds of people who are yet to return test results. Picture: Sarah Matray

An outbreak that began when a man who left hotel quarantine in South Australia tested positive for coronavirus in Victoria has caused 35 infections across the community.

Several exposure sites infected people recently visited were added to a list of more than 150 on Saturday, including Mount Ridley College in Craigieburn and a number of grocery stores visited by a delivery driver.

Asked why the whole state was locked down rather than just Melbourne, Mr Foley said it was to protect country Victorians from anyone who had moved about the state during incubation periods.

He praised the record 50,000-plus people who came forward for testing, as well as the tens of thousands who have been vaccinated this week.

Mask rules on most indoor activities are likely to remain after the lockdown. Picture: AFP

Almost 22,000 people were vaccinated on Friday, but on Saturday many people were turned away due to a computer glitch at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Today the government is expected to announce an assistance package worth hundreds of millions of dollars to stem the pain suffered by businesses locked down, with discussions held on Saturday between state Treasurer Tim Pallas and federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said assistance would be welcomed but a bigger boost would be an early release from lockdown, adding that a phased release from a shutdown would have a massive impact.

“We would want to come out of this on Friday morning with the same conditions that existed on Monday last week,” he said.

Mr Guerra called for the government to consider expanding its tourism voucher system to other industries, such as hairdressing.

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