Let’s skip the patronising patter and lift restrictions now

Our leaders’ obsession with petty details, mask-wearing and head-counting is sending Victorians insane. We don’t need paternalistic patter, we need to be able to live our lives.

The best holiday for Victorians would be a break from the ridiculous restrictions stopping us from freely living our lives.

Today’s announcement from Acting Premier James Merlino was hardly the “big step forward” allowing Victorians to “get together and spend more time together”.

It’s more of the same – more mind-numbing, frustrating barriers.

It’s almost inconceivable that restrictions are to last another two weeks given that we have no community cases and only 50 active cases across the state.

Two more weeks of wearing masks inside – how on earth can that be justified given the low rate of community transmission in our state?

Two more weeks of counting the number of visitors in our homes.

And two more weeks of counting the number of people who can gather together outside.

Funerals, weddings and hospitality venues will be capped at 300 people but density limits still apply, meaning many events will get nowhere near that number. And don’t think about busting a move – dancing is still banned.

The sad truth is that despite James Merlino’s assurances Victorians do not have the confidence to make plans and enjoy the school holidays. Picture: David Geraghty

Same goes for workplaces, which can now operate at 75 per cent capacity. But the limit of 30 people in a workplace will mean most offices will be much less than three-quarters full.

As always there are the same list of frustrating inconsistencies.

Live music is allowed but dancing is not.

We can only have 15 people in our homes but 1000 at a community sporting match.

Offices can be three-quarters full but theatres must only be half full.

Merlino dangled the promise of greater freedom from July 1, suggesting that if all goes well, there will be 100 per cent capacity in theatres and other venues. But why not now?

And why will outdoor stadiums only increase to 85 per cent capacity from July 1 given that the rate of transmission is lower than indoors?

There is also no reason why people travelling to the snow have to get tested.

The obsession with petty details, inconsistencies, mask-wearing and head-counting is sending us all insane.

The sad truth is that despite Merlino’s assurances Victorians do not have the confidence to make plans and enjoy the school holidays.

Even a small spike in numbers could plunge us all back into lockdown, and we know it. After more than a year of this, Victorians know how little trust our government has in our ability to keep ourselves safe.

After more than a year of this, Victorians know how little trust our government has in our ability to keep ourselves safe. Picture: David Crosling

It’s galling to think just a handful of cases stand between us and another crippling lockdown.

At times like these we don’t need Merlino giving us permission to “explore your state”, “head to the bush, stay at the beach or shop in a small town”.

These things have been denied to us for months at a time, so we hardly feel footloose and fancy free right now. How dare he suggest we should feel grateful for the fact that we are now able to visit our family in the country or go shopping? We should have been doing these things and more for many months.

In any case, the Service Victoria QR code he spruiks so proudly has made us the laughing stock of the country.

We know better than most health officials what to do. We don’t need Merlino telling us to get tested if we have mild symptoms or catch up with mates another night if we’ve got a sore throat.

We don’t need more patronising and paternalistic patter from Merlino; what we need is a full lifting of restrictions immediately and an assurance there will be no more lockdowns and no more home schooling.

As usual, Victorians continue to be bound by an obsessive, overbearing state government intent on eradicating rather than managing covid for political gain.

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