Nine consecutive days of no virus cases or deaths, Melbourne finally free from lockdown
Metropolitan Melbourne will be reunited with regional Victoria once again, when the “ring of steel” is scrapped at 11.59pm. Premier Daniel Andrews has also hinted at how a COVID-normal Christmas will look — but Victorians will have to wait another fortnight before the specifics are revealed.
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Melburnians have officially been set free under new restriction announcements in Victoria with the ring of steel lifted and the state of disaster not to be renewed from Sunday.
People will also be allowed to meet in larger groups with cafes and pubs having outdoor dining lifted to 70 and 40 for indoors.
Libraries will also be opening and gyms and indoor sporting facilities will open with up to 20 customers.
EVERYTHING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT NEW RULE CHANGES
Other restrictions being lifted from 11.59pm in metropolitan Mebourne include:
• Faith gatherings will increase to 50 outdoors and 20 inside;
• Funerals will increase to 20 indoors and 50 outdoors;
• One household per day will be able to visit care facilities, including aged-care, for two hours;
• Households can receive up to two different adult visitors per day, either together or separately;
• Time limits on partners visiting maternity wards will be scrapped;
• Gyms can reopen for up to 20 people, with strict density limits and groups of no more than 10;
• Up to 20 people at indoor pools, indoor skate parks, indoor trampoline centres, libraries, toy libraries and community venues, play centres and galleries, cinemas, museums;
• Overnight accommodation reopens, with limits on who can share facilities; and
• Up to 10 people at gaming venues. The casino will be able to have 10 people per room with a maximum of 10 separate rooms being used, for electronic gaming machines and tables.
From November 23, further restrictions will be eased in Melbourne, including:
• Private gathering will allow 10 visitors at home;
• Hospitality caps will be increased to 100 people indoors and 200 outdoors with space requirements permitting;
• Gyms will go to 100 people with a maximum of 20 people in one class;
• Indoor pools will move to 50 people and no caps for outdoors;
• Weddings will be increased to 100 people but only 10 in private homes;
• Cinemas and entertainment places will allow up to 100 people, along with gaming venues; and
• Masks will be able to be removed in certain services like beard training and lip piercing, where it is necessary to carry out the service.
There was no news on masks being removed, although Premier Daniel Andrews hinted that changes to mandatory face covering could be made in “two or three weeks”.
“Masks serve a very important purpose,” he said. “Will they be with us forever? No.
“When we get a chance to make a change, then of course, we will. But at this stage, I am not announcing any changes to masks.”
The 10-person limit on public gatherings and weddings remains in place.
The work-from-home rule will also stay in place, with Mr Andrews saying, “I cannot speculate on when by that will end”.
However, despite the good news Mr Andrews warned Victorians the situation was fragile and the virus “is not gone”.
“Nine days of zero is not a vaccine,” Mr Andrews said.
“If we let our guard down then it will be back.
“This virus is widely infectious, it’s silent and it moves quickly.”
Health Minister Martin Foley said Sunday marked the first day since March where no health workers had the virus, which was a “substantial” achievement but justified increased enforcement.
“There are many tens of thousand health workers who have sacrificed time with their families … this is why there will be a blitz on enforcement as we open up,” he said.
HOW CHRISTMAS COULD LOOK
The Premier said he was hopeful that Christmas could see more than 10 people gather at home.
Victorians will be given a clearer idea of the festive season when another announcement is made on November 22 that will detail visitor and household limits.
“Where I’d like to get to is a number that is certainly more than 10 — and I’m confident that it will be — and also a freedom of movement, that is to say that people from multiple households can come to your home,” Mr Andrews said.
“Not 10, more than that, but it’s very difficult for us to speculate any further. Again, we are very confident that we can have are very confident that we can have a lot more to say and be as definitive as possible on the 22nd about what will happen a little more than a month later.”
Factors to be considered include test numbers from across the state and public rule compliance, he said.
“All of those things that will give us greater confidence and then we can be much more definitive in a couple of weeks’ time about what Christmas will look like,” the Premier said.
“A COVID-normal Christmas — we are going to be able to deliver that, we are going to be able to enjoy it. What’s still a little uncertain is what is the difference between a COVID-normal Christmas and a normal Christmas.
“There will be some differences, but we are trying to get those as small, as minimal as they possibly can be.”
VACCINE MANUFACTURING BEGINS IN MELBOURNE
A Melbourne factory has began making a key COVID-19 vaccine candidate, sparking hope the country is a step closer to a successful immunisation program.
About 30 million doses of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccines will be manufactured at CSL’s Broadmeadows plant, the only Australian facility with the necessary equipment.
If successful, it will produce enough doses for 15 million people.
The process begins with vaccine cells from a single one millimetre vial, which will be replicated until they fill a 2000L bioreactor tanks.
The substance will then be filtered and purified, leaving just the vaccine product – ready for the final formulation.
CSL Chief Scientific Officer Dr Andrew Nash said the start of production was an “important milestone” and that he hoped the “next generation” viral vector-based vaccine would be available by mid 2021, pending approval.
“A viral vector is a harmless virus that can be used to deliver the important part of the COVID-19 virus – the spike protein – to your body,” he said.
“The spike protein on the virus is what binds to the cells in your lungs and your body.
“If you make antibodies which bind to that spike protein, they can block it from attaching to cells.”
It is one of two candidates CSL will produce in Melbourne, with the company the only one contracted to manufacture Queensland University’s vaccine candidate.
He said it was a “unique situation” to produce two vaccines for the same virus simultaneously, but the two candidates offered a good balance.
“We’re making the vaccines ahead of time so should the clinical trials be positive, it will be available in the short term to distribute to the population,” Dr Nash said.
He stressed they will only be used if they pass rigorous safety standards and will be disposed of should the studies reveal any negative results.
“Everyone should feel comfortable that everything that is required to demonstrate safety is being done.”
- Sarah Booth
MORE THAN 100 BUSINESSES BROKE RULES
Traders have been warned they are obligated to follow the rules and COVID-safe work plans after more than 100 businesses were found out have breached health directions.
Mr Foley said 121 of the 784 businesses visited by compliance officers on Saturday were not COVID-safe.
“(That) resulted in 36 infringements, 47 matters being brought up again today with those businesses, and 14 warnings issued,” he said.
“The main compliance issues related to lack of signage, density quotas, incomplete contact registers, and inadequate hygiene provisions.
“The enforcement officers will be out again today and will continue to be out as we carefully and sustainably reopen.”
NINTH ‘DOUGHNUT DAY’ IN A ROW
Victoria has recorded its ninth consecutive day of zero new coronavirus cases or deaths.
The state has just four active cases. It brings Melbourne’s rolling 14-day average to 0.4 — but two mystery cases remain.
Close to 17,000 Victorians were tested overnight.
Mr Andrews said all Victorians had played a part in keeping numbers low – and would need to continue doing so.
“That is on all of us — whether it is wearing a mask, washing our hands, coughing into the crook of our arm,” he said.
The Premier said the test results and zero cases numbers nine days in a row was “an impressive thing” and revealed families would be able to reunite across the city and state.
“I can confirm that all of those arrangements that we announced two weeks ago, we’ll be able to take those steps today, and further to that,” Mr Andrews said.
Australia on Sunday experienced another day with no local transmission of coronavirus.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt pointed to the difference between what Australians were going through compared with people overseas.
“Advice from the National Incident Centre of a further day of zero community transmission Australia wide,” Mr Hunt said.
“Many thanks to our health workers, public health leaders and the Australian public.
“Every day we see the contrast in outcomes between Australia and that faced by so many others abroad.”
MASSIVE BOOST COMING FOR REGIONAL VICTORIA
Regional Victoria is set for a major tourism boom in coming weeks with accommodation and holiday attractions already getting booked out.
The removal of Melbourne’s “ring of steel” at 11.59pm Sunday means people can leave the city for the first time in months.
And families are getting ready to flock to the country as excited Melburnians get ready to go on holiday.
Felicia Mariani, chief executive of Victoria Tourism Industry Council, said the whole tourism industry breathed a collective sigh of relief when it was announced the 25km rule would be removed.
“It’s been something we have been waiting for, for a very long time,” Ms Mariani said. “Although it’s great the residents from regional Victoria were able to travel throughout other regional Victorian areas, recovery for businesses was never going to be attained without people from the greater Melbourne region also visiting.”
Ms Mariani said she had welcomed the easing of travel restrictions in Victoria, but hoped there would also be an increase in interstate visitors.
“As of November 23, NSW will be opening its border to Victorians, and I hope there will be a two-way increase of travellers from Victoria to NSW and from NSW to Victoria,” she said.
“I understand that Tasmania will also be opening their borders from December 1 to Victorians.
“Interstate travel is not only critical for tourism in Victoria, but for Australia as a collective.”
Mornington Peninsula Shire CEO John Baker said the area was bracing itself for tourism to return.
“We’re really excited and would love people to come down to visit us,” Mr Baker said.
COUNTRY SCHOOL CAMPS MAKING A COMEBACK
City kids could be on school camps in the Victorian countryside within weeks following the lifting of the ring of steel.
Excitement is growing among 150 rural camp operators, who hope education rules will be relaxed to allow them to admit students from metro areas. If the rules are changed immediately, camp operators can start accepting bookings from schools next week.
While all students have returned to classroom learning, tens of thousands of Melbourne students are still banned from camps and outdoor activity excursions.
The Department of Education and Training has flagged schools will receive updated advice on returning to camps in coming days, but no firm date has been provided.
Victoria has 190 school camps, including 157 in regional areas. The industry’s peak bodies, the Australian Camps Association and Outdoors Victoria, want children to be able to return to camps as soon as possible.
Australian Camps Association chief Peter Griffiths said there was no reason Melbourne students couldn’t follow their rural peers and return to camps.
“Camps are fully prepared with COVID-safe plans. They’ve learnt from other states who returned to camps months ago, and in regional Victoria they’ve already welcomed back country kids successfully and they’re ready to accept bookings from greater Melbourne schools as soon as they are allowed to.
“We know the schools want this. We know the kids are hanging out for it.
“And the camp operators sure need it after losing 95 per cent of their income since bans on school camps in March.”
A 2018 report from the Outdoor Youth Programs Research Alliance found that as little as five days spent camping can improve the mental health of children.
The research found that teenagers with mental health issues and high anxiety benefit the most from outdoor learning programs.
Ben Brocks, site manager from outdoor adventure provider Camp Marysville, said at least 200 students from Melbourne were waiting to be able to go on camps at his venue.
“We’ve only got six weeks left but we’ve got three to four groups ready to come when they get the green light. We need the decision now rather than waiting for many more weeks,” he said.
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