Daniel Andrews says Victoria won’t pursue zero Omicron strategy

Dan Andrews has revealed he won’t be using this controversial strategy to deal with the Omicron variant after conceding his government made mistakes during the pandemic.

Daniel Andrews has declared Victoria’s response to the pandemic has been a “triumph” but has conceded his government has made mistakes in its handling of COVID-19.

In an interview with left-leaning Socially Democratic podcast, the Premier took aim at his detractors for failing to acknowledge Victoria’s pandemic success and lashed out at state opposition MPs for attending the “freedom” protests.

“It’s a triumph in terms of what government in partnership with the community can do,” Mr Andrews said.

“We’ve got some people who just can’t find it in themselves to say ‘well done’ and to speak out against extremism.”

He added, “Where you stand on issues matters but who you stand with his just as important we have seen people who have been very critical of us …. sharing a stage with these people. “What is it they want? Do they actually want someone to get hurt?”

But Mr Andrews – who presided over the world’s longest lockdown in Melbourne in an effort to quash the virus – admitted his government’s response to the pandemic hasn’t been flawless.

“I wouldn’t want anyone to think we regard our pandemic response across the board as having been perfect, he told former Labor campaigner Stephen Donnelly.

Daniel Andrews presided over the world’s longest lockdown in Melbourne. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

“Of course it wasn’t, there are things that if you would go back and change them you would but we don’t have the benefit of doing that.”

Mr Andrews also spoke of his press conferences which attracted an “absolutely phenomenal” number of viewers at the height of the pandemic

He said he harboured doubts about whether the increased attention would boost his popularity with the electorate.

‘They gave me some audience numbers at one point, which is, you know, wonderfully helpful, to know that you’re talking to a million people, live,’ he said.

“On more than one occasion, I thought ‘I don’t know what they’re going to think about me by the end of this’, but we’ve just got to push on.”

More broadly, Mr Andrews argued it was state governments, and not federal ones, who now play a more consequential role in driving the economy and improving people’s standards of living.

All the major national economic reforms, including the abolition of tariffs and the flouting of the dollar, Mr Andrews argued “all got done” in the 1980s during Bob Hawke’s tenure as Prime Minister.

Mr Andrews said states now oversee the “big levers of productivity” including health, education, energy and infrastructure, which will drive future economic growth.

“The big drivers of our standard of living and our quality of life, productivity and therefore people’s prospects, sense of security and options in life … are all run by the states now,” the Victorian Premier said.

“It’s the main game.” 

ANDREWS’ STRATEGY TO TACKLE OMICRON

Premier Daniel Andrews says Victoria will not pursue a “Omicron zero” strategy and other states shouldn’t either.

Mr Andrews said while there were no reports of a Victorian having been infected by the Covid variant, “it might already be here”.

“We will not be pursuing an Omicron zero (policy) here,” he said. “We don’t think that makes any sense. It might already be here. The good news so far is that whilst it might be more infectious, the evidence suggests that it might be milder.”

Queensland and South Australia have moved to tighten their borders amid Omicron fears, potentially throwing interstate family reunions at Christmas into chaos.

Mr Andrews said he was “texting back and forth” with NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet on Saturday, and they would “keep our rules the same”.

Travellers wearing PPE arrive at Melbourne Airport amid fears around the Omicron variant of Covid-19. Picture: AFP

He said it was not proportionate for Victoria to close its border, but acknowledged the state had higher vaccination levels than others.

“An Omicron zero strategy, I don’t think that’s going to work,” he said.

“Our borders remain open. We have the same rules as NSW, we’re going to do everything we can to keep those rules the same.

“That’s very important, not just for the people of Victoria … but if Victoria and NSW are working closely together I reckon that is pretty good for the rest of the country as well.”

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt on Sunday said 15 Omicron cases had been identified in Australia, with some positive cases under investigation.

Mr Hunt said travel restrictions were being reviewed daily but there were no plans to change a decision to reopen the international border to temporary visa holders until December 15.

“There are 41 countries, on our latest advice, that have identified the variant,” he said.

TGA deputy secretary John Skerritt said early information was that it produced a milder course of disease but there would be a lag on hospitalisations.

Professor Skerritt said experts were not only testing how well vaccines worked against Omicron, but how it responded to treatments and rapid tests.