Frustration over Daniel Andrews’ mystery ‘plan’ to end lockdown

It’s a word that Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said 22 times in today, but it has left many people in the locked down state frustrated.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said “plan” 22 times in this morning’s press conference, but he refused to go into any detail.

“These case numbers are too high for us to open up, and they are still too high for us to put forward a definitive plan,” he said, as the state recorded 114 coronavirus cases overnight.

“Now, there will be a plan,” Premier Andrews went on.

“It will come soon. But it will be one that we can be confident of, not something that potentially gets a few of people being happier, but then ultimately has to be revised because it didn‘t mean much when you first announced it.”

Victoria has two more weeks left of stage four restrictions, but it is unclear if rules will be eased or kept in place for longer.

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“We‘ve got to have a plan that is not just statement of what we hope to be able to deliver,” Mr Andrews said.

“It needs to be a clear plan that we are confident we can actually deliver. And I do appreciate that it is frustrating, but a plan that is real is always much better, I think, than one that is rushed out and really doesn’t have the data sitting behind it, the evidence, the science.”

Journalists pressed him, asking if there would be some indication of the plan to ease lockdown ahead of time for business owners.

@DanielAndrewsMP is a disgrace! Give us a plan, even at the broadest level. We have a RIGHT to know what the rest of our years will look like. We have jobs, businesses and families and we don't have cushy government jobs with guaranteed pay. The arrogance is breathtaking. #auspol

— Travelator (@Travelator1) August 30, 2020

But Mr Andrews remained very tight-lipped. He explained that people were rarely given more than a week’s notice during the pandemic, and that this would probably be no exception.

“Can I just say again that at this stage, when we have eased at other points during this pandemic journey, we‘ve usually given people about a week’s notice,” he said.

“I don’t think we have often or at all given people two weeks’ notice.

“That’s the nature of this virus – it’s got a ten day to two-week life-cycle.

“So what’s occurring today really may change quite rapidly over the next week, the next 10 days, the next two weeks. That’s what we are working towards, and as soon as we can give people as much notice as possible and produce details that we can all have some degree of confidence in, that’s exactly what we will do.”

It caused people to speculate on this “mystery plan” which only the Victorian government seems to know about.

Mr Andrews did reveal that it was likely that Victoria’s state of disaster would be extended, when asked what would happen in a few days’ time when it ran out.

“I haven‘t got that advice yet but I think it is likely we will extend those arrangements. They are the ones that sit behind curfew and a number range of stage four measures,” he said.

Can't give a plan 2 weeks away but wants to have a very long plan that has certainty... This makes no sense

— MD (@MwilliamDMD) August 30, 2020

WHERE TO NOW

Victoria recorded 114 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths overnight.

It comes after Victoria’s daily coronavirus case numbers dropped below 100 on Saturday, recording 94 cases and 18 lives lost.

The last time the state had recorded fewer than 100 cases was 55 days ago on July 5.

But speaking on Sunday, Mr Andrews said it did not mean the state could suddenly ease stage four restrictions.

“I understand and appreciate fully that everybody wants that clear sense of what the next steps will be, but they need to be announcements that can be relied up on,” he said.

“They need to be announcements that are based in the best of health advice, in data, in science, in the evidence, and what we can be certain of right now, these case numbers are too high for us to open up, and they are still too high for us to put forward a definitive plan. “Now, there will be a plan. It will come soon. But it will be one that we can be confident of, not something that potentially gets a few of people being happier, but then ultimately has to be revised because it didn’t mean much when you first announced it.”

Mr Andrews said it was still unclear what the weeks and months ahead looked like.

“We understand the need and the urgency and substance of fatigue. Is perfectly reasonable. But all of us have to stay the course on this and defeat this second wave comprehensively, otherwise we won’t be able to lock into a COVID normal with any certainty,” he said.

Even with numbers dropping after a peak daily increase of 725 infections, Mr Andrews was cautious.

“At 100, 94, at 114, whatever the number, we simply could not open up. Those numbers would explode, we would finish up and perhaps an even worse situation than we have been in recent months,” he said.

“We cannot fritter away all that good work and sacrifice.”