How Melbourne’s coronavirus spike will affect what you can do this weekend

Victoria’s escalating coronavirus situation has again turned virus measures around Australia on its head. Here’s what you can and can’t do this weekend.

Victoria has endured another horror week of its worsening coronavirus situation, with new case numbers hitting record highs and fears brimming that Melbourne’s outbreak could signal a dreaded second wave.

As infections climbed – 355were recorded between Monday and Friday – Australia’s other states and territories kept one eye on Victoria as they announced the rolling back of restrictions in their own jurisdictions and sent health officials in to lend a hand.

“We all have to dig deep to make this work,” Victoria’s Premier Dan Andrews wrote in a post on Twitter.

“Very clearly, this is not where we wanted to be. I understand people are tired. We’re all frustrated. We all just want things to go back to how they once were.

“And the sooner we all do the right thing, the sooner we can beat this. We all have a part to play. And it’s up to all of us to make this work.”

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Residents in the 10 Melbourne postcodes linked to the capital’s outbreak – 3012, 3021, 3032, 3038, 3042, 3046, 3047, 3055, 3060 and 3064 – were put into local lockdown at 11.59pm on Wednesday night.

More than 310,000 Victorians will now – until July 29 – only be permitted to leave their homes for four reasons: exercise, food, caregiving and work/school.

Mr Andrews told 3AW on Wednesday morning he and his health term were “confident that this strategy of lockdown” would be effective, though warned if the situation didn’t improve, he’d shut down the whole state.

“If we don’t get control of this really quickly we will end up with … a whole state shutdown,” Mr Andrews said.

“This is not over. This is so wildly infectious that even minor breaches of the rules can lead to this random movement of the virus around the community.”

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MUST WATCH: For everyone wondering what happens in a Lockdown police check #VicCorona @BreakfastNews @abcnews #Broadmeadows pic.twitter.com/WcGSh5ce0B

— Georgie Tunny (@georgie_tunny) July 1, 2020

Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton acknowledged on Thursday that residents were frustrated or angry that they were being “targeted” by the heavy police presence in the hotspot areas, but said “we all have to cop it on the chin”.

“The alternative is that there’s increased transmission and that there are more and more postcodes or all of metro Melbourne or all of Victoria that goes into shutdown,” Professor Sutton told reporters.

“When it’s been out of control in places internationally and continued to be out of control, it’s taken weeks and weeks and weeks to drive numbers down.

“So we have to accept that we’re still in a better position than a number of places internationally and that this is a really frustrating and hard sacrifice for people to make but it is the appropriate measure to get on top of this.”

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For the rest of Australia, state and territory leaders are moving forward with their third phases of easing restrictions, feeling the impact most from the spike in Melbourne’s cases when it comes to reopening their borders.

With that in mind, here’s what the outbreak could mean for you:

NEW SOUTH WALES

The NSW Government has closed its border to Victorians travelling from Melbourne’s coronavirus hot spots.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced the decision earlier this week, revealing anyone from an affected Victorian postcode found in NSW could be jailed for six months or fined $11,000.

The new rules will also apply to NSW residents who visit the Melbourne suburbs.

“It’s not something we want to do but we must do for our own safety,” Mr Hazzard told reporters.

“As soon as you set foot in NSW, you’ll be exposed to the possibility of six months in jail and $11,000 fine,” he said, of any Victorians from the areas planning to “slip across” the border.

“So take it seriously, take it very, very seriously.”

NSW residents returning from those hot spots will also be forced to quarantine for two weeks.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian – who earlier this week told NSW residents not to allow “anyone from a hot spot in Melbourne or from greater Melbourne to come into your home” – said she hoped the penalties wouldn’t have to be enforced.

“If the Victorian authorities are doing their job, where they’re having strong compliance in travelling around those streets and those suburbs, I don’t expect anyone to be breaching, to be able to actually get out of those hot spots in the first place,” she said.

In terms of other restrictions, as of July 1, indoor venues can now operate without capacity limits, providing they abide by the one person per four square metre rule.

Outdoor cultural and sporting venues with a capacity of up to 40,000 will also be allowed to fill a quarter of their seats.

Community sport has resumed for kids and adults, and the State Government also increased the capacity of public transport services, allowing 68 passengers on a train and 23 on a bus.

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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned NSW residents not to allow Victorians coming from Melbourne’s virus hot spots into their homes. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Adam Yip

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

South Australia has dumped its plans to fully reopen its state borders on July 20.

Premier Steven Marshall has already welcomed Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the NT back to SA under its “travel bubble”, meaning interstate arrivals won’t be expected to quarantine for 14 days when they enter the state.

But Mr Marshall announced on Tuesday that travellers from Victoria, NSW and the ACT will now need to sit tight for a new border reopening date.

“We just don’t have confidence that we can say now that the border removal with Victoria will be safe on 20 July,” he told reporters.

“Our number one priority is the health, safety and welfare of all South Australians. I know that this is tough. I know that there are many families who are dislocated because of the border arrangements.

“But we have worked so hard to get ourselves into a very enviable position and we are not prepared to go backwards.”

QUEENSLAND

The Queensland border will reopen as planned on July 10, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Tuesday, to all states except for Victoria.

As of Friday, anyone who has travelled from Victoria, including returning Queenslanders, will be prevented from entering the state or will have to quarantine at a hotel at their own expense for 14 days.

“We just can’t risk removing border restrictions for people coming from areas of Victoria right now. These are very big concerns,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Residents from Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, NSW, Northern Territory and the ACT will be allowed to enter Queensland after filling in a border declaration.

“This border declaration is to ensure that no one has travelled to Victoria in the past 14 days,” she explained.

“If you falsify a document, you will face strict penalties and fines up to $4000.”

Speaking alongside Ms Palaszczuk, Deputy Premier Steven Miles said Queenslanders should avoid travel to Victoria altogether.

“These new, stricter rules will ensure that we contain the virus in Victoria. Our message to Queenslanders is please do not go there,” Mr Miles said.

“Our message to Victorians is please do not come here. We do not want to bring those cases here.”

A new round of restrictions have also been rolled back across the state, with limits on private gatherings now increased from 20 people to a maximum of 100.

Contact sport is allowed again, with indoor and outdoor facilities allowed to open to spectators so long as they abide by the one person per four square metre rule.

Nightclubs, massage parlours, casinos and gaming rooms have also reopened – as well as saunas, bathhouses and food courts.

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BREAKING: Queensland borders remain closed to Victoria.

We cannot risk the hard work of Queenslanders and put our plan for economic recovery at risk.#qldjobs #uniteandrecover #covid19 pic.twitter.com/TEWpCN2dtt

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) June 30, 2020

NORTHERN TERRITORY

After nearly three months without any new coronavirus infections, the Northern Territory reported its first case of COVID-19 on Thursday: a returned traveller who had quarantined in a hotel in Melbourne, and then spent a couple of days with family in one of Melbourne’s hotspot suburbs before flying home to Darwin.

“After a significant period of time where we have not had any locally diagnosed cases, this is obviously important to Territorians but we have measures in place to protect our community, these measures have been followed, and we still mustn’t be complacent around coronavirus,” Health Minister Natasha Fyles told reporters.

Ms Fyles said that when the NT’s border reopens to the rest of Australia on July 17, health officials’ advice on areas deemed hot spots will be considered.

The new infection, however, won’t stop the Territory from moving toward its “new normal”, she said.

“We have to understand that we’re stepping forward into what is our new normal. So the restrictions are not going away on July 17. We’re changing those restrictions and measures, we’re keeping measures in place to protect the community and they’re based on clinical advice.”

TASMANIA

Tasmania’s Premier Peter Gutwein announced last week his state’s border would reopen to the rest of Australia on Friday, July 24.

However, public health advice will be kept in consideration, Mr Gutwein said, telling reporters the Tasmanian Government will review the coronavirus situation in other jurisdictions over the next month, paying particular attention to the spike in Victoria.

“If the public health advice is that we should maintain our restrictions, then we will maintain our restrictions,” Mr Gutwein said.

“We need to have confidence in other states which may present a risk to Tasmania, states that may have community transmission and could compromise Tasmanians’ health and safety.”

Along with Victoria, Coles stores across Tasmania have reinstated more product limits after distribution centre workers tested positive for coronavirus, hurting the supermarket giant’s ability to replenish shelves.

New two-pack buying limits now apply to 23 items including pasta, mince, canned fruit, prepacked carrots and cheese, joining the national one-pack limit on toilet paper and paper towels.

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Buying limits are back in place on a number of items, including toilet paper, in Coles stores across Victoria and Tasmania. Picture: Supplied

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

There aren’t any border restrictions in the Australian Capital Territory, but chief health officer Kerryn Coleman announced on Friday anyone returning to the ACT from Melbourne hot spots will be forced to quarantine for 14 days at their own expense, or face fines of up to $8000.

Passengers on flights from Melbourne will now be asked to provide identification when they arrive at Canberra Airport, with chief health officer Kerryn Coleman telling Territorians all non essential travel to Melbourne should be cancelled.

“The situation in Melbourne is concerning and has evolved quickly in the past week,” Dr Coleman said.

“COVID-19 cases have increased significantly, and this direction will help to protect Canberrans and our most vulnerable community members from the potential spread of COVID-19.

“We ask that people respect the direction and not travel to the ACT from the identified hotspot areas of Melbourne.”

Returning Canberra residents can quarantine at home if suitable, while visitors to the ACT will be required to stay at a hotel or other “suitable premises”.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Phase four coronavirus restrictions came into effect in Western Australia at 11.59pm last Friday, with thousands of West Australians hitting clubs, pubs and live music venues.

Seated service requirements at pubs and restaurants have now been removed – meaning patrons can stand up at a bar and have a drink – with Premier Mark McGowan praising residents’ reception to the eased measures over the weekend.

Businesses are also no longer required to obtain the contact details of customers, gyms can operate unstaffed and live music events are permitted.

WA is “leading the nation” in its coronavirus response, Mr McGowan said.

“We have avoided, at this point in time, a catastrophe and that’s due to the work of people across the state,” he said.

“We’ve got more activity and more jobs and more businesses back than any other state in Australia.”

Removal of WA’s hard border with the east has been touted for phase six, but Mr McGowan has refused to put a date on when it might actually happen.

The state’s chief health officer Andy Robertson said it will only happen when there’s little to no community transmission in Australia.

“If either they’ve got no community spread or we’re fairly confident that what little community spread (there is) is well under control and being effectively managed, that would be the time we would provide that advice (to reopen the border).”