Victoria takes its first step out of Covid-19 nightmare

The hated curfew has gone from Monday. But for now, after so much hardship, Melburnians will have little to do outside their homes after 9pm unless five people from two households gather outdoors, within 5km of their homes. If a sixth person wanders along, they could all cop $5000 fines. The return to work of 127,000 people, allowing for the resumption of manufacturing industries with 90 per cent of their workforces and the stepping up of large-scale construction with 85 per cent of their workforces, will help the economy. So will the reopening of wholesale traders, the easing of shopping restrictions and reopening of childcare. The return of students to school is important in re-establishing normality. The resumption of limited visits to hospitals and care facilities will be welcomed deeply by the elderly and infirm after months of loneliness. Increasing elective surgery and reopening dental surgeries is important. Other concessions seem perfunctory, such as allowing five worshippers with one faith leader to attend outdoor services, which feels like a mockery to some churchgoers. Many small businesses, including pubs, clubs and restaurants, will remain closed until next month, at dire cost to themselves, staff and the economy.

As the 14-day rolling average of new cases of COVID-19 falls from the current 22 (well ahead of the target 30 to 50 cases), there is no reason to delay easing further restrictions until October 19. Premier Daniel Andrews has signalled that fast-tracking is a possibility. The draconian COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) Bill, currently before the Victorian upper house, should be scrapped, as a group of former judges and QCs have urged. By the time the bill is voted on in mid-October, the daily tally of new cases could be in single digits.

At the same time, personal distancing and hygiene remain vital in avoiding further serous problems, in all states and territories. France’s record of 16,000 new cases on Thursday, 6600 in Britain and more than 1000 in New York on Saturday as the US death toll from the virus passed 200,000 are reminders of what is at stake. So are the serious warnings of neurological consequences likely to arise from coronavirus, including an escalation in the incidence of Parkinson’s disease.

While welcoming Mr Andrews’s small concessions, Scott Morrison, Josh Frydenberg and Health Minister Greg Hunt noted that “ at similar case levels NSW was fundamentally open while remaining COVID-safe due to a world-class contact-tracing facility”. The Morrison government has delivered more than $27bn of economic support to Victorians during the crisis. And the extension of JobKeeper for another six months is likely to see federal taxpayers underwriting the state by an additional $16.8bn in the December and March quarters, the Treasurer said.

Given the size of the economic hit, all Australians are entitled to answers about who was responsible for the disastrous decision to engage private security guards to oversee hotel quarantining, the fiasco that was responsible for most of the state’s second wave and the deaths of more than 750 people.

The resignation on Saturday of Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos raised more questions than it answered. Referring to Mr Andrews’s evidence to the inquiry on Friday, she said: “The fact that there are elements in it that I strongly disagree with, I believe that I cannot continue to serve in his cabinet.” Which elements of his statement? Victorians are entitled to know. As Caroline Overington writes online: “No one in the Andrews government knows who made the decision to hire private security guards? It just sort of happened? If that’s so, then let’s all forget about the problem of zombie businesses in Victoria. We have a zombie government.’’

Nor have Mr Andrews and his ministers explained why the state did not take up the Morrison government’s offer of ADF personnel to help with hotel quarantining. On Friday, Mr Andrews told the inquiry he had “no expectation’’ of such support after a national cabinet meeting in March. But this appeared to be contradicted by footage aired on Sky News on Sunday, It showed Mr Andrews answering a journalist’s question in March about how people returning from overseas would be kept in hotel quarantine rooms. He said: “We’ll utilise private security, we’ll also utilise members of Victoria Police and I’m grateful to the Prime Minister for his offer of support from the Australian Defence Force.’’

Melbourne remains another three weeks away from a substantial easing of coronavirus restrictions that would enable the hospitality and retail industries to reopen for business and residents to leave home without limitations. But the “safe and steady” steps out of stage-four restrictions are a step towards the end of a nightmare few in the city, especially those who have lost friends and family, will forget. Its economic fallout, however, is likely to be felt for a generation.