Coronavirus: Daniel Andrews closes Victoria’s isolation exercise loophole

The Andrews government has moved to overturn a loophole that permitted people who had tested positive for coronavirus to leave their homes for exercise.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton. Picture: Getty Images

The Andrews government has moved to overturn a loophole unique to Victoria, which until Tuesday permitted people who had tested positive for coronavirus to leave their homes for exercise.

Premier Daniel Andrews announced a change to the rules as he unveiled a new $4957 fine for people with coronavirus or their close contacts who breached the requirement to isolate on a second or subsequent occasion.

The measure comes after Australian Defence Force and Department of Health and Human Services teams found 800 of 3000 people they doorknocked, who should have been isolating, were not home.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton defended the exercise loophole under questioning from The Australian as recently as last week, making reference to Victoria’s human rights charter.

Professor Sutton’s directions, which were on the Victorian DHHS website even after Mr Andrews announced the loophole would be closed, advised positive cases: “You are permitted to leave your property to exercise however (sic) you must keep a distance of 1.5 metres between yourself and any people you encounter.”

Asked to confirm that these were the rules at the Premier’s press conference on July 28, Professor Sutton said: “Yeah, otherwise it’s detention, and we don’t have detention for cases in Victoria. They are entitled to exercise within their home and garden, ideally.”

Mr Andrews made it clear on Tuesday the rules had changed: “There will be no exercise if you are supposed to be isolating at home.”